Each month, we feature a PMA member in “Getting to Know You” fashion. This month, get to know Brandon Miles, Television and Digital Marketing Specialist and Director of Digital Services for WBKO TV.

1. What is your educational/career background?

Growing up on the line between Ohio County and Daviess County, I was the first in my family to finish high school and go to college. I fell in love with literature and philosophy during my time at Owensboro Community College. I also fell in love with my wife during my time on that beautiful campus. Together, we moved to Bowling Green around 2001 to continue our education at Western Kentucky University.

2. How did you get started working for WBKO?

After a varied career path of fixing computers, giving cave tours, and running a small contracting business, my good friend Jon Doss encouraged me to apply at WBKO due to my ability to learn technical processes very quickly. Starting out as an overnight MCO (master control operator), I spent the following years learning everything I could from the friends I made in production, news, creative services, traffic, and eventually, sales. Tim Maloney, who is now our Local Sales Manager, allowed me to spend time with him during my off hours to learn about local business and how to help others succeed. That experience really connected the dots for me as someone who loves helping others while being creative.

3. What do you enjoy most about your role there?

It really is the best feeling in the world when your ideas can help others be more successful! It may be the Ohio County in me, but I never thought I would love working in a “sales” position or a “corporate” environment, but my job is so much more than that. It’s helping a local business owner generate more revenue so they can better provide for their family, or pay their employees better, or create more jobs. That is about as local as it gets, and I love it! WBKO strives to serve local viewers with the best content we can deliver with news, weather, and sports (as well as the various other programming we offer on ABC, FOX, and CW), but equally important to our mission is to provide local businesses with the best customers we can deliver through measurable television and internet advertising.

4. What are some lessons you have learned throughout your career that has made you a better marketing professional?

First off, every person has a brand, and every brand tells a story. Those stories reflect our values and typically dictate how successful we’ll be working with others. Some may choose to do business with me because of the established WBKO brand, and others may choose to do business with WBKO because of my personal brand. I believe in WBKO and what it has to offer our community, but I also take a lot of pride in building my personal brand. I want to be known as someone who takes joy in helping others with a reputation of care and success. You can’t fake caring about someone else, and trying to will keep you from being successful because it will keep you from helping others be successful. So far, my clients know I do not take their investments lightly and they see that I am genuinely happy for them when those investments pay off.

Secondly, consider yourself a student rather than an expert. Leave terms like expert for others to assign to you if they view you that way. The moment you think you have learned it all is the moment the market will start to leave you behind. I learn something from someone on my team every single day. I learn as much from my clients as they learn from me, if not more. I learn from books, articles, videos, and blogs. Not everything I learn is right, and even more will change by the time I grasp it. But that’s ok. Failure is often a by product of testing, and it takes testing (and failing) to find what works.

Lastly, it’s easy to get frustrated when others don’t see something the same way you see it. Let that go. It will only hold you back. Help others if you can and if they will let you. Don’t take it personally if you can’t or if they don’t want your help. Move on.

5. If you could describe yourself in three words, what would those three words be?

Again, I don’t feel qualified to describe myself. So, I asked our Local Sales Manager to describe me in three words without telling him why, and he answered “dedicated, strategic, and hungry.” A close coworker answered “efficient, driven, and unselfish.” I’d hate to let them down…

6. What do you feel is the greatest benefit of joining PMA?

The best thing about a group like PMA is the ability to meet new people and learn from them. Its also a great networking opportunity. Perhaps something I learn at PMA can help someone down the road. Perhaps something I have learned elsewhere can help someone I meet at PMA. Not to mention I had a very tasty low country boil at our last meeting. No complaints here!