How I Found My Way Into Marketing

By Bradley Keenan

Hi, I’m Bradley Keenan, and for my first blog, I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself and share a little about how I got to where I am today.

My interest in business started while I was still in high school. After graduating from Pearl High School, I attended Holmes Community College, where I studied business finance. That experience gave me a strong foundation in business and helped me figure out what direction I wanted to take with my career.

From there, I transferred to Mississippi College and continued studying marketing and finance. As I got further into my classes, I realized that marketing was the area I enjoyed most. I liked the combination of creativity, communication, strategy, and business, and I could see myself building a career around it.

Of course, there is a big difference between learning marketing in a classroom and actually doing it every day. Through internships and work experience, I have been able to gain hands-on experience with social media, content creation, digital advertising, websites, client communication, branding, and more.

Today, I work as a Social Media Manager at Mansell Media, where I help manage marketing for businesses across a variety of industries. One of my favorite parts of the job is that no two clients are exactly the same. Every business has its own personality, audience, and goals, which means I am constantly learning and finding new ways to communicate their message.

I have also had opportunities to gain experience through BadgePass and Magnolia TCG Exchange. Working with different types of businesses has helped me see just how broad marketing can be. One day I might be working on professional business content, and another day I could be promoting an event, creating social media graphics, or helping a brand connect with its community.

Outside of work, I am a big fan of video games and trading card games. I enjoy playing, collecting cards, and being part of the TCG community. It is especially cool when I get the chance to combine something I enjoy personally with what I do professionally. Being involved with Magnolia TCG Exchange has given me the opportunity to do exactly that.

One thing I have learned throughout my journey is that marketing is about much more than creating a good-looking graphic or writing a social media post. Good marketing is about understanding people. It is about figuring out what matters to an audience, building relationships, and finding the best way to tell a story.

I definitely do not have everything figured out yet, and I think that is part of what makes this stage of my career exciting. Every project, client, and new experience gives me another opportunity to learn and improve.

I am excited to continue growing in marketing and communications, take on new challenges, and see where this career takes me. Thanks for taking the time to learn a little more about me, and I am looking forward to sharing more along the way.