Her Story
About Sharon
Sharon DiTrani serves as Senior Account Manager at Vector Media, a national transit advertising company, where she has worked for about a year and a half selling advertising across buses and related media in the Jacksonville market and beyond. With a career spanning more than 40 years in media sales, she has experience selling broadcast, radio, cable, high-end glossy magazines, direct mail, and newsprint for employers including Hearst, Comcast, Gray Media, and CBS Radio. She attributes her longevity in the field to building strong relationships, networking, choosing good companies, and knowing when to make career moves. Sharon is actively involved in her professional community, serving on the board and as membership committee chair for the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, on the board and as membership committee chair for the American Advertising Federation Jacksonville chapter, and on the sponsorship committee while also running the concession stand for the Amelia Community Theater. She is passionate about mentoring younger professionals in media sales and staying educated on evolving trends such as digital and AI.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sharon
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having good people in my network, good managers, always choosing to work for good companies, knowing when to leave a company at the right time, and being passionate about the work. I've worked in many different media types because I didn't want to stay in one medium for 23 years. When you're passionate about something, you immerse yourself into the company, the team, building a pipeline and client base. It's a career that works for me financially and allows a good lifestyle.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I suggest mentoring. I've been a trainer and it's our responsibility as senior account executives to pass on knowledge, education, networking, and prospecting skills. I want to be the person people can call with questions, even silly ones. We have to remember it's a team, not just independent goals. Having a good support system makes a world of difference.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenge is always being educated to know what's next, like AI and digital. Clients think they know digital but it's more than Facebook. In transit advertising we don't have Nielsen ratings so attribution is hard. The opportunity is in Jacksonville's tremendous growth with new businesses, Culinary Institute, hotel, stadium, population growth from 1.1M to 1.5M in 3 years.
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