Becky Marcelliano is the Outdoor Marketing Manager for North America at Salomon. In this episode, we chat about the connection Becky has to her work and how that affects the decisions she makes.    Like many, Becky has had a non-traditional approach to the industry. Starting as an art teacher out of college, she slowly pieced together her love for people, the outdoors, and art into the job she has now. But like any good story, it wasn't without challenges along the way. Dealing with a chronic illness for most of her life, she has had to learn to overcome obstacles most people don't consider. This has forced her to learn the value of patience and perseverance.   Becky ties all of this together while sharing how her chronic illness affects how she communicates with her customers. As she says "a brand can use marketing to lead with emotion and empathy. People are community-driven and want to feel connected and a sense of belonging." Using her own personal experiences gives her the ability to have honest, authentic conversations with her customers. After all, isn't that what marketing is for?   From the episode: "Unfortunately it's taught me so much about the long term game of perseverance. I do think it's taught me how to sit tight and keep trucking." "I think a lot of people give up in the middle and therefore don't get to their long term goals." "Everyone has a story with struggle and strife that they aren't stoked about." "As a brand how do we connect with people?"   -  Produced by Port Side Productions www.portsidepro.com @backcountrymarketing @portsideproductions @coleheilborn