5 Takeaways from #Rapertmktg

As I started this semester, I was excited to be taking Marketing Management, but little did I know the impact this class and Molly Rapert would have on me. Through this class I have learned not only just about marketing but how to enter the next season of life with gratitude, patience, excitement, and knowledge. Molly has set this course up in a way that allows her students to be successful, gain confidence, and expand their views/knowledge through in depth projects, store walks, guest speakers, and current articles. It is astonishing to me that 546 Individuals took their personal time to help pour knowledge and expertise into our class.

There is so much I have taken away through these past 16 weeks, and I am looking forward to the growth that is still to come. Finding your purpose and passion, building relationships, allowing change and adaptation, building my brand, and creating an intentional life are five of my main takeaways from Marketing Management with Professor Rapert.

Finding your Purpose and Passion

I remember coming into class on the first day and the first thing Professor Rapert said was “What is your purpose?” I was so confused on what my purpose in life had to do with marketing, but quickly identified how powerful one person’s influence can be. Our first project of the year was the Values Projects, where we narrowed down our top 5 core values, built personal brand equity pyramids, and met with executives, Amanda Bailey , Jeff Metzner , Hannah Brunner , and Ashley Huffman who helped lead us through the projects. At each stage I discovered more about what made me, who I am. I discovered how to work well with others, lead others, and what made me different. My favorite part of this project was having small group time with Amanda Bailey, she made me feel seen and understood. It was evident that she was committed and passionate in helping us discover more about ourselves. This was the beginning, that sparked in me to truly find my purpose and passion.

Each Tuesday and Thursday I have spent in Molly’s class I have left feeling joyful and inspired to be the best version of myself. I have learned that it is important to find what makes myself different from others and lean into it. I have become more confident in myself and believe that finding my passion will allow me to create a life full of purpose.

Building Relationships

It is amazing to me to think that 546 individuals personally invested time into our class. Each person played a key role; whether that was through selecting articles for us to read, sending in ‘where they are now’ videos, giving feedback on projects, guest speakers spending time in class, executives leading us on store walks and everything else that was at work behind the scenes. Through each one of their commitments, it has shown me the importance of building lasting relationships and how the #rapetmktg family cares and wants success for one another.?Without the relationships that Molly has built and passed on to her students, I would not have met, Hunter Poole , Abbie Nicholson , Jordan Carpenter , Andy Murray , Amanda Bailey , Jesse Lane and many more. I am so grateful for each of their expertise and guidance during this semester.

Through this semester I have learned the importance of networking with those around me. Molly made it a priority for us to increase our activity and presence on LinkedIn which has allowed me to connect with individuals I might not have before. Through these connections I have been able to expand my horizon and begin building relationships. I have also learned that it is always worth it to take that leap of faith and send that message or apply for that certain job. You never know what could come from one small connection, relationship, or application.

Allowing Change and Adaptation

Learning that change is bound to happen and is not always a bad thing has been comforting to lean into this semester. As I am entering my last semester of college and planning for my future it has been a bittersweet feeling knowing that a lot of my everyday life is about to change. Though through this class Molly has shown us many examples of how change can be a positive and impactful. I thoroughly enjoyed the “Where they are now” videos that former Rapert marketing students filmed and would show a day in their life, it portrayed change and adaptation that is to come in an encouraging way.

Building my Brand

As we round out the semester, a focus that we have had was building our own personal brand. We dove into this through many articles and listened to guest speaker Jesse Lane who spoke about his personal experience and how to “crush your first job.” With the articles, I took away that complacency is death, expect excellence, and pay attention to the little things that may seem innocent as they can build and allow your personal brand to grow.

When Jesse Lane came and spoke to our class, he supplied us with the “5 tips on how to crush your first job.” Out of those 5 I resonated with forming habits that make you better and happy. A quote he gave stated, “we don’t decide our future, we decide our habits, our habits decide our future.” This quote motivates me to slow down and form healthy meaningful habits now that will become sustainable in the long run. As life is moving so quickly it is important to find peace at our current state while striving to be better.

Create an Intentional Life

?I have seen the intention Molly has for her family, friends, students, and those around her firsthand and I am inspired to do the same. Each class Molly has shown up with intention to expand our learning and provide a community within the classroom.?Throughout this class I have learned that no matter how serious your job is if you do not live with intention, you will wander from true happiness. Being positive in the good and bad time formulates an intentional life. It is always worth putting in the extra effort to build a life you are proud of.

Thank You!

I am sad to see this class end, but am so grateful to Molly Rapert for constantly pouring her knowledge into her students. Her dedication is astonishing! I want to give a big thank you to all the alumni and individuals who helped curated such an incredible semester. I am looking forward to the future and the continuation of the #Rapertmktg family!