91����

Daniel Bradshaw, Marketing Manager at Pillar Credit Union
Bachelor of Arts in English, 2004

Marketing professional Daniel Bradshaw not only carved out a career in the financial services industry in his hometown of Marion, Ohio, but he finds himself utilizing the skills in storytelling he honed at 91���� Marion on a daily basis.

“The skills I honed at the Marion campus, said Bradshaw, “not only aided my storytelling, but they’ve helped me in developing characters,” (brand personality and buyer personas in marketing).

A 2004 graduate of 91���� at Marion with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Bradshaw now crafts the brand message and finds creative ways to share the story of Pillar Credit Union with potential customers.

“English is all about communication, so I’ve used these skills everywhere from positions in retail and sales to my more recent work in marketing,” he said. “My emphasis in creative writing is especially helpful since stories are the best way to share with customers.”

“Everything is a story and I’ve learned to treat my work that way. Whether it’s creating a campaign promoting car loans or letting customers know about an ATM upgrade, my mind is always with the reader,” said Bradshaw.

According to Bradshaw, he has always enjoyed looking for a unique angle and his time in the classroom working toward my English degree certainly enhanced his creative thinking.

“Being able to communicate well with customers, fellow employees, peers in the industry, and my supervisors have both advanced and enhanced my career,” he shared. “It allows me to share my vision more clearly and bring people on board by connecting to their goals and aspirations.”

Not only did he learn one the critical skill of storytelling in his daily work. Bradshaw also feels he learned the importance of editing, an unsung hero of English.

Bradshaw said, “whether it’s a post on social media or a full article, no first drafts go out,”

“I’m constantly working to say more with less and usually turn to others for their opinions as well,” he said. “Critiques from classmates during my coursework at 91���� not only helped me become a better writer, but a better listener who can accept criticism of my work and not take it as some sort of personal attack.”

As Bradshaw shared, he also digs into data and analytics for the science portion of his job, but his favorite part is always crafting the creative element.

“Brainstorming, fleshing out ideas, and building all the moving pieces is where I find the greatest joy,” he said.

A big believer in the power of content marketing, Bradshaw sees a great need for creativity in his career. Articles, reviews, podcast and video scripts all take some of his time. Having a degree from 91����, he said, gave potential employers a sense of confidence that Bradshaw would bring much needed skills to the job.

“91���� is respected and admired across the globe,” Bradshaw said. “So, holding a degree from there carries quite a bit of weight. Anyone who sees that on my resume knows I received quality instruction and grew as a result.”

91���� Marion helped Bradshaw find and better develop his voice as a writer, he shared. From a practical standpoint, he also saved money by attending the Marion campus.

“The smaller class sizes meant a better connection with the faculty and my classmates. I became close with other students through our classes together and other campus activities.” According to Bradshaw his 91���� Marion education was top notch. “I didn’t feel like another faceless number in some classroom of 200+ students.”