“I’m pretty sure I have creative Attention Deficit Disorder because I want to do it all.” These are the words of Marketing Proposal Specialist Beth Martens, and while those who know her work would never call it a “disorder”, we think she just might be able to do it all.
Creativity is in Beth’s blood, coming from an artistic family. Her mom was a professional seamstress, which is where Beth mastered the art of sewing and fabric. This skill set has ultimately made Beth the P1 Group Marketing Department’s swag guru, where she has significantly improved our promotional apparel capabilities.
However, her true passion begins, and ends, with illustration. “I have always liked to draw,” Beth said. “I was awarded 2nd place at the Missouri State High School Art Show my senior year and went on to the University of Kansas to pursue a degree in Visual Communications.”
Although she had to leave after three years due to financial hardship, Beth began another of her life’s greatest projects: Her family.
“I got married and started a family, then went to work for Gear for Sports in the QA department because I had sewing experience and knowledge of fabric,” Beth explained.
With more creative support from her brothers, one a movie visual effects professional and prominent sculptor, and the other a professional painter (of the fine arts variety), Beth got even more into design.
“I started producing a small children’s magazine through my church,” Beth said. “I did all of the illustrations and my brother taught me Quark and Photoshop so I could do the layout.”
Over the years, Beth has had a series of jobs, from layout artist to working at Target. When the 2008 financial crisis hit, Beth found herself needing a more financially viable job to help support her family, and that’s how she found P1.
“My son played baseball with P1 Group Executive Vice President Phil Nehring’s son, and my husband and I became friends with Phil and his wife Rebecca,” Beth said. “Phil talked about what a great company P1 was, and encouraged me to try to get a job there, so I watched the openings for a while.”
In 2012, a service coordinator job opened up and Beth took the opportunity. “I enjoyed working with the techs and learned to really respect the job they do, and I think I got to be a decent dispatcher,” Beth said.
But every creative knows a good creative can’t be kept down, and Beth’s eye was always on the Marketing side of P1, hoping to join the department and bring her creativity to the table.
“I had this creative side that just wasn’t being fulfilled, and I really missed using those creative skills in my day-to-day job,” she said. When a position opened up in Marketing in spring 2019, Beth applied, and the rest is history.