Meet Gabrielle (or Gabby) Hoover. Gabby is the newest addition to the TMC family, joining us as an inbound marketing and sales coordinator on a full time basis here at TMC Digital Media.

Gabby has a passion for food, travel, music and all things marketing and communications. We sat down with her for a quick Q&A. So take it away, Gabby...

To start, tell us how you wound up at TMC Digital Media. What path led you here?

Similar to climbing a mountain, or navigating a new trail, I’ve always found it interesting how life can lead us each down interesting paths. That kind of sums up my journey in arriving at TMC Digital Media!

I was looking for a lifestyle change and a career where I could better hone my marketing and copywriting skills. A big driver for me in looking for a position that would better suit my lifestyle was the opportunity to work remotely. I casually started looking for marketing-specific positions and applied to a local agency in Sarasota, Nextiny Marketing. Kara Inglis quickly responded and although they didn’t have a remote position, she referred me to Erik MacPherson at TMC Digital Media who was looking for a remote Inbound Marketing & Sales Consultant. I had several conversations with the team, and that’s where my journey with TMC began and I couldn’t be more excited to be on the team!

Tell us a little bit more about your previous position at the boat club. How do you think TMC clients can benefit from this experience?

I previously worked for a company called Freedom Boat Club and was their Corporate Event Planner and Director of Communications for 6 years. I wore many hats and I learned so much from conducting 300+ events ranging from large conferences to social events, workshops, trade shows and seminars. One of my favorite parts of that job was planning the menus for each event and working closely with the caterers and restaurants to ensure everyone enjoyed their meals and was served in a flawless manner. Through this event planning experience, I learned so much about the little details and how much they matter.

In a way, it almost became intuitive for me in planning for events to pay close attention to the details and anticipate the needs of the attendees before they even knew it. Any time that I had a doubt in my mind about something that I was planning, I would almost always take the time to find some sort of solution before it could even become a problem.

I also love to write, so in that role, it was my goal to find clever ways to communicate with our internal teams, customers, franchisees and vendors.

With an eye for detail and a passion for helping others excel, I’m excited to help our TMC clients grow their business through inbound marketing strategies. I also don’t like to leave a single stone unturned, meaning, there are always ways to improve and grow. I look forward to growing with each of you!

What do you hope to accomplish at TMC? Are there certain things you’d like to achieve professionally? What about personally?

In both a personal and professional regard, I look forward to honing my marketing skills by diving in and learning all about HubSpot. I think there is so much to be learned from that platform and I wish they would have taught us about HubSpot and similar tools in my marketing classes in college!

In terms of marketing, what strategies and tactics do you feel are most effective for companies to consider?

Having quality and engaging content always seems to be at the heart of any successful company’s marketing efforts. A buyer’s first impression that they have on your website or seeing a case study, blog or social media post is often their first step in learning about your product offering. Many companies tend to think of blogging and keeping content relevant as an afterthought. When really, the more up-to-date and engaging content that a company can put out there, the better chances of the company staying relevant on search engines and staying top-of-mind to the buyer.

Videos are also a great way to catch the eye of a buyer, especially for us visual learners. Producing short live videos on Facebook at events or demonstrating your product is also a great way to drive more traffic and interest in your offering. Simply put, people love to see other people in real-time and I feel it really can capture the essence of how a product is being used.

Which TV or movie character would make the best marketer?

I think Elaine Benes from Seinfeld would make a great marketer. Being that she’s intuitive, has a professional background as a writer/editor and has a good sense of humor all equate to the perfect recipe for being a great marketer in my mind. Having an eye for creativity and a sincere passion for writing, I believe she could make a great content marketer in today’s world!

Are you a Game of Thrones fan?

Sadly, I have only watched one episode of Game of Thrones. I have a lot of catching up to do!

Why? Which shows are you geeking out about, then?

I was just introduced to Seinfeld reruns last year by my husband, and ever since then, that’s what I love to watch during any spare moment that I get! I’m also a huge It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fan and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen about every episode. My favorite character is Charlie and his obsession with cheese!

Moving on from TV and movies, let’s talk about music. What should our clients know about your nights and weekends?

When I’m not busy working during the day on various projects for our wonderful TMC clients, I’m playing bluegrass and mountain music with my band, The Wandering Hours. We are blessed to be tied into the close-knit community of the bluegrass world, and it is absolutely so much fun and I’ve learned so much!

I play guitar, my husband plays mandolin, our friend plays banjo and we all sing as well. We collectively write most of our own songs and our sets comprise about 80% of original material.

We’ve been blessed to become friends with and share the stage with wonderful bluegrass and folk musicians such as John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s founding member), Mary Gautheir, Jim Stafford, Claire Lynch and Phoebe Hunt.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in playing music in the short time that I have been doing it, it’s that will, determination and a sense of openness are definitely key components to grow in this craft. Much of what I have learned in my interactions with fellow musicians and fans of the music, I have found helpful for all aspects of my life, both personally and professionally. I’ll share some of our music with you all in the coming months!

And who’s your favorite bluegrass act right now?

My absolute favorite right now on my Spotify account is Foghorn Stringband. They’re based out of Portland, OR and they stay true to the old-time sound of the Appalachian mountains and tradition. Look them up when you can- I bet it will put a smile on your face!

TMC is a virtual agency, so how about some tunes at an upcoming TMC virtual happy hour?

I would be delighted to play some music for you all during a TMC Virtual Happy Hour sometime. We can take you on a quick virtual journey to the Appalachian mountains!

Speaking of happy hour, what’s your favorite beverage?

Kombucha is my utmost favorite beverage. All my friends know that I have an obsession with this ancient drink and they frequently bring me a kombucha when we hang out. I brew my own from time to time and it’s a fascinating process to encounter.

Fun Fact- a few years ago, I submitted a quote to GT’s Kombucha and the next year, they put my quote on their ‘Multi-Green’ beverages for 6 months! The quote was, “Take a moment each day to find your inner sanctuary.” This is something I try to remind myself of and live by each day.

Favorite meal/drink combination?

New Orleans Beignets and Chicory Coffee. Yes, I’m obsessed with NOLA’s authentic food and crawfish, but that dessert and drink combo is my utmost favorite. If you are ever visiting New Orleans, I highly recommend a trip to Cafe Du Monde to get some beignets and chicory coffee, then go over to Jackson Square to watch the street performers and enjoy this tasty treat.

The most memorable meal you’ve ever had? And, remember, it doesn’t have to just be about the food.

I am a huge sushi fan and turns out that one mishap on the hotel’s part led to me enjoying the best sushi I have ever had. I was the meeting planner for a large franchise conference and when we arrived at the hotel, they overbooked the hotel and ended up moving me to a different property. Being that my event started the next day, I was clearly upset and had a talk with the hotel’s GM.

That next day, they moved me to beach-view suite, sent me a dozen yellow roses and a card saying enjoy dinner on-us at any restaurant on property. I had my eyes set on Morimoto’s Sushi Bar ever since I toured the property, so that’s where my husband and I headed for the night.

Upon walking into the sushi bar, we were immediately greeted with a kind smile and sat down at the sushi bar. It was an intimate restaurant with a lot of blue and white marble hues throughout the bar to imitate the nearby Atlantic ocean. The menu was designed by sushi master Masahuru Morimoto, and boy did the menu look amazing! We asked the waiter for recommendations and then the delectable food journey began. They served us a variety of rolls, sashimi and combo plates, along with some premium sake to wash it down. The sushi was the freshest I had ever tasted and served on beautiful white rectangular plates. At the end of dinner, I looked over at my husband and said, “This was probably the most delicious mistake we’ve ever enjoyed!”

Dream vacation?

I’m a traveler and nomad at heart. Next to marketing, music and hiking, traveling is one of my favorite activities. I love to take road trips and very much enjoy seeing new places and encountering the people and culture along the way. One of the places on my bucket list is a trip to Thailand. A couple of reasons are:

1. The Food. I love all things Thai food! I could probably eat it just about every day. Curries, pad see ew and pad thai are just some of my go-to dishes.
2. The People. The people that I have befriended from Thailand are so sweet and generous to us. They have told me many wonderful stories about how much they love their country. I look forward to visiting Thailand and interacting with the people and experiencing their culture.
3. The Scenery. The beauty of Thailand just captivates me every time I look through pictures of that country. The number of beaches, mountains, caves and parks to explore seem practically endless.
4. The Temples & Sanctuaries. I love the Buddhist culture and very much look forward to exploring the temples and sanctuaries that safely house their monks, elephants and tigers.

Where do you see digital marketing heading in the next five years?

That’s a good question! I think the power of video is going to continue to evolve. The tools to help create great videos are getting easier and more accessible to users and the impact a video can have on selling a product or service, or conveying a testimonial even, can be very impactful to the eye and ear. I really believe that video features will continue to evolve and have a huge impact on companies marketing their products.

It also seems as if it will be easier for algorithms to predict each internet user’s preferences as they navigate the internet. Tracking each person’s buying habits and targeting material to them based on their likes and preferences seems like an inevitable trend in digital marketing that will only continue to expand.

Anything else you’d like to predict?

I think it’s safe to say I think I’m really going to like it here at TMC Digital Media, and I look forward to working with all of our amazing inbound clients!

Thanks, Gabby! It's been great getting to know you a little better! You can all get to know her at an upcoming TMC Virtual Happy Hour!