I Belong: Yvonne Contreras
Yvonne Contreras
Senior Marketing Manager
STG Design
Can you tell us a bit about your career?
Marketing was nowhere near my actual career intentions. I had visions of cranking away code, in a solo or a small team environment, with minimal networking expectations. The plan was to become a computer programmer. While working full-time and attending night classes, I was introduced to the A/E/C industry. First, as an administrative assistant at an engineering firm, which led to assisting the marketing team with edits and comments. This is also when I started learning InDesign. Although I chipped away at my education, earning a web design certification in 2009 and a Bachelors in Technical Management in 2016, InDesign was a self-taught skill. For more than a decade, I’ve used my self-taught skill, education, and life experiences to chart my marketing career journey. To date, it has led me to being the Senior Marketing Manager at STG Design, an award-winning architecture and interior design firm headquartered in Austin. Within my first year at STG Design, the marketing team received two Marketing Communication Awards for Website Redesign and Corporate Identity. Both awards are accomplishments that I am very proud of for myself and my team.
What is your marketing superpower?
As you know, marketing is very multi-faceted. While working on several deadlines, I was told that I had “amazing tenacity.” Every marketer knows you must be diligent, time conscious, and even patient, to concurrently manage each deliverable, submittal, and other marketing responsibilities successfully. Being told I had amazing tenacity has been my most memorable professional compliment. I consider my tenacious work ethic as my marketing superpower.
How did you get involved in SMPS?
Early in my career, my manager introduced me to SMPS. Afterwards, I’ve remained an SMPS member throughout my career, but recently became an Austin Chapter member.
Why is SMPS valuable to you?
Being a marketer comes with unique characteristics, challenges, and appreciation for specific little things. There’s a niche of people that want to experience how certain pens glide across the surface of specialty paper or appreciate the texture of paper in different mediums. There’s a niche of people that appreciate how layouts aren’t standalone but part of the bigger branded identity. There’s a niche of people that know the challenges of custom tabs and paper jams or a file size too big to email or upload. There’s a niche of people that accepted virtual networking through the tough times, but deep down were so ready for in-person interaction. If not for SMPS, how would I find those niches of people?
Why do you belong in SMPS?
To me, SMPS is a body of people that include all those niches, with the bonus of sharing solutions to the many challenges marketers face. I belong to SMPS because I am part of those niches of people and I want to share and grow through our collective experiences.
