You never forget your first real job. The one that launches you into adulthood, opening your eyes to the working world and ultimately laying the foundation for the rest of your career.
Mine took place 10 years ago at Piper Aircraft in lovely Vero Beach, Florida. I held a shiny new marketing degree, a pilot’s license and no real plan on what to do next. Fortunately, I was soon hired as an intern on the Piper sales and marketing team to perform market research, giving me a few months to get my feet wet in a professional environment.
But as it happened, Piper was a good fit and by that fall, I was an official employee, assisting with advertising efforts, copywriting, tradeshows, and a long list of other marketing tasks. During my tenure at Piper, my passion for writing and editing particularly ignited (little did I know where it would eventually lead!).
Adding to the excitement was I joined the company right in time for its 75th Anniversary. Piper hosted a fly-in celebration to commemorate the milestone and celebrate its iconic starting point – the infamous yellow Cub. Ironically, it was in a Piper Cub that I had spontaneously learned to fly in just two years prior, leading me to choose a career path aimed at general aviation.
The fly-in event was attended by dozens of Cub owners, complete with vendors, dinners, tours and awards – all coordinated by our marketing team. Still to this day, I will never forget walking among the field of yellow right outside my office building.
A Decade Later
This past July, Piper Aircraft celebrated its 85th Anniversary at EAA AirVenture. It is hard to believe 10 years have passed since working at the factory – but the friendships and memories remain.
Throughout the show, I caught up with several former coworkers and salespeople from my Piper days. I was especially excited to see two influential women in my career (and life) and want to acknowledge them here – my former supervisors, Jackie Carlon and Rorie Ainbinder. Both were Piper Aircraft employees for nearly two decades each in the marketing department. Their passion and patience in training young professionals over those years is evident – and I was lucky to be one of them. Their counsel was invaluable in setting the stage for where I am today.
I am forever grateful to both the little yellow Cub and my time at Piper that lit the match igniting my passion for creative work. To Jackie and Rorie – who are both turning a new leaf in their own careers – I wish you the best, and offer my sincere appreciation for your mentorship. Cheers to you.
