Welcome back to our “6 questions” series where we ask someone 6 career-centric questions about themselves.
This week we’re chatting with Amy Littleson from Lilly Pulitzer.
What is your current title and what does your job entail?
I am the Influencer Marketing Senior Associate at Lilly Pulitzer, which means that I am responsible for the development and management of Lilly’s influencer marketing strategy and content. This entails building out our influencer strategy and goals, managing communication with our core influencers, designing campaign concepts and selecting influencers, planning and executing our influencer trips, and more!
What is it like running @amybelievesinpink while having this role? What does a day in the life look like?
It’s always interesting and ever-changing! I am thankful that I have a full 360-degree view of the influencer marketing world, as I work on the brand side for Lilly and the influencer side for Amy Believes in Pink. On a normal week, I work at the Lilly corporate office (it’s called the “Pink Palace” as the building is quite literally pink) on Mondays-Wednesdays and then work for myself from Thursdays-Sundays, although the two roles continuously work off of each other and relate. I’ve been able to be a much stronger marketer for Lilly because of the personal experience I have on the influencer side. I’m really grateful that I’m able to do both, and that they relate in really fascinating ways that keeps things exciting!
You had an internship at LP prior to your current role. What was that process like and how did that lead you to your current job?
Yes! I was the PR & Social Media intern at Lilly Pulitzer when I was a rising senior in college, during the summer of 2016. During that time the Social Media Associate transitioned roles internally, so I temporarily filled that role and was responsible for running the Lilly Pulitzer social accounts (it was an invaluable experience that I was not expecting to receive as an intern!). It turned out to be an absolute dream internship (it’s not called the #LillyDreamJob for nothing…) and there was no question in my mind that I wanted to return to work on the Lilly marketing team once I graduated. I stayed in close contact with my former boss and the HR recruiter at Lilly, and was fortunate enough to receive a return offer to come on full time as the Influencer Marketing Associate.
After I graduated, I took six weeks off (which I HIGHLY recommend), went on a trip to the Amalfi Coast, moved to Philadelphia, and then started at Lilly in mid-July. I was able to build the influencer marketing strategy from the ground up, as I was the first person to have the role, and LOVED testing everything out and creating a formula that worked best for the company.
What has been your favorite project you have in a part of while in this role?
All of our influencer trips! They are definitely the most challenging, yet the most rewarding part of my role. I am obsessed with the logistics and details that go into coordinating a group of influencers to a resort destination with members from our marketing team. Some of our strongest social content (and favorite memories) have resulted from influencer trips, and we are constantly challenging ourselves to take them to the next level, with each new trip we plan!
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career thus far?
You don’t have to be the flashiest or the loudest in the room—stay in your lane and do the work with everything you have (with a little extra sparkle and flair here and there) and that will be the strongest testament of your character and work ethic. This is especially true when you’re an intern!
What is your biggest advice for someone trying to get a job at Lilly Pulitzer?
Try your best to stand out by pinpointing your differentiation factor. What is the one thing that you have or that you can do well that no one else can? It can be anything from an interesting quirk or hobby to a unique college major or internship experience. Then, figure out how to relate that differentiation factor to the position that you’re applying for, and tell the story of how the two connect, and how you would bring something different to Lilly!
