After 14 years in the competitive toy industry — seven years in product management at Hasbro and seven years in marketing communications for Rubbermaid's Little Tikes division — Christine Brown was ready to venture out on her own.
In 1998, she founded Marketing Resources & Results where she could use her experience launching and marketing new products to help businesses grow.
Since then, Brown's Hudson-based marketing consulting firm has been involved in the launch of hundreds of products and services for clients across the country.
But equally impressive is her behind-the-scenes work in elevating women in the professional world.
"It was when I first graduated from college that I realized people can help you or not — and the difference it makes in life when someone takes a couple minutes to give you some pointers," says Brown, who graduated cum laude from Kent State University with a bachelor's degree in public relations, and la as especially shined through her involvement with Kent and its College of Business Colleagues mentoring program, where she assists other businesses and individually mentors young women. What's more, Brown created the program, "Real Women — Real Careers," designed to help high-school and middle-school girls visualize their future careers by participating in a panel discussion of successful women who work in a variety of industries.
"I've noticed men don't seem to have any problems self-promoting, but women do. [The program] is a way for them to get some recognition for their successful careers and, at the same time, help someone younger than them in the early stages of their careers," says Brown, who has been married for almost 28 years with two children. "Seeing a successful woman professional talking about her career provides a tangible connection for teens that are making decisions about their futures."
The success of "Real Women — Real Careers" led Brown to develop a Web site,
www.realcareers.blogspot.com, offering insight, tips, interviews, guidance and other valuable information for young women seeking advice about career development.
Brown's predominantly female, seven-member firm recently received national certification as a Women's Business Enterprise, which allows clients to receive credits for their supplier-diversity goals.
"Every employee here has that whatever-it-takes, roll-up-your-sleeves, let's-jump-in attitude that makes it a great working environment because it's a team environment," Brown says.
But Brown strikes a balance between work and professional demands and her family. "To me, my family is really the core," she says. "And I truly believe the more you give in life, the more you get back."