We were lucky to catch up with Erin Pacitti recently and have shared our conversation below.

Erin, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear a story from back when you were an intern or apprentice. What’s a memorable story you can share with us?

My very first internship experience was with an extremely popular daytime talk show. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and showed up in L.A. with no car and no office experience–all I had with me was my laptop, one carry-on suitcase of clothes, and an $80 bike I purchased at Walmart to help get me around the city.

I secured the internship through a program at my school, DePauw University, and through the good grace of my television professor. I was dead set on working in the film industry and excited to experience L.A. for the first time.

The internship turned out to be nothing like I expected. It was fairly cutthroat and competitive, the expectations were high, and the onboarding was almost nonexistent. I made several gaffes that felt career-ending at the moment. Looking back, they were innocent mistakes, like not opening fan mail fast enough and misremembering someone’s name. I felt that I had to be perfect.

I’ve since taken the stance that all interns are bound to make mistakes; after all, that’s how you know they receiving a truly immersive and educational experience! I share my own stories and approach to internships with students who work with my company today.

Erin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

At Paralian Marketing, we specialize in marketing for education and e-learning companies. We love refining messaging, crafting curated strategies, and getting our clients’ courses and platforms in front of interested audiences. The education and e-learning industries are where our passion lies.

We specialize in telling complicated stories using clear, concise messaging and targeted strategies. Each member of our team excels in a different facet of marketing, but we are mainly known for our exceptional writing, digital ad management, and operational prowess.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to marketing, especially when working with hard-to-promote products and services like training courses. We really take the time to get to know our clients and the people behind the products. We craft precise copy that represents each client’s unique personality and story; then, we make sure that messaging gets in front of the most qualified audiences.

Best of all, we are a team of thinkers and doers. Everyone at Paralian Marketing is as comfortable writing a high-level strategy as they are scheduling social media posts. We come together to get the job done well, on time, and within budget.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Word-of-mouth referrals have been the lifeblood of my business. I place a huge emphasis on quality services because I know that our current and past clients are our best source of new business. Our team strives to exceed expectations every single day, no matter how large or small the project.

For those just starting out, I’d recommend investing in your network. But once you land a client or two, make sure you deliver an exceptional product or service every single time. Your future self will thank you!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries changed the way I approach business. The author makes an incredibly strong case for investing in the build-learn-measure cycle, which encourages entrepreneurs to start testing a minimum viable product (MVP) as soon as they possibly can, rather than wait to launch new products and services until they are perfect. You can learn so much from the earliest iterations of products and services, including whether or not they’re something customers want or are willing to pay for.

Not only has this been a game-changer for my own business and the services we provide, but it’s been an exceptional strategy for some of my clients. I highly recommend all entrepreneurs and product managers read this book.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.paralianmarketing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paralianmarketing/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/81937229/

Image Credits

Caroline Herring