From Reception Desk to Marketing Manager

What put you on your career path?

"With my college, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I started majors in computer science, history, and English. I was all over the place, but I knew I wanted to find something I was passionate about", said Arnette."When I started at isolved, I really enjoyed feeling like what I was doing was helpful and that I was part of a team. That was something I was missing in hospitality."

It didn’t take long after Arnette began her position as receptionist for her performance to be recognized. As someone who prefers to be kept busy, Arnette became quick at performing regular tasks like stuffing and folding envelopes and was always looking for more ways to help. She took it upon herself to conduct an audit to ensure that data like employee names and email addresses were entered correctly and aligned across the systems that were being used by the organization. This initiative was recognized and she moved from the reception desk to assisting with various tasks in the HR and finance departments. It wouldn’t be long, however, until an opening in the marketing department for lead data entry caught her eye.

What inspired you to make the move to marketing?

“It was a slightly different role than what I was used to, but it sounded fun. I had never looked at marketing before. It was never even on my radar,” said Arnette. “I remember interviewing and saying I was really interested because I love the backend of things – seeing how things work and come together. I was offered the position and began working with a team of four in the marketing department.”

Who has supported your career growth?

One of those four team members was Lina Tonk, isolved’s current Vice President of Marketing. Tonk quickly became a mentor to Arnette as her career progressed.“Lina is my top mentor. She pushes hard, but then you see how far you came and how much more you know at the end. She really pushes the limits and it’s the best feeling to see how far you came because of that. I don’t think I would be where I am today if I didn’t have someone like Lina – not only as my boss, but also as someone who cheers me on all the time,” said Arnette.

How would you describe isolved’s culture?

Tonk isn’t the only teammate that Arnette feels cheered on by. In fact, teamwork is one of isolved’s core values and a strong part of the company’s culture. Internally, staff members strive to “win as one” on a daily basis. To Arnette, this phrase encompasses isolved’s culture.“To me, 'win as one' means that if one of us succeeds, all of us do. I know that individual achievements get you where you are, but you need the support of your team and your company – no matter what department you are in,” said Arnette. “It’s like a domino effect. If you don’t work with each other then you don’t get anywhere. Everybody tries to ensure that they are helping. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered someone that was not willing to help during my 8 years with isolved.”

Working together is one of Mikelas’ keys to success and she strongly believes in supporting anyone who needs help.

Arnette’s career has progressed within isolved’s marketing department throughout her tenure. Shortly after she accepted the data entry position, she got engaged and needed to move because of her finance’s military career. When she told her supervisor, she was immediately given the option to work remotely – something that wasn’t very common at the time. She has been a remote employee ever since, and her career has grown just as the organization has grown. Today Arnette is isolved’s Senior Marketing Events & Operations Manager, and the company has grown from around 300 employees when she started to approximately 1,300 now. Looking forward, Arnette is excited to watch isolved’s continued growth and impact in the marketplace.

What are you looking forward to as you continue your career with isolved?

Just over a year ago we were a team of 8 or 9 people in marketing and now we are at more than 30. That’s a giant leap. It’s so cool to see our name next to our competitors knowing that we are going toe-to-toe with them not just culturally, but from a branding perspective and in the HCM space,” said Arnette.Arnette notes that the support she has received along the way has had a big impact on her development. This support not only includes access to professional development courses, but also a push for her to be better in all aspects of life.“My day-to-day work and interactions with my teammates help me grow. I am pushed to be better and shown ways to be better. Not just intermittently with trainings, but every day,” said Arnette. “I’m also encouraged to spend time with my family, take time off and do things that better me as a person. I think that’s really important because your personal development flows into your career development.”

What advice would you give someone following a similar career journey as you?

Although Arnette’s career path wasn’t necessarily conventional, she made an immediate impact and has been able to turn her passion into several promotions.

Her advice for someone following a similar journey?

“I would say my favorite line that I’ve learned in this role is the worst someone can tell you is no. I just took what other people were doing and followed that lead. If you really want it, keep pushing for it. The worst someone can tell you is no,” said Arnette.