When people ask me why I never finished college, I think they expect my response to include some fascinating sob story about how we grew up so poor that I had eat dandelions for food or that I had a sick relative I had to take care of. My real answer always garners a disappointed response and follow up with “so then why didn’t you ever get it done?”.
I grew up in a great household with a wonderfully loving intelligent, and supportive family. I am not the first in my family to go to college, in fact I am literally the last member of my family (of age) that has not yet earned their bachelor’s degree. My family has never held it against me, and they have always been supportive, but as the daughter of a rocket scientist father and psych major mother, I always knew that I was not living up to my full potential.
As a child, I was free to explore whatever interested me. My father would let me blow things up and my mom would ask me how I felt about it. We would sometimes spend the Christmas holiday on a small sailboat in the Bahamas, creating our decorations out of duct tape and a dingy anchor out of a chunk of washed-up brain coral. The freedom to learn and explore whatever tickled my interest was almost too freeing. I knew I loved art and other creative hobbies, but those were always hobbies to me. My logical side of my brain tended to remind me that creativity is fun but hobbies and working for a living were vastly different areas of my life. It took more years than I care to admit and a variety of different careers to show me that I make a living being creative.
I had what some may call “old school” parents; they expected me to listen, not interrupt, observe, try to solve the question before asking for help. Even questions as simple as “Are we there yet?” Could turn into a word problem, “Well, we are passing mile marker x, our destination is mile marker y, we are traveling z miles per hour; when do you think we will get there?”.
Community Service
My mother had always pursued community service and as her daughter I was expected to volunteer right along with her everywhere she worked. First with Aids Help in Key West, Florida, then at the Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic & the Salvation Army (see exhibits D-1 & D-2).
At 14 years old, I was able to utilize the years of community service (with mother) to obtain a position as a volunteer assistant swimming instructor at the YMCA. The work ethic and inquisitive nature engrained in me by my parents gave me the tools to work hard, have a positive attitude, and open eyes and ears (always learning). After I turned 15, the YMCA offered me a paid position with my own swimming classes. I enjoyed the position and my classes so much I continued teaching and later lifeguarding for the YMCA for several years (before other jobs demanded too much of my time).
Insurance Claims Representative
When I was 16, Geico decided to hire one high school student, on a trial basis as a part-time Glass Claims Representative (which previously required a high school diploma or equivalent). They went to each of the high schools in Stafford and interviewed the kids that were interested. I was the candidate they selected, they advised in no short terms that if “I didn’t cut it they would never hire another high schooler”. The new hire training program was 9am to 5pm and as I was still in high school, I missed the first half of training each day, and I was required to catch up on the fly. It was a challenge, but I always enjoy having to exceed expectations. For more than two years I worked 30 hours a week, including holidays, reviewing customer claims, discuss their policy and their options. It taught me to be thorough, and document everything, when things get tough take a moment and a deep breath, there is nothing to be gained from rushing, losing focus, or even just succumbing to the vitriol that some people can throw at you when they are upset.
Every job I have ever had has helped me grow and develop new skills. Even the toughest and most thankless jobs (such as Hair Salon Coordinator and Homeowner Association Manager); I would give it my all and think of it as my own “job boot camp”; if I can excel at the worst jobs, I can excel at any job.
Store Management
As the salon coordinator of a high-end hair salon, I had to learn on the fly how to handle demanding customers, while still making them feel like our only client and not letting them walk all over us. I was put in charge of managing/maintaining the inventory; including receiving incoming inventory, pricing the merchandise, tracking sales, and store use and finally ordering additional inventory as needed. The salon did not allow stylists to talk on the phone while working with any client, so I had to handle all calls, purchases, payments, appointment scheduling (with the appropriate times needed), and messages. At the close of business each day, I had to balance the drawer, credit cards, and receipts, calculate and notate each stylist’s commission for the day (a percentage of their services and product sales), and make the bank deposit. The owner required all employees to join the stylists at hair classes so that every employee had a strong understanding of coloring, cutting, perming, straightening, and styling processes so that “if you are speaking to a customer, you know what you are talking about”. This lesson has stuck with me at every job I have had since then. Every company I work for I educate myself on the operations, processes, and projects whether it is necessary for the position or not.
Homeowners Association Management
A Homeowner Association Manager (exhibit D-3 and exhibit D-4) is probably the most universally despised position I have ever held, which caused the “people pleaser” in me endless agony. I continuously tried to remind myself that I was the unbiased third party protecting the homeowners’ property values by enforcing the community rules and regulations. Though it was little solace when people constantly get upset with you for reminding them of simple neighborhood rules or inability to enforce rules on a neighbor. Each community has its own Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, as well as, Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions, and any other rules and regs. Governing documents cover everything from the frequency of meetings, notification of homeowners, what property belonged to the homeowners and what belonged to the HOA, rules, fines, and enforcement, changing rules, how to improve property and how to maintain it. No two HOAs have the same documents, as I learned from Silver Residential, and even the HOAs by the same developer are not the same. HOA’s are subject to both federal, state, and local regulation. The HOA manager (such as myself) is the HOA members’ source of information and guidance (exhibits D-5 and D-6). The HOA Board or homeowner may call on me to ask how they can repave a parking lot or add a playground and anything short of an absolute understanding of each communities’ documents would be immediately evident (there is no “let me check and get back to you”). On the federal level, an HOA is required to be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) compliant, to help ensure that all property owners are treated fairly and given appropriate access and consideration to all HOA property. In most neighborhoods the sidewalks were a near constant maintenance item as the maximum height difference between the slabs was 1/10th of an inch. I would regularly inspect or hire inspectors to check each section of sidewalk for any change (which would then require a crew come out and shave the concrete down to flat). The Fair Housing Act protects individuals from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, and national origin. Holidays tended to be the time I would have to remind the HOA board of this act the most, as not everyone celebrates the same holidays, but if you allow decorations for one religion you are not allowed to ban others. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protects those that are busy protecting our country from collections and foreclosures. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which I had to reference more than once for the HOA’s that tended to prefer aggressive pursuit of outstanding debt. Violation of Federal laws has severe consequences for all parties involved with an HOA. There is also the Property Owner’s Association Act in Virginia which required me to know and understand each community’s pertinent governing documents inside and out.
Administration/Operations
The Silver Companies was the most personally enlightening and enriching experience, while simultaneously the most difficult and time consuming. In my approximately 12 years with the Silver Companies, I went from the Receptionist to Executive Assistant, to Project Coordinator, and Accounts Payable, to finally the Director of Marketing. It is a keep up or get out company which made each of my successes that much sweeter. During the transition from Executive Assistant to Project Coordinator, I was temporarily laid off partly because of the birth of my daughter, but mostly due to a weakened and failing economy. During that time I worked for Simms Furniture as the Warehouse Manager for both Simms Furniture and Lifestyles Furniture, which greatly strengthened my management and operations skill when I returned to Silver Companies as a Project Coordinator.
I started at the Silver Companies in their Residential Development division, as the Receptionist, to which they later added Executive Administrative Assistant. Familiarizing myself with every project we had, the details, the surroundings, etc. helped me quickly become an integral team member. I would use prior experience helping my mom run the Free Clinic and from running the salon to efficiently manage the basic day to day tasks, office supplies, scheduling, general filing, and prioritizing, which freed up my time to expand my workload into more difficult and interesting tasks.
My most important career experience has come from my time with Powell’s Furniture and Silver Companies. Unfortunately, I have tried on numerous occasions to quantify my time with Silver Commercial Development and Powell’s Furniture into a series of tasks, responsibilities, goals, and achievements. However, both positions were fluid things, nearly alive in their own demands. I know that both companies have given me a multitude of other tasks and experience, but I have tried to focus on the examples that I think are most important to share.
When I was brought into the Silver Commercial Development division it was to be the Administrative Assistant to Quantico Corporate Center (QCC). Initially I was responsible with handling “anything the project needed”, which primarily consisted of tracking the status of all aspects of the project, scheduling meetings and travel, tracking, and approving project expenses, and reviewing documents and contracts for execution, contractor insurance/payable compliance, locating potential leads, working with the County on plan review, and approvals, permitting, document records. Additionally, I tracked all project statuses (exhibit D-7), maintained all project files and records and, reviewed documents for execution.
I worked hard, learned all of the project details, and became responsible for more increasingly important and intricate tasks (exhibit D-8), such as, tracking the Historical Tax Assessment for parcels in and around QCC (exhibit D-9) to illustrate increased property values not just within the Quantico Corporate Center but the surrounding parcels as well, to not only demonstrate to potential property owners the positive trajectory in land value, but also to the State and County (demonstrating the positive tax benefits). In addition, I researched and compiled the Lease Comps for each building (exhibit D-10). Eventually it was decided that my title did not cover the entirety of my task and I was retitled to Project Coordinator (exhibit D-11).
Prior to my return to the Silver Companies, I managed the warehouse for Simms Furniture and Lifestyles Furniture. My duties there spanned well beyond managing the warehouse staff and delivery staff. I was responsible for the operation of the warehouse to include creating a new system for inventory, which replaced the outdated system they had previously used. This paved the way for not only a more accurate and up to date account for our inventory, but it aided significantly in loss prevention which saved the company significant costs. It also allowed me to better schedule deliveries and create efficiencies in routing trucks, which made me able to exceed our daily delivery quotas. During the end of my time at Simms prior to returning to Silver Companies, they hosted a major liquidation sale for Lifestyles Furniture prior to closing that store. My success in managing the warehouse and streamlining the operations and its efficiencies, I was tasked with managing the Liquidation Sale. During that time I still maintained my duties at the warehouse successfully, but I did the same for the Lifestyles Store location. I not only kept an up to date inventory of all items to be liquidated, but systematically staged the store as to keep it engaging for customers as items were sold and inventory reduced.
Initially when I returned to the Silver Companies, I was asked to tag along to construction meetings between the tenant and the contractors to protect the tenant’s wishes during the buildout process. More than once, I was able to catch mistakes in the build out plans of specifics that tenants had requested that the architects had mistakenly left out.
After making several contractual exhibits, we found that I had a knack for creating maps and exhibits for sales offerings and marketing. The Marketing Director we had at the brokerage at the time was sufficient (exhibit D-12), but the team preferred having me make the marketing for Quantico Corporate Center (exhibit D-13) as I was able to update our materials quickly and make them specific to each of the potential clients we were meeting with.
As my marketing skills improved, I was tasked with more important projects, such as redesigning the logo for QCC. By incorporating the entrance feature which already included important symbols of the Marine Corps (such as the silhouette of the Iwo Jima Memorial, Bronze for heroic achievement, Silver for respect, commemoration & triumph, and White for purity & innocence) while also increasing brand recognition through uniformity. Then I was charged with redesigning the QCC website to align more consistently with our updated/upgraded image. As the web designer the QCC Partners contracted only allowed three rounds of edits, I was responsible for working directly with the developers to insure our three rounds of edits were as productive as possible (exhibit D-14). The end result of which is still in use today (exhibit D-15).
Project Coordination and Sales
As the Executive Vice President, David Newman was in very high demand and frequently not able to attend all his meetings in a week. I was regularly asked to take potential clients on tours and walk throughs when he was unavailable.
I would review government contract bid award posts daily and identify any award winners that were not already located in this area (or were going to need more space), then research to identify the appropriate contacts at the company so we could reach out.
Project Networking
Each year I was responsible for hosting the Quantico Corporate Center booth at Modern Day Marine, which is the largest expo of military services, equipment, and technology on the east coast. In other words, it was the place to be for networking with government contractors in the Quantico area. I had to arrive prepared to speak to every contractor presenting at the expo in addition to being ready and able to speak to any and all questions on our project. I would spend weeks reviewing the exhibitor list (exhibit D-16) and identifying any and all contractors I needed to speak with while I was there. I established our online presence, by creating a twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn page.
Event Planning and Management
At each of our QCC events, I was responsible for creating a guest list (consisting of all the important Marine Corps officials in the area, all contractors for Quantico contracts and all relevant State and Local Officials). Our largest event/announcement was to announce dark fiber to our project and connection to both the hub of data for not the country, but the world. The dark fiber announcement event was keynoted by the Michelle Weislander Craig, Chief Evangelistic Officer for Google and opened by the Assistant to the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. It was the widely publicized well attended, secure event. As noted in the event to-do list (exhibit D-17.1) I created the invitations (exhibit D-17.2), distributed them to the guest list (exhibit D-17.3), arranged the location, contracted caterers (exhibit D-17.4), influencers, and parking attendants. I was responsible for the creation for all marketing materials for events, such as the digital ad that ran on loops throughout the venue (exhibit D-17.5), hashtags and press releases (exhibit D-17.6). I coordinated the name tags, commercials (exhibit D-17.7) and agendas & biographies (exhibit D-17.8).
AFCEA Board Member, Marketing and Events
Following several successful events, I was asked to join AFCEA (Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Associations) Quantico-Potomac Chapter Board of Directors to handle events and marketing (exhibit D-18). They held monthly luncheons for their chapter members (consisting of area government contractors) but most importantly was their annual IT-Day. I was responsible for creating the programs (exhibit D-19), Welcome Sign graphics (exhibit D-20), and the Sponsor Flags (exhibits D-21 and D-22)
As my marketing capabilities grew my workload grew with it, to include creation of major building sale offerings (exhibit D-23), reviewing, and creating the entire due diligence package for the building sale (exhibit D-24). Creating, redesigning, and keeping up to date with all marketing materials were an never ending priority (exhibits D-25, D-26, & D-27). At times I was even asked to creating marketing for tenants within our project (exhibit D-28).
I eventually was instructed to also now be responsible for the marketing for all Silver Companies Virginia properties. I was responsible for creating marketing pieces of existing parcels, as well as new campaigns and exhibit for new and prospective properties. These new responsibilities included, the design, creation, and production of all marketing materials for all Silver Commercial properties in Virginia (approximately 25 different projects, see examples exhibits D-29, D-30, & D-31, & D-32), including tasks such as researching the areas surrounding the proposed sites for competitive businesses the clients would need to be aware of (i.e.- creating an offering of all sites proposed for a storage company as well as identify all the competitors surrounding each proposed location, exhibit D-33).
For a while now Silver Companies has been winding down there focus on Virginia. Eventually Silver decided they needed to lay off the majority of the remaining of their Fredericksburg office (myself included). Though I was sad after spending so many years as part of the Silver family, I understood the need. They admitted they would not be able to do my work themselves and asked if I would work on an as needed/contractual basis (exhibit D-34). I spent a good few months after layoff researching & summarizing demographics for them (exhibit D-35), applying the information into exhibits (exhibit D-36), creating marketing offering and editing and updating contracts and letter of intent (exhibit D-37) for them, until I needed to focus more attention on advancing my own career. I created several simplified marketing templates for them that would make them easily editable and then came in and taught them how to update them.
When I heard Powell’s Furniture needed a new Digital/Internet Marketing Manager, I immediately knew it was the job for me (exhibit D-38). As I had worked for them successfully for a number of years and left them with substantial notice (more than four months), they were happy to bring me back on board.
Social Media Marketing
Upon reviewing our daily operating procedures for online marketing, I was able to develop a number of ways to improve our processes and procedures. When I first came on board, I was informed by our external business consultant that “Facebook is dead”. I agree that Facebook is not the way to reach the next generation, however, given my knowledge of not only our company’s target customers and this area’s primary demographic, but I also felt that our Facebook presence was still important to reaching a majority of our target demographic. I was not willing to back down on the need to include Facebook in our advertising. Granted our Facebook was under performing when I came on board, but upon further review, I found that not only were they using stock photos but also click-bait! I started taking photos myself of our gorgeous room vignettes throughout our showroom and posting those on our Facebook. Within the first 6 months we received a 10,000% increase in reach, engagement and likes (we went from 2,400 likes/followers in May 2017 to over 8,200 likes/followers in May 2021) (exhibit D-39). In addition, I am responsible for all digital advertising (exhibit D-40), including managing our AdWords marketing (including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Geo-Fencing, customer targeting and retargeting) (exhibit D-41) and all internet marketing endeavors. Within the first year, there was marked improvement across the board in our website analytics (exhibit D-42), as well as managed our website (exhibit D-43).
Graphic Design
The last thing anyone should do is think “clutter” while in our furniture store. When I saw the customer folder (where we put the sales receipt, cleaning directions, and warehouse location/directions all together to give to the customer at the end of the sale) I was horrified. Not only was the design (in my opinion) unattractive but they were jamming 4 to 5 pieces of badly copied paper into the folder behind the sales receipt (exhibit D-44). It was a mess of papers that a customer would jam into a junk drawer and never look at again, increasing the likelihood of customers calling with questions, or getting lost going to pick up furniture or having different expectations at the end of the sale for delivery etc. I decided to only keep the size and shape of the folder, I completely re-designed it inside and out. I started by creating a more consistent attractive cover (with the “Powell’s Promise”). On the back, I covered how to connect to us online, our Better Business Bureau rating, asking customers to rate us online and what to expect on delivery. On the inside, I created thorough cleaning and care instructions. On the interior folds I designed an area that indicated important numbers including extensions to various departments over top of which the salesperson is to put their business cards. On the opposite side of the fold, I included directions and a map to our warehouse. I was already underwhelmed with the performance and pricing of the printing company we had been using, so I took my newly designed customer folder to the area printing companies to have them submit quotes for me on printing. In addition, I worked with the printers to get as well as putting me on the prices and turnaround times for sales tags, business cards and other necessary prep materials. To clean up the overall feel of the folder I had them use a glossy finish, super white paper in lieu of the previous matte off-white (exhibit D-45).
Mr. Powell appreciated the design improvement so much that he had me take over the design/creation of all sale tags and print materials in the store. Typically, the only design direction he provides me is the name of the sale (i.e.- Labor Day Sale, Manufacturer Sell Off, etc.) and the offer, I take this info and create him a few options to choose from (exhibit D-46). Once I’d created a style of sales tag with the aesthetic more befitting our store (exhibit D-47), I decided it was time to tackle the “group tags” that the store had bought to group together suites (“before” example see exhibit D-48 and “after” example see exhibit D-49).
Website Management
As I am also responsible for the updating, maintenance and management of our website, when it came time to update our website, I was able to design it to be in line with the image I have created for our store (exhibit D-50). As I have observed and adapted to what images and verbiage people have best responded to on Facebook, I have been able to create posts that have continued to increase engagement (exhibit D-51)
Proposal Design/Creation
Periodically, my real estate development experience becomes directly beneficial to my current job, as we will have model homes builders want furnished. I work with our General Manager and Interior Decorator to create the proposal for furnishing their model home. They provide me rough notes (exhibit D-52) and I assemble the proposal in a way that I know will resonate with local real estate developers/builders (exhibit D-53)
Thankfully, due to my experience with my previous companies, I was ready and eager to represent our store at events and even at our furniture conference in Las Vegas (exhibit D-54).
Best of the Burg
Since rejoining Powell’s in 2017, we have won Best of the Burg for Furniture Store and Mattress store for four years in a row. I create ads, tents, and even notes to put into each of the customer folders (exhibit D-55).
Non-Profit Board Member
Given my event experience with QCC and AFCEA-QP, I was happy to help when Mr. Powell asked me to assist with the Spotsylvania Crime Solvers Annual Golf Tournament (in 2018) (exhibit D-56), after the second year helping Crime Solvers, they asked me to join their Board of Directors, to handle events and manage their website and online presence. I have since redesigned their business cards (exhibit D-57) by updating the overall appearance, created a safer/simpler way for an Officer to share the ways to submit tips (they can now just scan the QR Code if they are not comfortable being seen taking a business card from an Officer), and designed them in a way that the design can also printed as signs or window clings for an eye-catching display to encourage anonymous tipsters to come forward. I also created a Spotsylvania Crime Solvers Facebook page to expand the reach of our BOLO’s (Be on the Look Out report from the Sheriff’s office). The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Department asked that I put together some information for them to review with the deputies during roll call so they know what to advise others regarding Crime Solvers, I created an infographic to consolidate all the information they needed in an easily referenceable format (exhibit D-58).
While there is ultimately no substitute for a thorough education, there is something to be said for the vast wealth of skills and experience that I have learned strictly from hard work and perseverance. Looking back, I do know that I would have achieved greater success in shorter time had I gone a more traditional route initially, however I can stand proud of my achievements. I confidently feel that my work experiences (over different but similar industries) along with my ongoing education have made my professional endeavors quite successful and my current and former employers have and continue to greatly benefit from contributions, with all I have learned I am able to observe and utilize both my education and my personal experience to have a positive impact on the companies I work for (exhibit D-59). Indeed, some problems and solutions can only truly be learned through a combination of education and experience.
Alison Bourne Marketing 