Today, we’ve got a guest post from PPR Strategies’s Communications Specialist, Ellen Buchanan!
Ellen recently traveled to Dallas, Texas, where she took part in the National Millennial Community. Today, she’s sharing what she learned during her trip from engaging with other millennials as well as executives from companies like AT&T and the American Heart Association.
Enjoy some insight into what she’s learning as a millennial. 🙂
I recently traveled to Dallas, Texas on a trip I’ll never forget.
My journeys with the National Millennial Community started my senior year of college, and have continued as I now transition into the “real world.” This being my third trip with the National Millennial Community, I knew exactly what to expect when it came to the meetings, but what I would learn in Dallas hit me harder than I ever could’ve known.
The National Millennial Community (NMC) was founded in 2015 by Bill Imada, Founder, Chairman and Chief Connectivity Officer of an advertising agency called IW Group, Inc. Since 2015, Bill has brought together a community of millennial thinkers from nearly 40 different states who strive to change the conversation about the millennial generation.
While working with many large companies such as Lexus and Coca-Cola, Bill noticed many of these internationally known organizations had negative thoughts surrounding the millennial generation that he was not seeing at his own company. While his clients were saying millennials were entitled and lazy, he simply did not feel the same. By creating the NMC, Bill wanted to put millennials and executives in the same room to discuss issues the company faced, like workforce environment, company products, stereotypes — anything the company wanted to discuss.
By doing so, the NMC has been able to break these stereotypes and give input that these companies might not otherwise hear.
The NMC has executed multiple think tank conversations with key influencers in media and business, met with over 150 multinational companies, and all of these meetings have been with Vice President level executives or higher.
Now that you have a little bit of background, you can see why these trips are so important and impactful to me. On this trip, I had the opportunity to connect with executives from companies like AT&T, Frito-Lay, Inc., Toyota USA, Inc., the American Heart Association and others.
You’re probably wondering what these conversations were about. Conversations are always different depending on the company we’re meeting with. Some companies want feedback on products or ad campaigns, some want to know what millennials want in a work environment, and some use this opportunity as a recruiting tool.
These conversations were what some executives called “mind-blowing.” Honest, open feedback is exactly what these companies are looking for — and exactly what they received. At Toyota for example, I was able to give feedback on a new project they’re working on and other NMC members were able to test drive some of their new cars. Members of the Toyota marketing team were able to take this personalized feedback about their ideas and alter the project so it can be more successful.
The impressions and ideas we left with these companies will resonate through society when new products are launched and marketing plans are being developed. And the cool part comes after the launch or plan is released, and I get to say that I had an impact on that company when they were only starting to develop that idea.
But what I learned on this trip that impacted me so much didn’t come from meetings with the executives or from the ideas I shared. I learned how great the millennial generation actually is, and how much we have to offer to a company.
The talent, professionalism, and creativity that stems from this generation is totally unexpected. Contrary to popular belief, we’re not afraid to work hard for what we want. We desire a workplace that’s more than just somewhere we have to go, but a place we look forward to going to because we know we’re making a difference in the world, one day at a time. We look for places where we can grow not only within the company, but as a person too. We want our boss to be a friend, a critic, and a mentor — not just someone who gives us assignments and lets us be.
The information I’ve learned from other millennials over this trip has been truly inspiring and life-altering for me. I learned that what others want might be exactly what I want too, and by supporting each other as we go for our goals and dreams, we’re all bound to do great things.
Do you have any millennials in your office or life? Have you ever sat down to brainstorm together and share ideas? Leave a comment below and share your experiences with us. 🙂
See ya next time,
Ellen
