Gina Bolger

I think my ability to learn and adapt with time. I'm open-minded and curious - my curiosity has been key. I also love to learn about other people. I'm a connector. So it's really about relationships, and how you grow them, and what you learn from others that can help you to build a business. That's how I've built it over the years. Some of my best opportunities have come from being open and getting to know people. Like when I was at a Cubs dinner sitting next to Garrett Popcorn, we just started talking, and the conversation came up of 'what if we put our spice on your popcorn?' Two years later, we launched a Homer Ninn-flavored popcorn that's distributed nationally at grocery stores and they're even wanting to potentially take it internationally. You know, just being open, learning, and understanding their business - that's how I find the best opportunities. When I get to know someone, when I understand their business, then I can kind of figure out, like, hey, is there some sort of partnership we can do, and making things win-win.

My dad, when I first started my career - I came out of college and said we need a marketing database, and we're gonna email everyone, and we're gonna do all of these things, and he was like, that's great, that's great. And he was like, get out in the world and build relationships. And I really think that that is the most solid advice that I've learned throughout, because when you get to know people, when you learn, when you listen, that's really how you grow and how you can create things together. I've got funny stories, like our partnership with the Cubs and the Homer Ninn-flavored popcorn with Garrett - that all came from being at a Cubs dinner, sitting next to Garrett Popcorn, and just starting to talk. We just started talking, and the conversation came up of what if we put our spice on your popcorn, and two years later we launched it. You know, just being open, learning, and that's how I found the best opportunities - when I get to know someone, when I understand their business, and then I can kind of figure out, like, hey, is there some sort of partnership we can do, and making things win-win.

I think marketing has become - one thing I would say is learn how to measure everything. And learn about the business, not just the brand. Because the next level of marketing is going to be much more precise, and there's a lot more ROI components, and just being able to understand the creative side is going to be enhanced with AI, but I think it's understanding how you're measuring what you're doing, because everything's going to be so much more measurable. It already is, but understanding the analytics part of marketing, I think it's going to be key. And then also, if somebody's new and young and fresh, the most important thing - and I point on this as how I've learned - be curious. Ask questions, and there's no dumb question. And if it is dumb, I ask dumb questions all the time, just laugh it off. If it's perceived that way, laugh about it and move on.

I would say in marketing, per se, it's just everything changes so quickly. I mean, you have to stay on top of the next, you know, whatever summer. Right now, AI. You know, if you're not keeping up with what's going on in AI as it pertains to marketing, you're gonna fall behind. So it's just such a fast-moving or fast-paced industry that you always have to challenge yourself and continue to learn. So I would say that is probably my greatest challenge in the industry and in my capacity. And then for myself personally, it's keeping my schedule, my scheduling and really prioritizing what I need to be working on next, because it can be challenging time-wise. There's not enough hours in the day, so prioritizing what I can do, who I can't, you know, what meetings I take, what meetings I pass off.

At Home Run Inn, our values are family, pride, grit, and courage, and I align very well with those values. I would say it's family. Pride - you've gotta do, you've gotta be proud of what you're doing, proud of who you're working with. Grit - you gotta roll up your sleeves. I don't think anything that's done well is easy. And courage - you know, just be courageous. Ask questions. Step into uncomfortable moments. Challenge. If you can't do that, you'll never change the status quo.