By Keegan Leddy, @keeganfromeagan
Hannah Force’s love for writing was cemented in first grade with an assignment to write a book. Her teacher had each short story bound like a real hardback with a unique cover and publisher. “My book had puppies on the outside and was published by the Paw Print Press,” said Force. “My seven-year-old self was so proud of this book and eager to show it to my parents.” Since then, she always saw communications as a part of her future.
Today, Force is a social media and public relations manager for Marriner Marketing, a leader in providing integrated solutions for the food, beverage and hospitality industries. In her position, she does a little bit of everything: from social media advertising and writing blogs to pitching editors and coordinating media interviews.
Prior to joining Marriner in 2017, Force was communications coordinator for Vectorworks Inc., a design and software developer serving over 650,000 professionals in the architecture, landscape and entertainment industries. Force started at Vectorworks as an intern the summer before graduating from West Virginia University’s (WVU) Reed College of Media and continued interning remotely her senior year.
“I had to pitch my boss and the CMO to even consider hiring me on as a remote intern. I put together a competitive social media analysis and a tangible list of what I’d accomplish that semester, and the rest was history,” she said. After graduating with a degree in strategic communications, she was later hired on as a full-time employee, which she considers one of her most rewarding experiences. “I had worked so hard in my day to day, so it was amazing to see my hard work pay off and join the team,” she reflects.
Force credits her success to learning from a variety of mentors. “I firmly believe that no professional should ever stop pushing themselves to grow, and that you can and should always have a mentor, no matter your age,” she said.
Mike Fulton, a WVU alumnus and successful public relations professional in Washington, D.C., has been an important influence, teaching her the importance of making connections and pushing her to network. “He gave me the idea to create a video resume in college to help me land an internship, and it worked,” said Force.
Outside of work, she is an avid soccer player. She participates in several leagues around Columbia, Maryland. She also has a great appreciation for Tex-Mex food. “My fiancé and I are actually in the process of starting our own nacho ratings blog,” she shared. “One day we hope to even offer nacho and margarita pairing suggestions, our own recipes and Tex-Mex thought leadership.” Connect with Hannah Force on Twitter and LinkedIn.