Greetings from Cleveland

I develop and execute the marketing strategies for holiday-themed greeting cards at American Greetings (AM ), specifically for Wal-Mart (WMT ), in Cleveland. My main goal is to increase profit via distribution growth. The conception-to-sell-through process involves working closely with various teams, including creative, forecasting, logistics, and sales.

My passion for consumer goods began in high school, where a part-time job evolved into a five-year commitment managing a branch of card and gift stores. By the time I graduated from DePaul University, I had retail and promotions experience. During the next six years in product management, including a tenure with Rand McNally, I co-developed programs for Wal-Mart and learned what the world's biggest retailer demands from its vendors. While at Rand, I had a series of bosses with MBAs, whose leadership abilities and support of my professional growth led me to graduate school.

A quest for a deeper financial and strategic understanding of the marketplace is what brought me to the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester, where I had dual concentrations in marketing and competitive and organizational strategy. The MBA education taught me to think at a macro level, solve problems, and negotiate with people and teams.

It also gave me the tools to succeed and opened the door at American Greetings. I joined the company in October, 2003. My first position was as assistant product manager for the everyday side of the business. I accepted an offer on the Wal-Mart team last summer, and the drive and camaraderie of the department is simply outstanding.

Here's an outline of my typical day:

7:30 a.m. -- I usually leave for work between 7:20 and 7:35. The commute is about 25 to 30 minutes. I like to listen to upbeat music in the car. Madonna is a no-brainer.

8:05 a.m. -- Walk into the building, then my cube, log onto the computer, turn on the lights, check voice mail. I focus on the new e-mails while eating breakfast, taking my daily nutrients, and water or juice. I also take this time to find a motivating or thoughtful quote to send to the team and to other co-workers. I then take a look at my schedule, print it out, and evaluate what meetings can be delegated and which are critical.

8:30 a.m. -- Meeting with production to see if we can expedite a shipment of some cards to Wal-Mart.

See Full Version