Searching for meaning in marketing

In May 2014, I graduated from Iowa State University with a shiny new BA in Advertising and a nagging internal conflict. 

I did not want to build a career trying to sell people random shit they don’t need.

You may be wondering why a person with such a conviction decided to pursue a degree in advertising in the first place. 😂 There is some lore behind that decision, but the short version is that I couldn’t decide between English and graphic design and advertising seemed like a good combo of both.

Anyway, in the eleven years since graduation, it has actually been pretty easy to avoid promoting things I don’t believe in. I’ve worked for nonprofits with missions I fully stand behind. I’ve had no major ethical or moral issues with any clients I’ve ever worked with in my agency days or as a freelancer.

(Funny story: In my early 20s, I once had a job interview for a design assistant role with an old-school ad man who warned me, “I do some work for strip clubs, liquor brands, and gun manufacturers — are you okay with that?” I think I shrugged at the time, but I did not follow up afterward lol.)

Lately, I’m mostly writing for B2B brands in manufacturing, cybersecurity, and SaaS. My favorite clients are the super technical, “boring” ones — probably because I love translating industry jargon into something normal people can understand. 

I’m really proud of the work I do.

But would I say it’s meaningful?

That’s a loaded question with a loaded answer. 

I have moments where I ask myself, “Is this really how you want to spend your time?” And if I’m honest with myself, the answer is no. 

If I had it my way, I would drop my client work tomorrow and spend the rest of my days crafting, reading, napping, gardening, traveling, and writing whatever I want to write.

But crafting, reading, and napping do not pay the bills, unfortunately. (Imagine.) And in the grand scheme of things, I’ve got it really good.

I typically work 15-20 hours per week doing projects I enjoy with clients I get along with. My husband and I earn a combined income that easily supports our rural, small-town lifestyle plus some long-term goals.

That is meaningful to me.

So, while I don’t particularly enjoy being a cog in the big ol’ capitalist machine, I’m happy with my work and, more importantly, what my money gets me. (It’s nearly impossible to avoid being a cog, anyway. ⚙️) 

And sometimes, a job is just a job. No offense, but I don’t want to use all of my precious creative energy on client work. When I was working in full-time creative marketing roles, I had absolutely nothing leftover after work. And it made me sad. 

Now that I’m a freelancer, making time for extracurricular creative activities is simultaneously easier (I have more time and flexibility, in theory) and harder (running your own business is all-consuming in a different way). 

Ultimately, I think my recent-advertising-grad-self would be proud of where I am today:

Finding some sort of meaning in my career, but more importantly, finding meaning outside of it.

See you next week,

Kara

Kara Detwiller is a writer and creative based in small-town Saskatchewan. She specializes in long-form content writing for enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, and manufacturing clients. She is also working on her first novel, among other creative pursuits. To connect, reply to this email or find Kara on LinkedIn or Bluesky. To support her work on Wishful Working, share this email with someone or buy her a “coffee.”

Why Wishful Working? I write this newsletter because I want to see more people enjoy a life not centered around work. For some, the path to freedom and flexibility is through self-employment, but we also need to challenge cultural norms and champion healthier working conditions and work/life balance for all types of workers.