Blog #5 - Meeting the Team

Throughout my time with Destination Cleveland, I had the privilege to meet many members of the marketing team. Lexi’s goal was to expose me to the different aspects of the marketing division while hearing each member’s unique story of how they ended up where they are today. With each interview, I not only develop a deeper understanding of Destination Cleveland’s staff and what they do, but also the marketing and digital media industry as well. My first one-on-one meeting was with Felia Mano, DC’s Media Producer. She studied film at Montclair State University and continued to cultivate her passion in post-production by working on small film productions. Her story about how she gradually moved from a post-production executive to a producer captivated me since I am pursuing a film career in college as well. Her insight into the film and television industry and describing how she uses her film knowledge at Destination Cleveland allowed me to imagine a future for myself and the possibilities I could encounter in the future. In addition to learning about her path, she invited me to come to Destination Cleveland’s sets over the summer to gain experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to shadow DC after my senior project. My interviews continued with Chief Marketing Officer, Marie Scalia, and Social Media Manager, Gabe Wasylko. My interview with Marie was especially insightful since she directed the conversation towards career advice, rather than focusing on her path to CMO. She described the obstacles she faced, and how she overcame them by learning to discover what seems best for her and her future goals. This advice resonated with me because I experienced a similar situation with my Hawken Project as I needed to deviate from my original idea in order to pursue an opportunity that suits me and my interests. Marie continued to stress the importance of soft skills, especially when applying for a job or within the workplace. Being flexible, well-liked, and having a good work ethic are instrumental in performing well at any institution or workplace. Marie’s guidance, as well as Felia and Gabe’s technical film and photography advice provided a wider perspective on the industry they are currently working in. As I head off to college in a few months, I will take the advice I’ve learned from these meetings to help guide me through the professional environments I will soon encounter!