Today in our ongoing Core Careers series, we learn about the career path of Shelley Sheppard, Senior Director of Marketing/Agency for the La Jolla Group.
Shelley cut her teeth in television and at Vans, and now oversees a very busy in-house marketing agency at the La Jolla Group that supports seven brands.
Did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up as a kid?
I knew that I wanted to work in either sports or fashion. I’m lucky that I get to do a combination of both.
What was your background before getting into action sports?
I started my professional career in marketing at Turner Sports in Atlanta, Georgia. I worked on all the sporting events that were broadcast on TNT and TBS (NBA, PGA, NASCAR, MLB). It was a job that allowed me to travel and see the world, and exposed me to so many different people and cultures. It was extremely fast paced, I had to think on my feet, make quick decisions and put in long hours. I loved it and learned that if you are passionate about what you do, everything will fall into place.
How did you get started in the industry? What was your first action sports job and what did you do?
I worked in marketing and public relations for Vans.
Growing up on the east coast, I always wanted to live in California. Vans was a brand I grew up with, and when I saw that a position in marketing opened up, I jumped on it. I flew out to interview and six weeks later, I moved across the country.
It was a busy time at the company and I jumped right in. Vans had recently gone public and was launching the Vans Warped Tour, Dog Town and the Vans Triple Crown. I worked for several years in marketing and PR, moved up to oversee Girls marketing and eventually merged over to the product team, where I oversaw the Vans girls footwear business for two years. To be involved in so many different facets of the business was an amazing experience; and I reflect on the lessons learned from my time there frequently in my current role at the La Jolla Group.
Will you please explain what you do now?
I’m the Senior Director of Marketing/Agency for LJG. I run our in-house integrated marketing agency (“The Agency”) that provides marketing services for LJG. The department is made up of a state of the art photo studio, traffic department, in-store/POP, tradeshow, events, advertising and media buying, public relations and creative. We work with all seven brands (O’Neill, Rusty, Metal Mulisha, The Berrics, FMF, In God’s Hands, True Love & False Idols), and there is always a ton of work coming in and out of the department each day.
See Page 2 for more, including three key lessons Shelley has learned in her career
What are three key lessons you have learned during your career?
• You have to take risks! Some of the biggest risks I have taken have landed me where I am today. Just believe in yourself and take the leap of faith.
• Always trust your gut.
• Passion is the best motivation.
What’s the biggest challenge at work at the moment? How are you handling it?
The Agency is responsible for producing 22 Spring 2012 catalogs in six weeks for the seven brands that make up the La Jolla Group. In order to ensure that we get the job done on time, all divisions within the Agency are working around the clock, and connecting all the dots to make things happen seamlessly is tricky. I am grateful to have dedicated, hardworking professionals working with me to help get things to the finish line.
What qualities do you value in your direct reports?
• Overall management: up, down and all around
• Honesty
• Upfront and direct
• Team players
You have a lot of demands on your time. Any tips on how you juggle meetings, email, projects and managing employees?
I’m a little obsessive when it comes to organization, but you have to be organized in order to be efficient at time management. One suggestion that has worked well for me is to clean out my email inbox everyday. This method sounds crazy, but it works. The most emails I’ll ever have at a time is 15 — and if they carry over to the next day, I use those as my TO DO list.
What has been your biggest accomplishment at your current job?
There are two accomplishments I’m very proud of during my time at LJG: the first is managing The Agency, and the second is launching O’Neill’s Generation Next program.
What’s the best advice you have ever received?
Listen well and think before you speak.
What do you want to be doing in five years?
Something I love and that I am passionate about.
Where can we find you when you are not working?
At the beach. I live two blocks away and I don’t take one day for granted. My bright pink beach cruiser is one of my favorite possessions and you’ll often find me riding around somewhere in Newport.
