From the classroom and into the industry, what are today’s marketing students carrying with them into their careers?

#TheGroundFloor welcomes University of Pittsburgh junior and Andrew Exler Marketing Intern Cate Cinti as she walks us through her main takeaway from her classes: the four stages of campaign planning. She discusses how to succeed in each of these steps and why they matter. She also shares some insight into facing the rapidly changing environment of the marketing industry.

“It was frustration in my last job search that led me to a new realization: I didn’t have to just rely on cold outreach or applications and wait for someone to see my resume to show that I had value. I could somehow bring people to me, build awareness and make noise - in other words, how marketing teams employ inbound marketing.”

#TheGroundFloor welcomes Kushaan Shah, where he discusses how inbound marketing can salvage your job hunt.

Kushaan is currently a growth marketer at a digital health company, Livongo and is based out of San Francisco, California. A University of Maryland graduate, Kushaan has spent most of his career in tech, with experiences spanning consulting, product, and various marketing roles. He has been writing regularly since 2014, with his work having been featured in the Huffington Post, Washington Post, IBM’s Social Business Insights, The Almanac and more - his current interest is at the intersection of marketing, current events, and social psychology, which he writes about at his blog The Marketing Mind Meld.

What qualities make a great entrepreneur? #TheGroundFloor is thrilled to welcome guest contributor, Myles Cutler, for this week’s edition to discuss how he became a CEO while still being a college student.

Myles is the CEO of FRY’D Brands and a fellow Ohio University Bobcat. Growing up, Myles always had a huge passion for business and sports, so once he visited and heard about the sports management program at Ohio University he knew that he had to become a Bobcat. Myles is now 22 years old beginning his senior year at Ohio University while also working full-time as the CEO of his own quick service brand, FRY'D!

I am very excited to welcome Myles to #TheGroundFloor!

Have you ever had a coach of some sort in your life? Have you ever been a coach? There are opportunities to take those experiences & transfer them into your professional life.

Guest Contributor, Tyler Pepe is a Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at the start-up nonprofit, My New Summer. Before COVID-19 impacted the world and changed his plans, Tyler was completing graduate work in Organizational Behavior and Development at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya in Israel. While abroad Tyler served as Head Coach and Captain of the undefeated Herzliya Stars in the inaugural season of the Israel Lacrosse League. Prior to this Tyler spent 5 years as a Regional Director at BBYO.

I am very excited to welcome Tyler to #TheGroundFloor as he talks about winning at work

What is your dream job? Do you have what it takes to land your dream job at 26 years old?

#TheGroundFloor is thrilled to welcome guest contributor, Jesse Goleman, for this week’s edition. Jesse landed his dream job at 26 and he shares his secrets in this week’s blog!

Jesse is currently the goalkeeper coach at Northeastern University and the owner of Goleline, a strength and conditioning company tailored to the needs of goalkeepers. Jesse also currently holds the position of Director of Goalkeeping at Valeo FC. Jesse founded Goleline in the summer of 2019. Prior to that, Jesse has coached at Centenary University (NJ), Chatham University, Seton Hill University and Carlow University. During his assistant coaching stints, Jesse has coached over 20 all-conference selections, and one conference player of the year. In 2016, he was also on the coaching staff of the year. Jesse has also served in positions including Campus Recreation Coordinator at Centenary University, Youth & Teen Athletics Coordinator at the Pittsburgh JCC and Fitness Director at The X Health & Fitness Club in Pittsburgh.

In the first video blog interview of #TheGroundFloor, Andrew Exler sits down with David Kaplan, General Assignment Reporter at WTAE in Pittsburgh. David shares a bit of his story growing up & how he got into his career.

David highlights the advice he wish he could go back and tell his younger self, especially noting that everything will work out in the end.

The #COVID19 pandemic has completely altered the landscape of employment around the globe. Many individuals have been laid-off or furloughed from their jobs. At this time, the hiring field is extremely competitive and many people could use some assistance.

#TheGroundFloor is thrilled to welcome guest contributor, Jacob Hollander, a recent graduate from the University of Central Florida Master’s program in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, for this week’s edition as he shares his best job-searching tips during a pandemic.

#TheGroundFloor is thrilled to welcome guest contributor, Ethen Ostroff, aka “The TikTok Lawyer”, for this week’s edition.

With over 212,000 followers and more than 6 MILLION likes on TikTok, Ethen has built his strong personal brand utilizing social media while continuing his full-time role as an Associate at Ostroff Law.

I am very excited to welcome Ethen to #TheGroundFloor as he shares his story where he discusses what it takes to start a personal brand.

Do you want to make a bad day good, and a good day great? Introducing, Rosebud Ice Cream! #TheGroundFloor is thrilled to welcome guest contributor, Sam Rose, for this week’s edition!

Sam is the Founder & “Cream Executive Officer” of Rosebud Ice Cream, based out of Denver, Colorado. In the new world of CBD, Rosebud is innovating with CBD-infused ice cream.

I am very excited to welcome Sam to #TheGroundFloor as he shares his story where he took an idea and turned it into a reality!

#TheGroundFloor is thrilled to welcome guest contributor, JT Healy, for this week’s edition!

JT was born and raised in Pittsburgh PA and still refers to it as home. Growing up in Fox Chapel area, JT and I knew each other since we were very young (because everyone in Fox Chapel knows each other). The name may sound familiar because JT’s brother, Tom, is not only my mentor, but has been like a brother to me.

After staying close to home attending Washington & Jefferson College, JT made the bold decision to move across the country to Scottsdale, AZ. He has worked in various roles in diverse industries but has always had a passion to create and capture memories. Fast forward 6 years and many youtube tutorials, online training courses and being thrown into the fire he now has started his own side hustle. JT Healy Media has become a passion project where he produces, films and edits videos ranging from wedding celebrations to corporate culture videos.

I am very excited to welcome JT to #TheGroundFloor as he provides our FIRST EVER video blog! Are you into video editing but struggle to make your videos go from “good” to “great”? This blog is for you!

#TheGroundFloor is thrilled to welcome guest contributor, Zach Schwartz, for this week’s edition! Zach is an integral part of our young leadership at Tree of Life Synagogue & all around the community in Pittsburgh. Since the attack on the Jewish community on October 27, 2018, Zach has stepped up to be a key piece in the healing process of our community.

Zach was born and raised in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. He is a political and government affairs professional who has managed numerous political campaigns at every level and every branch government and has worked for a multitude of diversified organizations. Zach currently lives in his home in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

I am very excited to welcome Zach to #TheGroundFloor where he discusses a very important topic that we should all focus on, compassion.

#TheGroundFloor is thrilled to welcome guest contributor, David Green, for this week’s edition! David is a Senior Account Executive with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Join David for this week’s blog post where he discusses, “the beauty in the process”, as he details his journey to growth, both personally & professionally.

#TheGroundFloor is excited to welcome guest contributor, Jordyn Kay! Jordyn is the Director of Staff Engagement at a place that is very close to my heart, Emma Kaufmann Camp.

Join Jordyn in this week’s blog post where she details her approach on what it takes to be a leader, with some helpful tips!

#TheGroundFloor is excited to welcome guest contributor, Jordan Sherman! Jordan is the Head of Revenue Operations at Gen.G Esports, the leading esports organization connecting the U.S. and Asia.

Join Jordan as he details COVID-19's effect on business while providing examples for how he envisions opportunistic & smart companies can use this time to build a fan base, an audience and long-term growth. Read this week’s blog to learn more!

Volunteering is a great way to form a stronger sense of place, whether in your own neighborhood or a new part of town. As I have been continuing my journey of starting my own business, I have made a strong effort to build relationships with others who are in similar situations as I am, both locally and nationally.

I have a great friend named Carly Ellis, Founder of Street Lark. Carly & I decided to dive-in to a new opportunity we call, “Learning Through Volunteering”, where we volunteer portions of our time to work with and learn about various non-profit organizations.

We’re excited to kick things off with 412 Food Rescue, which is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit fighting both food waste and food insecurity. Enjoy this week’s #blog post of #TheGroundFloor to hear all about our experience!

#TheGroundFloor is excited to welcome another guest contributor to the table, Brett Baur!

Brett Baur is currently the Vice President, Corporate & Premium Partnership Sales for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Brett’s partnership philosophy stems from a notion taught by an industry mentor – “we want to be viewed as teammates, not a team you sponsor”.

Previously, Brett was the Vice President, Global Partnerships at Monumental Sports & Entertainment and a Senior Manager of Partnerships with the Pittsburgh Penguins where he developed unique platforms and campaigns for brands like Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the Preferred Realty, Evoqua Water Technologies, FanDuel, HBK CPAs & Consultants, Kent State University, The Milkshake Factory, Orr’s Jewelers, Robert Morris University, Window Nation, and others.

Brett and Andrew Exler have been friends since they first met in the Spring of 2016 and have helped each other grow personally and professionally. Andrew introduced Brett to Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and helped him get accepted into the program while mentoring him through the process. Brett and Andrew regularly discuss sports business, philanthropy, marketing trends and continue to push each other to succeed!

If you’d like to contact Brett, please reach out to him on LinkedIn or via email at Brett.Baur@pirates.com!