Amy Rose
Amy Rose is a senior marketing operator with nearly 30 years of experience across agency, corporate, and small business environments. She has worked with Fortune 500 brands, national retailers, franchises, and locally owned businesses — which gives her a grounded, practical view of what actually works versus what looks good in theory.
She founded 1609 Marketing after seeing repeated patterns in the industry:
- Money wasted on tactics without strategy
- Agencies optimizing for activity instead of outcomes
- Clients being oversold and under-informed
- Businesses pushed into marketing they weren’t ready for
Amy is not a yes-vendor.
She protects client dollars, asks better questions, and slows things down when rushing would create bigger problems later.
She's also a creative at heart. She has an eye for design that most people don't—she'll move text a few pixels because she knows it makes a difference. She loves beautiful work, but only when it's also functional. That combination—strategic thinking + creative execution—is rare.
• Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a combination of hard work, saying yes when opportunities show up, and following through—every single time. I’ve never believed in shortcuts. If I commit to something, I do what I say I’m going to do, and I give more than 100% to the work and the people I’m doing it for. Over the years, I’ve learned that consistency builds trust, and trust builds momentum. Showing up, staying curious, raising my hand when something feels slightly uncomfortable, and delivering beyond expectations has opened doors I never could have planned for—and it’s the foundation of how I run my business today.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I can give is to believe in yourself, even when you’re still figuring things out. Confidence doesn’t always come first—sometimes you build it by showing up, trying, and learning along the way.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If you’re entering marketing, understand that growth comes from a mix of consistency and curiosity. Do the work, pay attention, and take ownership of what’s in front of you—but also stay open to ideas, experimentation, and learning along the way. Some of the most valuable opportunities won’t look like “career moves” at first; they’ll look like chances to try something new, stretch creatively, or see how things really work. When you show up, follow through, and stay willing to learn from every experience—good or bad—you build skills, confidence, and momentum over time. That combination is what creates real, lasting success.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in marketing right now is balancing limited time and resources with higher expectations for performance, all while the landscape keeps changing. Platforms, algorithms, and formats evolve constantly, which makes it harder to know what’s worth your energy and what’s just noise. At the same time, tools like AI are changing how work gets done—creating opportunities to move faster and smarter, but also raising the risk of losing creativity, clarity, and the human connection that actually makes marketing effective. Add in an oversaturated content environment, and the real challenge becomes staying focused: using the right tools thoughtfully, adapting without chasing every trend, and finding ways to stand out by being clear, consistent, and genuinely valuable rather than just louder.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are honesty and authenticity. I believe in being transparent, doing what you say you’re going to do, and showing up as yourself—not a polished version you think people want. That approach builds real trust, stronger relationships, and work you can actually stand behind.