I’m not a marketer by strict definition. While in the past I have spent time working in SEO as a Project Manager, I am, by definition, a geek.

I started off in the IT industry back in 1997, when I answered my first AT&T WorldNet (remember dial-up?) tech support call. “Thank you for calling AT&T WorldNet technical support. My name is Samantha. May I have your name and the telephone number you registered with please?”

Since then, I’ve held so many roles in IT, that I’m a bit of a jack of all trades; a technical generalist, if you will. My current role is that of software engineer. However, in my day to day work, I’m lucky enough to come in contact with many high profile brands. That’s not a responsibility I take lightly.

Maybe I’m a freak, but when I did technical support, I felt a strong sense of responsibility to my callers. They were entrusting me with caring, over the phone, for their several-thousand dollar machines. While there were times I didn’t quite feel like fixing broken Internets, helping customers backup several years of data, or walking through my 40th software install in a day, that’s what I did. Not just because it was my job, but because these people trusted me. They trusted me to guide them down the proper path. They trusted me to do what was best for them.

Fourteen years later, I still feel that sense of responsibility when it comes to clients. They are entrusting me with their brand. That’s a much larger scale than an Internet connection, a software suite, or a few thousand dollar computer. Their brand is bigger than a logo, slogan, or jingle. Their brand is their livelihood. It’s their reputation. It is responsible for feeding hundreds, sometimes thousands of families. Maybe that’s why I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I don’t like rushing through things. I like taking my time and making sure things are done right.

In a way, I’m a steward of my client’s brand. If I make a glaring mistake on Client X’s project, hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people aren’t going to know that Samantha made a boo-boo. But, it may very likely reflect on Client X’s brand. It opens the door for Client X’s prospective customer to ask themselves, “Jeez – if Client X can’t manage this, how are they going to handle my insert random customer need here?” I’m not okay with that.

So, to the brands I’m fortunate enough to work with, I say thank you.

You have entrusted me with your brand. That’s a pretty big deal. I understand that your brand is bigger than a logo, jingle, or slogan. Your brand is your livelihood. It’s your reputation. It’s responsible for feeding hundreds, maybe even thousands of families. If I make a mistake, it doesn’t reflect on me – it reflects on you. That’s a pretty big deal. Thank you.