Dear Kimberly,
I was excited to see Hummingbird' posting for the Director of Marketing position, not only because I am interested in becoming a contributing member of the Hummingbird team, but because I have watched and admired Hummingbird, from the beginning, with sincere respect and admiration, and am thrilled to see the company (and brand) growing in such a successful way. The integrity, values, people and products of Hummingbird resonate with my own life and career goals of creating and honoring a different approach to doing business; one where people, planet and profit are not at odds with one another, rather they work in harmony, to "feed" a sustainable and harmonious future.
Though most of my professional marketing experience is with Organically Grown Company (OGC), I have worked within the larger organic food and products trade through volunteer boards, organic policy work, conferences, including serving as a leader in developing the Organicology conference, and public speaking. I am an avid networker, passionate about organic, fair trade and sustainable food and agriculture, and want to share that excitement with the world. I have in-depth marketing and communications experience, have done all aspects of marketing at OGC, from the ground, up to executive leadership.
I have led successful marketing campaigns for both our corporate and packaged brands, by developing integrated marketing communications plans and doing a fair amount of "guerilla" marketing. My experience with B-to-B marketing, because OGC is a produce marketer and distributor, has taught me that relationships are key to success; relationships in the larger trade, one's own supply chain, with one's customers and within one's own organization. My experience in B-to-C marekting, particularly product brand development, has taught me that integrity of a product or business should never be compromised to make a sale, and that taking the time to do research in the supply chain, the target market and to have clear communication will make or break the success of launching even the best product.
I believe I would bring unique and valuable strengths to Hummingbird' already talented team. I have grown my current team from two to five members in the course of five years, and have consistently been highly rated (average four out of five) in our annual 360 reviews by those I manage. My personal leadership style is one of collaboration, mentorship and development--I thrive on recognizing and enhancing the skills and talents of others, and giving team members the opportunity to truly flourish in roles at which they excel. I love learning and seek to develop my own skills both professionally and personally. We are all on a journey to be our best selves and are here to help one another reach our greatest potential. Working for a common goal, with an earnest and hard-working team, brings me the greatest satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.
Through my own experience of being a part of a small and growing, Eugene-based, mission-driven, organic business and helping it to grow to more than double its size in 14 years, I am aware of the opportunities and challenges that growth brings, and have experience and skills to bring to your team that will help navigate these successfully. I believe, at this point in Hummingbird' trajectory and in my own career, that there is a serendipitous cross-roads at which we intersect. We could work together in fabulous ways!
Sincerely,
Meghan Markle
