Staff Blog
Our weekly blog, written by FH staff, features our reflections about a variety of personal and industry-related points of view.
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From Health Care to Hamburgers to Hydraulic Fracturing
Jan. 25, 2012
By Kathleen Anthony, account supervisor
Standing on an oil and gas rig tucked into the rolling green farmland east of Canton not long ago, I had to stop and ask myself —“Wow! How did I get here?”
This experience got me thinking about the twists and turns my career has taken throughout the years — from an internal communications coordinator in health care to a fast-food-restaurant-chain spokeswoman to the hydraulic-fracturing expert at FrazierHeiby. What a long, strange trip indeed!
When I graduated from The Ohio State University with my bachelor’s in journalism, I didn’t have a clue of what to do next. So, I packed my bags, said goodbye to my hometown of Columbus and hit the road. My destination? Beautiful San Diego, California — land of sun, sand, beaches and perpetual flip-flops.
When I got to the Golden State, I pounded the pavement and began knocking on the door of every PR firm and corporate office I could find. After a couple of internships (more like indentured servitude) I got my first big break as an internal communications coordinator for a large hospital group where I spent two years churning out newsletters.
Hungry for more, I went to work for a real clown — “Jack,” the head of the Jack in the Box restaurant chain. I spent 10 happy years with Jack and gained valuable knowledge about food safety, marketing and media relations.
But after the birth of my daughter nearly three years ago, coming back to Ohio for my family seemed like the right thing to do. It didn’t hurt that the economy in central Ohio was a bit stronger than in California, which was teetering on the brink (California was broke and we voted for a bullet train. Really?).
After moving my native-Californian husband and baby girl back to the Buckeye State, I balanced caring for my daughter with freelance writing gigs. Though I loved the flexibility (i.e., shower-optional days, afternoon naps and wearing yoga pants to work) of working for myself, I missed the action and camaraderie you can only get with a full-time job. So here I am at FrazierHeiby.
I’ve had an interesting career. I’ve worked with some amazing people, seen lots of stuff (including a taco factory in Kansas) and have learned so much. It just goes to show that you never know where your career will take you. Sometimes you just have to sit back and enjoy the ride.