What No One Tells You About Starting in Marketing

A personal note on navigating marketing in my early career

When I first stepped into the professional marketing world, I expected to feel a little in over my head.

What I didn’t expect was the sheer volume of information I was suddenly expected to absorb. It felt like every scroll, every conversation, every headline came with a new rule, a new warning, a new “must-know” trend. It felt impossible to keep up, even harder to detect what was valuable, and critical that I pretended to know everything so I could be a true marketing guru.

Everyone had an opinion.
Everyone had a framework.
Everyone had the “right way” to do something.

And somewhere in the middle of all of it, it started to feel like the industry was being smothered by its own commentary.

I realized I wasn’t struggling because I didn’t know enough. I was struggling because I was trying to filter through too much information, most of which wasn’t actually helping me grow.

That’s where the first spark of The Marketing Index came from.

Not from a place of expertise or authority, but from a desire for clarity. From the need to understand the industry in a way that didn’t feel performative, overwhelming, or endlessly contradictory. From wanting a space where someone could say, “Here’s what matters. Here’s what doesn’t. Here’s what’s worth paying attention to.”

And because no one was doing that in a way that felt intentional, I decided to try.

TMI is my attempt to make sense of the marketing world as I actively learn it. It’s a reflection of what I’m observing, what I’m questioning, what I’m still figuring out. It’s a place to explore ideas without pretending to have all the answers. It’s a place where nuance matters more than volume, where curiosity matters more than confidence, and where insight matters more than algorithms.

Most importantly, it’s a place built for people like me.

People who are early in their careers, who want to learn thoughtfully, who want to understand the industry beyond the noise, and who don’t want to feel like they’re drowning in an ocean of unsolicited advice.

This isn’t a guidebook or a rulebook or a masterclass.
It’s simply my perspective, shaped by experience, grounded in reality, and shared with anyone who might need to hear it.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by everything you’re “supposed” to know…
If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re doing enough…
If you’ve ever wondered how much of the marketing world is smoke and mirrors…
You’re not alone.

I’m figuring it out too.
And TMI is where I make sense of it.

Thank you for being here.
Here’s to learning, unlearning, and navigating this industry with a little more clarity.