It’s funny how flukes often turn out to be the best option, and it’s funny just how fast lives can change.
Sarah Seebran was an interior designer about to resign. She was searching for a new career path but was unsure of what that would be.
Then, before her last day on the job, a friend called her about a marketing position at Glennville, Ga.-based Bland Farms LLC. To speed things up even more, they wanted her to interview that very afternoon.
Feeling unprepared and unsure, Seebran trusted her friend and ended up meeting director of Vidalia brands and product development Sandra Bland.
On her way home, the director of sales called her to schedule a second interview.
Seebran obviously did something right — she trusted her instinct and trusted herself.
“I grew up in Vidalia country,” Seebran said. “But, I was so far removed (from the produce industry). Consumers (generally) don’t know we’re here and what we’re doing. Produce brands aren’t as well known.”
Seebran has helped change that.
“One of my biggest accomplishments is the successful establishment of a marketing department within our company. Our goal is to lay the foundation for the continued growth of the Bland Farms family of brands,” Seebran said.
Seebran soon realized the connection between her design background and her marketing role for Bland. She uses her experience in design to communicate with artists and graphic designers and links that knowledge to communicating about design with the grower.
“We only have a second to grab the consumer’s attention and get our message across,” Seebran said.
So it’s a good thing Seebran knows how to move quickly. That phone call came three years ago, and Seebran has since moved up from marketing manager to director of marketing. She loves her position in a field that she respects.
“The people of the produce industry are great. They are so genuine. I understand that the job I do affects the company, the people that work here, the industry, and the people we do business with and I take that very seriously,” she said.
Although Seebran knows how to think and act quickly, she enjoys her down time at home. Besides riding motorcycles with her husband, Seebran slows down significantly when she’s not at work.
“The marketing field requires an extrovert,” she said.
“After work, I become a hermit, a complete introvert. Everything is so intense at work, so when I go home, I just veg out! I don’t want to think.”
Quick on her feet
Don’t let that need to relax and shut off her brain fool you, though, as Seebran is known by her peers for being active and sharp.
“I always admire Sarah’s common-sense approach to keeping projects moving in a positive direction. She’s got a million balls being thrown in her direction on any given day, but she is outstanding at prioritizing and, in effect, knocking those balls out of the park. She’s smart, and she gets results,” said Wendy Brannen, executive director of the Vidalia Onion Committee.
As a female member of the younger generation in the produce industry, Seebran has noticed a need to connect with others in her field.
“There are a small but growing number of women in the industry. We shouldn’t be insecure or competitive about our roles but supportive to one another’s development. We need to prioritize the time to develop these relationships with one another because together we can accomplish so much more than we could apart,” Seebran said.
Seebran It’s funny how flukes often turn out to be the best option, and it’s funny just how fast lives can change.
Sarah Seebran was an interior designer about to resign. She was searching for a new career path but was unsure of what that would be.
Then, before her last day on the job, a friend called her about a marketing position at Glennville, Ga.-based Bland Farms LLC. To speed things up even more, they wanted her to interview that very afternoon.
Feeling unprepared and unsure, Seebran trusted her friend and ended up meeting director of Vidalia brands and product development Sandra Bland.
On her way home, the director of sales called her to schedule a second interview.
Seebran obviously did something right — she trusted her instinct and trusted herself.
“I grew up in Vidalia country,” Seebran said. “But, I was so far removed (from the produce industry). Consumers (generally) don’t know we’re here and what we’re doing. Produce brands aren’t as well known.”
Seebran has helped change that.
“One of my biggest accomplishments is the successful establishment of a marketing department within our company. Our goal is to lay the foundation for the continued growth of the Bland Farms family of brands,” Seebran said.
Seebran soon realized the connection between her design background and her marketing role for Bland. She uses her experience in design to communicate with artists and graphic designers and links that knowledge to communicating about design with the grower.
“We only have a second to grab the consumer’s attention and get our message across,” Seebran said.
So it’s a good thing Seebran knows how to move quickly. That phone call came three years ago, and Seebran has since moved up from marketing manager to director of marketing. She loves her position in a field that she respects.
“The people of the produce industry are great. They are so genuine. I understand that the job I do affects the company, the people that work here, the industry, and the people we do business with and I take that very seriously,” she said.
Although Seebran knows how to think and act quickly, she enjoys her down time at home.
Besides riding motorcycles with her husband, Seebran slows down significantly when she’s not at work.
“The marketing field requires an extrovert,” she said.
“After work, I become a hermit, a complete introvert. Everything is so intense at work, so when I go home, I just veg out! I don’t want to think.”
Don’t let that need to relax and shut off her brain fool you, though, as Seebran is known by her peers for being active and sharp.
“I always admire Sarah’s common-sense approach to keeping projects moving in a positive direction. She’s got a million balls being thrown in her direction on any given day, but she is outstanding at prioritizing and, in effect, knocking those balls out of the park. She’s smart, and she gets results,” said Wendy Brannen, executive director of the Vidalia Onion Committee.
As a female member of the younger generation in the produce industry, Seebran has noticed a need to connect with others in her field.
“There are a small but growing number of women in the industry. We shouldn’t be insecure or competitive about our roles but supportive to one another’s development. We need to prioritize the time to develop these relationships with one another because together we can accomplish so much more than we could apart,” Seebran said.
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