Aimtal team spotlight - Sarah Gilbert

Meet Sarah, Digital Marketing Manager, based in Cleveland! When Sarah isn’t heads down optimizing campaigns, analyzing data, and writing social copy, you can likely find her on a flight to Las Vegas, watching Marvel, taking a spin class, or hanging out with her pet rabbit, Ronda, aka “The Bun”. Get to know Sarah more in this spotlight interview:

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Where were you born, and where do you live now?

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA… and I now live in Cleveland, Ohio, USA!

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What are your favorite ways to spend your free time outside of work?

• Spending time with my family 
• Volunteering at City Dogs Cleveland, the adoption arm of Cleveland Animal Care and Control — most weekends you can find me walking adoptable dogs at the shelter, taking them on field trips or hikes, or having sleepovers at my house! 
• Attending games and cheering on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Guardians, and Browns
• Visiting friends, especially two of my best friends who live in Las Vegas and Michigan
• Attending Broadway show tours that come to town — Cleveland has the largest theater district in the US outside of New York City!
  
  

Which one of Aimtal’s core values do you resonate with most?

Keep an open mind: This really resonates with me both at work and in my personal life. Always having an open mind about every person you interact with, whether it is a coworker or client, having empathy and understanding for where they’re coming from.

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What are you currently binge-watching?

Currently on the latest seasons of Ted Lasso, Schmigadoon!, Abbott Elementary, and The Mandalorian.

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Name one marketing mistake many brands make but can easily be avoided.

Focusing too much on numbers or results that don’t have a major impact on the business. It’s great if a million people see your social media post, but it might not matter much if the post doesn’t have much engagement, or no way to connect the impact to overall goals of the business.

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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Kind, conscientious, friendly

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You are hosting a dinner party and get to invite 3 famous people (from any time period), who do you choose?

This is a hard one! I’d want to have a good time and also hear some good stories (and learn something too!) so I’d go with Betty White, Conan O’Brien, and Lizzo!

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What are your goals for this year?

This will be my first full year at Aimtal as I started in December 2022. Really I want to continue to learn and grow from my amazing teammates and hone my skills when it comes to marketing strategy and working with clients. I came from being on the client side so working with multiple clients has been an exciting challenge, and I look forward to seeing the impact of the work I’m doing along with the team!

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If you had to pick one artist/song to narrate your life from this point on, what would it be?

Bruce Springsteen. My dad is a huge fan and has been following him his whole career, and has made me into a huge fan as well! We’ve seen him live a number of times, and his voice and storytelling is such a comfort to me. His music ranges from slow and meaningful to lively and fun!

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What is one thing you believe every marketer should know?

Trust your gut! There have been many times, especially early on in my career, where I was inclined to just follow suit and listen to those who were more experienced than me. But it was the moments that I listened to my instincts and spoke up when my biggest and best ideas came to light. 

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How do you take your coffee?

Depends on the day, depends on my mood! Most days it’s stevia and a splash of skim milk in my coffee from Grounds & Hounds (a great coffee company that supports animal shelters!), but I do love a complex Starbucks concoction when I want to treat myself, or a funky iced latte from a local coffee shop!

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What did you want to be when you grew up?

A teacher — both my parents are elementary school teachers and I loved school as a kid!

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What is your favorite part about working for Aimtal?

The people! I’ve felt so welcome from day one, everyone has such different experiences and unique perspectives but we all come together to do great work. I have loved getting to know everyone, which can be hard in a remote environment but we have so many opportunities for team bonding that I really feel like I know everyone! 

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What’s your favorite place that you’ve traveled to? Which destinations are at the top of your travel list? 

My favorite trip was an art history study abroad in college to London and Paris. It was my first time to Europe and it was such an amazing experience I will never forget. I would love to travel to more places in Europe, especially Ireland, Germany, and Italy!

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Name a quote that you live by

“Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.” - John Lennon

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What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their marketing career? 

Don’t feel like you have to know everything right away. A lot of what I’ve learned in marketing was on the job training or self-taught. If you’re lucky enough to work somewhere that encourages you to learn and hone your skills, take the courses, watch the webinars, or just start tinkering with platforms you’re interested in!