The Skateboard Industry.com

My current job title is "Marketing" but there are many under titles (i.e.: Events Coordinator, Promotions, Media Marketing, Skate Team Relations, Photo Journalism, PR Gal, Assistant to VP, etc).

I have worked at Active for 5 years.

Before working at our offices in Ontario, with this Marketing position, I worked a basic Retail and Sales Clerk job at the Chino Active location for 3 years. I also did Juniors Assistant Buying while working at Chino for a short period of time.

I think that my position would normally call for an extensive background in the Action Sports Industry and possibly a Bachelors Degree. I don't have a Degree yet, but I'm working on it.

My typical day at work entails being on the computer emailing Team Managers/Marketing gurus to get together on doing an event, calling up/getting calls from team/bands and making sure they have all the Active stuff they need and trying to get Active as much positive exposure as I can. Some days, if we had one or more events prior to that workday, I spend the day editing my photos and doing a write-up about the event(s) for our news section. Then there are days that are more tedious where I have to do things like have meetings, submit insurance, get ramps/barriers/etc. ordered, get artwork for flyers done, get flyers printed and shipped out to stores or sometimes having to do all the shipping out myself by driving from store to store. There's too much to really go into, but those are a couple good ideas of a typical Erica work day. Everything from writing an interview or going to a video premiere to take photos, to sending out a 7 1/4 Active New Era hat to a team rider.

It really depends on how much travel I am willing to do. I frequent many of the US contests Pro/Am, as the Active Representative/Photo Journalist, but hopefully I will be landing upon international waters soon enough.

I work odd hours because I am basically always on the clock, as many others in a position like mine usually is. On a demo day I can work up to 11 hours, on a basic work day between 6-8 hours, not counting any of the phone calls/emails I am doing outside of work.

There are a bunch of skaters who work here, they skate on their lunch break and stuff I'd say somewhere around 20 which is pretty much all of the phone operators and warehouse homies.

I tell them I made my job myself with persistence and dedication, there's not really an easy way of saying how I got my job. Basically I noticed that there wasn't one person taking care of what I do so I capitalized on it, and here I am today.

I totally do. If a kid is looking to find out about the industry he or she needs an outlet. I can't think of anything much better than a website, which is convenient and informative and is like totally 2005 man.