Member Spotlight: Sara Martin

Account Director @ Spyglass Creative

Tell us about yourself - your professional background, experience and area of expertise.
I am an Account Director at Spyglass Creative, a Minneapolis-based Brand Marketing Agency, where I help lead global and national companies (including B2B, B2C, and B2B2C) sharpen their brands, strengthen their positioning, break into new markets and launch new products.

I also volunteer for the AMA Minnesota as the VP of Membership, where I focus on developing opportunities where members can make invaluable connections, and ways to strengthen the growing AMA MN Chapter.

How long have you been an AMA MN member? Why did you decide to join?
I have been an AMA Member since 2010, my sophomore year of college. I went to Iowa State University, and after declaring my major in marketing I wanted to do whatever I could to learn more about the subject to make sure it was the right fit for me. ISU has a strong AMA chapter, with close proximity to Des Moines, where the main Iowa chapter is headquartered, so I joined. I was able to quickly meet new people, learn about different marketing roles available, and network with potential employers. I eventually grew in my role and became President of the Iowa State AMA Chapter my senior year – I still keep an eye on what the chapter is doing, and it is fun to see events we started when I was on the board grow and evolve over the years – I love knowing that it is still a strong resource for students.

What do you wish others knew about the AMA MN? What makes it unique?
I wish more people just knew about the AMA in the Twin Cities and what it offers. We are lucky enough to have a lot of amazing professional organizations locally, so it can be tough to pick the organizations you want to be a part of. What I love about AMA is that it covers a broader range of topics compared to any other professional organization I have been a part of.

A focus of the AMA MN’s mission, “Connect. Learn. Grow.”, is to create a ripple effect among its community of members where AMA  connections can lead to new marketing education or career advancement opportunities. Tell us about a time you’ve experienced this ripple effect.  
Because of volunteering within the membership area of AMA, I have been able to see some pretty great ripple effects throughout our members – I can think of multiple people who have met at an AMA event, and then when I run into them again months down the road they are telling me how that connection helped them get a new job or taught them something new, etc.

What has been your favorite AMA MN event and why? 
There are a lot of events throughout the years that I have loved – any event around branding and storytelling I typically gravitate towards. Also, the Ad Bowl is always a favorite just because it is a fun night of reliving the best (and worst) moments of the Super Bowl from an advertising perspective. And, I may be bias, but I really enjoy the new member meet-up/volunteer events because I have personally made invaluable connections at them and have seen others get involved in the AMA in a really meaningful way from the events.

What is a fun fact about you?
I have the travel bug bad right now. In the last year, I have ventured to nine new countries and hope to keep adding to that count. If you ever want to talk about your favorite travel destination, come across an amazing flight deal, or want recommendations for anywhere I have been – ask! I love talking – and daydreaming – about where in the world to venure to next.

Related Articles and Events

Programming

Make your Current or Future Job Search Work for You

Jan 15, 2019 @ 5:30PM - 7:30PM

Hear from HR professionals and learn how you can stand out in the job market.

Programming

Loudtable Discussion

May 16, 2017 @ 8:00AM - 11:00AM

Practical Content Marketing for Nonprofits, featuring Sara Kerr

Meet Kristen Ohm - AMA MN Membership Asst VP

Sep 19, 2019

Learn why Kristen decided to join AMA MN, her favorite event and the best advice she's received in her career.