Key Highlights
• Cultivated a consistent, trust-driven approach to managing a diverse array of relationships.
• Partnered with clients, collaborators, colleagues, students, SMEs, and vendors across industries.
• Built connections that enhanced project quality and enriched professional experiences.
Building Trust
My many professional relationships have spanned across several industries with people in a variety of roles. This includes clients, collaborators, colleagues, subject matter experts, students, and vendors. I have a consistent approach to managing these varied relationships. Every successful relationship is built on trust. One builds trust in the professional world by:
• clear, open communication
• detail-oriented and an exceptional listener
• tracking and recording every exchange
• keeping my word
• thorough account management
• sticking to a schedule, staying on budget
• empathy, understanding their business culture
• positive voice, no matter what is happening
• flexible and adaptable to help reduce stress
• being appreciative and showing it
• accepting mistakes happen, working through it
• helpful without crossing role boundaries
• maintaining my own boundaries
• detail-oriented and an exceptional listener
• tracking and recording every exchange
• keeping my word
• thorough account management
• sticking to a schedule, staying on budget
• empathy, understanding their business culture
• positive voice, no matter what is happening
• flexible and adaptable to help reduce stress
• being appreciative and showing it
• accepting mistakes happen, working through it
• helpful without crossing role boundaries
• maintaining my own boundaries
Examples
Clients:
I managed academic clients for many years. That included Emory Law and the Agnes Scott College (ASC) Communications office. My roles included developing and managing marketing or public relations and media plans. I even managed major on-location film projects. These were diverse projects.
My client list included three malls in Atlanta, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. I also worked with non-profits, corporate entities, and small businesses and individuals. My basic relationship management approach worked across all these variances.
In one case with a long-term mall client, I received a call one morning. The general manager in good humor asked where the heck I was. I checked my calendar, but there was no on-site appointment. I asked if she expected us to meet. She responded, “No, but, where are you?” She started to say something else then stopped and laughed. “Oops, I keep forgetting you are not an employee!” That moment reminded me of the importance of showing up fully in each client relationship — so much so that they view me as an integral part of their team.
Client Testimonial: “Mary is a creative thinker who is able to effectively apply her skills to a wide range of projects and strategic initiatives. Versatile, innovative, collaborative, highly productive — she’s a pleasure to work with.” — Chris Tiegreen, Author (ASC client)
Collaborators:
While I thrive in independent work, the opportunity to collaborate enriches my process and enhances outcomes. By combining talents with diverse professionals, I’ve consistently seen projects reach new levels. I’ve come to value collaboration deeply, knowing the final product is stronger when ideas are shared.
In 2007, following the success of my Graphic Design Program at Emory University, our faculty web team was tasked with creating a robust Web Certificates Program. Our team’s complementary front- and back-end skills balanced each other. Together, we created a well-rounded program that provided ground-breaking choices for students in our comprehensive educational ecosystem. Our programs dazzled and broke enrollment records. It allowed us to deepen and grow the program for years to come.
Collaborator Testimonial: “I worked with Mary for several years at Emory Continuing Education and was always very impressed with her command of her subject and her ability to convey difficult information in an interesting manner to her students. She always maintains high learning standards in her coursework and yet is always willing to give her time willingly to help her students.” — Gary Cruze, Director, Organizational Effectiveness and Development at Pima Community College
Colleagues:
One of my most rewarding projects was as editor and designer transforming Campus Connection from an internal calendar into an in-depth weekly publication for staff, faculty, students, and administration. My best decision for Campus Connection was to solicit involvement from faculty members. They contributed alternate weekly columns in their fields. Faculty columns added unique insights, helping foster an atmosphere of intellectual exchange and cross-departmental unity. This forged strong relations between the faculty and our department. I was often cited by my director and the president for championing that.
Colleague Testimonial: “Mary was always a terrific colleague. She worked across multiple departments and disciplines to create evocative publications. Her materials were always professional, creative, and appropriate to the task. I always enjoyed working with her because her touches always made my work look better; in turn, that inspired me to reach for higher standards.” — David Thompson, Annie Louise Harrison Waterman Professor Emeritus of Theatre, Agnes Scott College (faculty contributor to Campus Connection)
Students:
When I transitioned to teaching online as a digital nomad in 2017, I worried I might lose my close connections with students. So, I decided to start holding online office hours through Zoom, self-scheduled through Calendly. That became a pivotal decision. My online student relationships were even more connected than when I was bustling about between classes on campus. Office hours allowed me to experience a different window into my student’s lives.
Student Testimonial: “Mary has an excellent demeanor and great personal communication skill-set, which is necessary in today's working environment. When poised with questions she did not readily have an answer for, she researched and provided several solutions and answers, not just to the individual asking the question, but also to the entire class. Mary would be an excellent addition to any company training staff.” — John Williams, Digital and Business Agility Transformation Coach
Subject Matter Experts:
The Endovascular Institute produces conferences, seminars, books, and materials for the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award for CME. I worked directly with the primary medical subject matter expert (SME) to develop educational and promotional materials for all of these EI programs. I also occasionally served as a communications director on pivotal projects.
Vendors:
I have worked with many vendors over the years. For more than 16 years, Bennett Graphics had been a trusted print and production partner across various projects. Knowing and trusting a vendor is about believing they know more than I do about their area of expertise. I trusted their counsel for my clients. I worked with the owner, custom service reps, and experts in-house for print, production, and materials selection. In all those years, every client was thrilled at the project’s end. Every print award I received was due to Bennett’s quality and expertise.
Vendor Testimonial: “I have worked with Mary on a number of projects, some with her as the client, and some with her as the designer for another client. She does a wonderful job from both the creative/design end and the print/project management end. I highly recommend Mary for any creative design project, small or large.” — Howard Dean, Account Executive at Bennett Graphics
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Over the years, I have learned that strong professional relationships are built on a foundation of trust, adaptability, and respect. Whether with clients, collaborators, or students, my goal is to foster connections that enrich the work and elevate outcomes.
