Senior Brand Marketing Manager IHOP, Glendale Age: 28 Strong oversees and develops menu strategy at IHOP. Previously, she was a marketing manager at Rita’s Italian Ice in Pennsylvania. IHOP is a subsidiary of Dine Brands Global Inc. Biggest Accomplishment: Moving across the country to a new city for an opportunity with IHOP. I took a leap of faith on the job opportunity and moved without having any friends or family nearby. Not only did I have to learn a brand-new company, but also develop my life in California and make new friends. It was a turning point in my career which helped me further my personal and professional development. Most Interesting Aspect of Job: Getting to develop new and innovative food with an amazing team. I love setting the strategy and seeing those items come to life in the restaurants. When I get to see guests share moments with friends or family over the food that took a lot of time and energy to get there, it reminds me why I love the work I do. Personality on the Job: I am a logical thinker and a natural problem-solver. I enjoy being presented with challenges that require me to assess the needs of a project, determine impacts outside of the immediate problem and develop new, creative solutions. Biggest challenge? My high level of expectations for myself and others and occasionally feeling frustrated when other’s expectations are different from my own. Over time, I have come to understand that there are different personalities that work at different capacities than I do. I have focused on finding ways to work closely with my team to better understand their personalities, work style and provide them the support they need from me. This allows me to be a stronger member of the team while ensuring the work meets the needs of the company. Most Memorable Experience: One of my most memorable career experiences happened in 2015 when I was working at Rita’s Italian Ice. Due to an outbreak of Avian Flu, we couldn’t get eggs to make a top menu item, frozen custard. We were a small product innovation and marketing team, so it was an all-hands-on-deck time and quite the learning experience for me. I visited many frozen custard manufacturers, learned how to make custard, and I learned a frozen custard machine inside and out. Even today, I can clean and reprogram a frozen custard machine without hesitation. Attraction to Career: It all started with my love of food and creativity. Growing up it was my dad who sparked my interest in food. He encouraged me to spend time with him in the kitchen cooking and creating recipes. By the time I started my education at Drexel University, I imagined I would pursue a career in design and merchandising. However, early on I discovered it was marketing that intrigued me most. How This Generation is Different: My generation of professionals have very high expectations for ourselves and where we work. Having access to technology and an abundance of information at our fingertips very early on in our lives allowed us to explore an endless possibility of careers as well as learn from the successes or failures of numerous companies and individuals. Career Advice: Say yes to new opportunities and experiences even if they are not what you imagined you would be doing. Go ahead, take the chance. Also, I truly believe that if you want to take on more projects and responsibilities, the best thing you can do is ask for more. Then embrace those opportunities and learn from them.
