We recently caught up with Kathryn Budzien, Director of Marketing and Sales Procurement at Post Holdings, Inc. and fellow ANA AFM Conference Speaker. We asked her for her take on how to be a success in the industry and what she had to say may surprise you....
Procurement isn’t my pedigree, but this universal truth has carried me here and will henceforth.
I consider myself a procurement newbie. I’m 14 months into my role leading marketing and sales
procurement where I link arms with marketing leaders to help them get the best value out of their
investments. I have a great deal of passion for effective partnerships that drive successful business
outcomes – for both sides of the table. And I have one steady observation that has been true since day 1 on this desk that links directly to my passion.
Its importance and validity precede this role and is true for every bit of work I’ve picked up since I scored a spot on a Division 1 women’s basketball roster as an 18-year old.
It is the thing that can’t be underscored enough as the primary reason for my unexpected but totally wild career journey from singing alongside Prince to radio hosting to a decade of producing some of the highest rated content in Food Network history. And ultimately, it is one of the main reasons why I landed at this desk.
This basic yet crucial cornerstone of a diverse career jumped off the outline at me as I prepared my
presentation for the upcoming ANA Advertising Financial Management conference in May. It is the
foundation of my journey and is very likely the thing you already know and perhaps just needed to hear from a new source:
Relationships are everything.
Beautiful in its simplicity, effortful in its growth, rewarding in its harvesting.
“The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your relationships. The quality of your business is no different.” – Harvey Mackay
Fellow St. Paulite (we’re talking Minnesota) Harvey Mackay’s words resonate for their purity and
integrity. I offer this expansion on Mackay‘s words. Relationships exist in many forms, and not all of
them healthy. The healthy relationships you develop are drivers of personal success. They are mutually generous and caring. They have a bit of give (sharing ideas) and take (learning). They offer the compassionate but firm landing of understanding when you fall, assurance in times of apprehension, and a cheering section along the marathon of life.
All of us need people in our life to fill these important roles. It has been my experience that without the rapport and links to relationships with trusted comrades, I would not be in a position to lead and counsel marketers on their investments and partnerships.
Back to Mackay - the operative word in his message is ‘quality’. A full rolodex is useless without effort and investment in each relationship. In the end, relationships are the lifeblood of success.
Invest wisely!
Kathryn Budzien
Director, Marketing & Sales Procurement – Post Holdings, Inc.
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