Tracing a winding path from the picturesque coast of California to Brafton’s Boston headquarters, Senior Project Manager Alex Rowinski has spent her nearly two-year Brafton career building strong connections between clients and their Brafton teams.
In a tenure that exemplifies the versatility of the project management role, Alex has applied the attitude she built as an athlete, including putting in time as a NCAA Division I and pro soccer player, to getting jobs across the finish line.
“Being an athlete shaped the demeanor and attitude I put forth in my career,” Alex said.
A move from coast to coast
After going through a series of jobs on her native West Coast, leading to a role in public relations in Los Angeles, Alex started to look for new challenges in the east. Seeing the Northeast as a hub of marketing, a big pond to compete in, Alex relocated to Boston and interviewed for a project management role at Brafton three days after arriving in town.
One year and eight months later, she’s moved up to senior project manager, taking a leadership role in tough jobs that need close attention.
A day in the life of a senior project manager
Being a senior project manager means one day’s agenda will be very different than the next.
Alex spends plenty of time closely overseeing the creation of in-depth content marketing assets, from eBooks and white papers to graphics and videos. As these items move between departments and clients, that oversight ensures the finished products are perfectly suited to customers’ needs.
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Then there are the days when a unique assignment calls, such as heading to an on-location video shoot. Still more time is spent on the little behind-the-scenes tasks such as creating content calendars that make certain everything gets done on time.
“Editing assets, setting timelines and expectations with clients directly are a few tasks that are constants, but the beauty and challenge of project management is that each day can be different than the last,” she explained.
While balancing that diverse workload, Alex relies on strong communication to get it all done and keep everyone happy. Transparency is the watchword for her work as a project manager. When overseeing all the moving parts that come with a full-scale content marketing strategy, it’s important for everyone to know what they’re getting, when and why.
The reward of all this transparency, collaboration and careful oversight is the strong relationships with clients that stand the test of time. Alex sees the long-term process of working with a particular customer as a show of confidence, and takes pride in bringing accounts back time and again for more content. The Brafton team has become an integral part of these companies’ marketing efforts, and that’s a big win.
The view from the project management position
When it comes to creating content that builds relationships, rather than just one-off deliveries, it pays to work with a team of skilled collaborators. Alex finds inspiration in her Brafton teammates from across the company, not just the skills they bring to projects, but the fact that so many people are working on side projects and creative works that are meaningful to them.
“Every single person who works for Brafton is not only extremely talented in their career, but the majority of Brafton employees have side projects that are creative and inspiring – to say the least,” Alex said.
Being a project manager means taking in knowledge from all these corners, and Alex finds value in being part of such a meeting of the minds. Learning at all times from those around her isn’t just something she personally enjoys; it’s also her advice for what makes a great content marketer in general and project manager specifically.
Marketing is never the same from one year to the next – or even one month to the next – so Alex recommends that people who want to thrive in the industry not become too set in their ways. Quick and positive adaptation to the new state of play can separate a successful project manager from the pack.
Someone who is always asking questions, seeking to learn and has become comfortable with the fact that the work won’t stop coming is well-positioned to be a project manager. Alex recommends enjoying the process of taking on new challenges to conquer and see through. Rather than being an obstacle, each new job is a goal worth reaching.
“Change is the constant: Adapt quickly and positively. There is always a new challenge to conquer or see through. Always ask questions – never stop growing. The work never ends, so enjoy it,” Alex advised.
A highly active life beyond the office
Though project management requires long hours of focused attention, Alex finds time for an active, busy life, seeing lots of live music and exploring the outdoors, as well as practicing yoga. Being raised by the Pacific Ocean in California naturally lent itself to adventures such as sailing to the Channel Islands – but perhaps the greatest outdoor adventures Alex has undertaken have happened on the soccer field.
After receiving a scholarship to play Division 1 NCAA soccer at California State University, Long Beach, Alex has also played with teams in the SoCal Premier League, as well as serving a stint with the Olympic Development Team. She even spent a summer training with the skilled competitors of the Polish Women’s National Soccer Team, scrimmaging against other world-class athletes.
The abilities and attitudes built on the soccer field have become fuel for the focused way Alex approaches her career in the office. With her guidance as a senior project manager, Brafton teams are well prepared to thrill clients and keep them coming back.