July Member of the Month, Alexandra Musgrove, Strategic Planner

Hometown? I was born in Montreal, Canada but grew up all over the Northeast in both Canada and the US.

Current job title and company? Strategic Planner, ENGINE Media Solutions

Describe your career journey. Eager to get a job right out of university, I started my career in HR at Epsilon. After two years, my curiosity led me to a Digital Client Services role where I was responsible for managing the email marketing program for a Pharma client. After a few years of living in Boston, I decided it was time to take a leap of faith and I moved to the Windy City. I was fortunate enough to stay with Epsilon & transitioned into an Agency role. This new position afforded me the opportunity to learn more about engaging with brands directly, the creative process & executing strategic campaigns on a national scale.

After five years at Epsilon and another role as a Digital Marketing Manager at a small market research firm, my next opportunity came as a bit of a surprise. At the She Runs It 2019 Christmas party, I met my future, now current, boss at ENGINE. Shortly after, I accepted a position on their strategic planning team developing key strategies for clients among all verticals. The thing that excites me most about ENGINE is that they have an incredible Insights team that is now being integrated into their media offerings. I’m truly excited to be there at a time where data, insights, and media are fully merging together!

Which three words would you use to describe your personality? Driven, creative, and persistent.

Name a woman who inspires you and why. This was the hardest question for me to answer because so many women in my life inspire me. My sister, mother, grandma, aunts, cousins, mentors, friends, the list goes on… The woman that inspires me the most is any woman who has stood up for herself or others, in spite of being ridiculed, outcast, or daring to be different. A woman who fights for justice and change, and humbly leads by example.

What committees/programs are you involved in with She Runs It? I’m currently actively involved with the YE and Leadership committees and I could not be more grateful to the women I’ve met in these committees! This year, I’ve also joined the Mentorship program as a mentee and have already learned so much from my mentor.

What advice would you give to fellow new members in making the most of their membership? What you put into it is what you’ll get out of it. No one is going to force you to go to a meeting, join a committee, or attend an event but we’re all here for the same reasons and each one of us has been in your shoes at one point or another. Sometimes it takes that little push to get past the initial anxiety of walking into a room of strangers or fear of not fitting in, but I guarantee you that someone from She Runs It will come up to you, swoop you up and welcome you right away! Starting something new with this group is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

What do the words “She Runs It” mean to you? She Runs It means growth in female empowerment, pushing outside your comfort levels, and engaging with your community. In this group, I’ve been exposed to successful women both in their personal and professional lives. I’ve also seen what it means to truly support another woman in her career, and have also had my comfort levels challenged time and time again. I continue to learn the importance of engaging and growing with my professional community.