It’s time for our “Meet the Team” blog for May, and we got to chat with Marketing Automation Manager, John Bacin. He is a huge part of our team at FMG, but when he isn’t crushing it at work, you can find him skateboarding, working on a podcast, spending time at church and a lot more! To learn more about John, you can keep reading! ?
Where do you live, and what’s your favorite part about your city or state? We love hearing more about where everyone lives, especially with the team working remotely!
I live in Seattle, Washington. My favorite thing about living here has to be my community! I’ve gotten to know so many people through my church, from the University of Washington where I went to school, and through skateboarding. I met my wife Dixie and my best friend Jake up here so I will be forever thankful for that.
As the Marketing Automation Manager, you have a very important job when it comes to how we communicate with clients and prospects! How did you get started with this role, and what is your favorite part?
At UW, I randomly chose Marketing as my business major’s focus and thankfully it suited me well! After graduating, I started working at a friend’s family car dealership as the sole “marketing guy”, so I learned how to do everything on my own & from scratch.
My favorite thing about marketing is the surprising amount of artistic expression & creativity it allows for. I believe that beautiful marketing is the best marketing!
Can you describe a typical day for you? How do you stay motivated and focused when working from home?
My wife wakes up before I do, so I spend the first hour of my day trying to hide my eyes from the light for my last bit of rest, and sleepily reminding her of all the cute clothes she owns when she says she has NOTHING to wear. Once she heads out, I spend the day Taking Care of Business, to quote BTO; making & sending emails, researching email trends, providing support for HubSpot, and collaborating with people on projects, which I really enjoy. My wife is my biggest motivation when I am tempted with laziness- I think about how hard she works and all she does for me, and it inspires me to light a fire under myself to go the extra mile whenever I can.
Dixie and I live with a family that has the cutest little girls in the world, so getting to say hi to them is the best way to take a break.
If we were to look at your Spotify, what type of music would we see?
Of the newer stuff, it would be mostly alternative bands your parents have never heard of: Skegss, The Frights, Real Estate, SWMRS, Surf Curse, Dr. Dog, etc. Older stuff finds its way into the rotation too, Ween, U2, Gordon Lightfoot, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Randy Newman. Britney Spears is a non-guilty pleasure. Death Cab for Cutie is so good it’s insane- “You Are a Tourist” was my entrance song for my wedding and I am psyched to see them live this October.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
My wife and I are going on a mission trip to Indonesia this summer. It’s going to be so powerful and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to go.
What do you like to do in your free time when you aren’t crushing it at work?
One thing I’ve learned this year is that too much alone time gets unproductive for me- so I have been keeping my time filled with a lot of skating, doing a podcast, going to the movie theater (yes, it is absolutely worth it), keeping the house clean, and hanging out with my Seattle crew. My wife and I are pretty involved in our church, so that keeps me healthily busy as well.
If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
I would be an anglerfish so I could see all the crazy stuff going on along the bottom of the ocean. Giant squids and gnarly fish undiscovered by science and all that.
Are you a sports fan? If so, what teams do you cheer for?
Not a sports fan ☹️ As I mentioned, I love to skate, but skateboarding is definitively not a sport and anyone who tells you it is is getting paid to say that.
What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received? It can be work-related or just great life advice!
A couple of years ago, a friend I really look up to told me that you can be replaced at your job, but you can’t be replaced in your family and marriage. You have a duty to bring your best self to both worlds, but it takes humility to admit your work could be replicated, and maturity to accept your unique responsibility of serving your loved ones. Remembering that helps me keep things in perspective
What is your favorite part about working at FMG?
My favorite part about FMG is the leadership. Before FMG, I worked a lot of jobs where people led with intimidation, control, and by putting me down, and that left me hurting and fearful of authority for a while.
That is totally opposite to the way things work at FMG. I am blessed to work with people who lead by example and treat others with warmth, respect, encouragement, and humility. I will always be so thankful for that during my time here, and it has already left a big impact on me.
