Conversations at efelle: Marketing Strategist Ryne Baerlocher

How was the transition from school to your first full-time job?

The “real world” hasn't been as bad as they tell you it’s going to be...it's just different. During school, I did internships with comparable workloads.

Most unexpected element of the sales role?

As a recent college graduate, it’s been interesting to get used to gaining clients’ trust. That said, I like that I can directly provide value to prospective clients—for example, people who have been working at a law firm for 30 years will ask how to market their law firm better. One of the best parts of my job is being able to say, “We can help with the problem your company is facing,” and then directly helping with the strategy and implementation of the plan to garner their desired results. It feels good.

What do you like about working in the web industry?

I like helping clients leverage their brand in the best way possible while keeping their business goals in mind. I think it can be a struggle for small- to medium-sized businesses to accurately portray who they are and what they can offer their potential customers. Ultimately, they're underselling themselves.

That said, I love helping our clients realize that their online presence is directly connected to how customers perceive their brand as a whole. Nowadays, a lot of business comes directly through search engines—I love that I can help clients leverage their online real estate while maintaining their unique story.

Favorite memory at a Mariners game.

Well, my least favorite is letting a home run ball slip through my hands (and legs). In fact, it even made the Mariners official Twitter page! They shared a gif of me flinching and totally missing the ball. All my friends make fun of me for that, but hey—it was sunny out, okay?!

Got that one. (Sidenote: Make a play out there.)

:movie_camera: https://t.co/HGBwp84GQv pic.twitter.com/I5YkiVCQvI

— Mariners (@Mariners) August 16, 2017

My favorite memory at a Mariners game was probably when I was young and got to watch Johan Santana (my favorite pitcher) pitch against Felix Hernandez. It was my first Twins/Mariners game. And Richie Sexson even hit a walk off home run! It was pretty awesome.

Favorite pair of shoes.

My favorite shoes are usually the pair that I most recently bought—needless to say, my answer to this particular question changes often. I have these cool Nike Blazers but my favorite pair of shoes are either my Adidas Pro Models or Superstars.

What is the best place downtown to get a sandwich?

I like Tat's but it depends on what you’re feeling. I mean, if you don't want to do anything for an hour afterwards you should definitely eat Tat's, but if you want to go jump around or do something active then maybe rethink that decision. It's a little heavy.

What do you want to improve on or learn about this year?

Well, I want to improve on a lot of things. Because this job is my first full-time gig, I know there's a lot of room for growth. I want to be able to feel more comfortable with solutions that I'm offering people. My goal for this year is to improve my ability to understand a clients’ needs, meet them in the middle, remain conversational and helpful, all while keeping a sales mentality.

Favorite aspect of efelle.

I like that everyone can joke around with one another. There's not a person in the office that you can’t poke a little fun at or laugh with. You know, for the most part everybody takes it pretty lightly. Although, let’s be honest—I probably get made fun of the most.

What are your desk essentials?

A photo of Randy Johnson that Matt printed to test out my printing capabilities via my laptop, a mechanical pencil from my freshman year of college, my Twins cap, and jalapeno cheetos.

To see more of Haley's awesome drawings, view her instagram account, haleydrewthis.