Tanya Miller exudes self-confidence and enthusiasm, which may explain why she has been able to “sell herself” into various career roles. She acknowledges both her strengths and weaknesses. I want to be around when someone hands her a lemon! Read on to learn more about this interesting member.

Where are you based?

Currently I am based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

What do you do in real-life?

I love that … what do I do in “real life”. I am a marketing communications superhero whose quest is to teach, by examples and successes, engineers and executive teams the value, importance and longevity of marketing and communications. Or in short – Marketing Communications Manager for a software company that designs and deploys VoIP software.

How did you find KHE?

Quite by accident… I was searching for an answer! I don’t remember what the subject was but KHE appeared and I have found it to be a valuable tool. I only wish I had more time to visit the site, gain insight and perhaps share my knowledge and experience.

Explain your Community Name and why you selected it.

Community name … its not very creative ... simply a Russian alias of my real name – Tanya.

What kinds of KHE questions do you enjoy most?

There are a few kinds. I enjoy reading the questions asking about help with company names and taglines because it is a weakness of mine. So it is interesting to read the responses and try to stretch my brain to come up with something. I also enjoy questions and answers about strategic planning. All too often CEO’s and other executive think that marketing is a magic Band-Aid that will make them successful overnight. Strategy is not an instant gratification – it is farming. Seeing smart strategic planning, campaigns and successes is rewarding to the profession in general. And my secret indulgence is website critiques.

Did you study marketing in college?

Actually, no. I fell into marketing but also designed my own position. I believe that I am an example of living up to potential and being able to sell yourself! Throughout my career I have been successful in positions that to an outside eye I may not have been qualified for. With my leap into marketing, I was working for a local property management company as a Corporate Operations Manager. I knew that I wanted to be in marketing so I went to the President of the company, told him of my goals, why I believe I would make the company more successful and that I wanted to make a change to marketing. He created the opportunity internally within 8 weeks of that conversation. Since then, I have been growing and enjoyed every minute of it.

Have you had a mentor? What has that person taught you?

I believe that mentors come in many different forms and in different stages of your life. The list would be endless. However, there is one in particular that I can sometimes still hear loudly in the back of my head. The SVP of Sales and Marketing for a biometrics company I worked for. Incidentally, he was also a professor of marketing in the US. He taught me that in a new situation to listen for the first while before adding your perspective. He taught me to trust my instincts and that timing is an incredible commodity. Spend it wisely.

What is your next career objective?

Lately, I have been thinking of making a change to an agency and being an account executive. I believe that eventually I will have my own shop and I will need some agency experience to make a go of it. But the real kicker with me is that I am a marketer that hates to network. I love the behind the scenes, bringing to fruition what we, a client, a company envisions. But the schmoozing and networking for clients … not an area that I enjoy. Once I have a client, I definitely enjoy the interacting and working with a client. Actually I am quite good at that piece … but the “hook” to get them in the door – that needs work!

What is the value KHE provides to you personally?

The value is endless. Some days it is simply a sanity check that I am not crazy and it is a place where people that talk my talk reassure my thinking – or show me the flaws in my thinking. Other days it gives me a perspective that I never would have come up with. And then there is the satisfaction of the exchange of knowledge. Asking, listening, collaborating.

Do you have a favorite quote you want to share?

“When life gives you lemons ask for tequila and salt!” And, ”Always consider the So-What factor”.