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It’s that time again, where we introduce you to a different member of the LeadingResponse team! If you haven’t been keeping track, you can review the rest of them on our Meet the Team page. Today we are highlighting Robin Highsmith, B2B Marketing Manager. Here we go!
Give me your 30-second elevator speech. And go!
Good morning! I’m Robin Highsmith, and I’m the B2B Marketing Manager for LeadingResponse. I support the business-to-business marketing efforts, including social media, emails, content, website, and more. Our goal is to bring fresh, new business to our verticals and to help nurture and win back previous consumers.
What is your favorite thing about your career?
I’ve had the weirdest, most unorthodox career path possible. But I’m proud of it, and I love where it’s taken me. I spent years working with the U.S. military in support of USCENTCOM during the Iraq war; I owned my own art studio for a few years; I worked as a business development coordinator for a team building company, designing events and teaching courses; I worked freelance and wrote blogs, website content, and social media pages for startups; and now I manage the content team here for the B2B marketing department. I’m a creative and passionate person who likes a challenge, and I like testing the limits and seeing what I can accomplish.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
That’s an easy one. So many people say they are looking for their meaning in life. Why they are here. For me, that’s simple. My reason for being here was to have and raise my three kids – Hailey, Natalie, and Tristan. If I never accomplish anything else in life, if I was a good mother to them, that’s all I need.
If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?
I love the outdoors, so a perfect day would be either a long trail hike in the mountains, or sitting on the beach with my feet in the sand. In either scenario, there would be a book packed and ready to read, friends or kids along for the journey, and a cooler of beer.
Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?
Books. I am a voracious reader and pretty much read anything I can get my hands on. I don’t really have a favorite genre and generally kind of binge on one genre or author for a while before moving on to something else. It’s a rule in my house that absolutely every room – including closets, bathrooms, and the garage – has a stack of books. And of my 8 tattoos, 6 are quotes or images from some of my favorite books. (the other two are kid related).
Ok follow up! Who is your favorite author?
There are just too many to even list! It’s much easier to list authors I don’t like, because that list is much shorter. But, my shortlist for top authors would be Shel Silverstein, Carl Sagan, Rupi Kaur, Emily Brontë, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and Edgar Allen Poe. That being said, whenever someone asks for a book recommendation, my go-to is Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air. It’s one of the most incredible, touching books I’ve ever read. And I’ve read it over a dozen times. If you haven’t read it – let me go ahead and encourage you to!
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Personally, in five years, I hope to be more intimately involved in lobbying and promoting disability equality. In June 2021, my oldest daughter experienced a spontaneous brain bleed and has since become disabled. Getting plunged into the realities of disability was eye-opening, to say the least. I realized that nothing is truly accessible, and the world isn’t designed for wheelchairs and disabled persons. Everywhere we go, and everywhere I look, I see opportunities to make the world more friendly to those with disabilities. What I want to do is help level the playing field for differently-abled persons. I want to help people, like my daughter, be able to experience true independence regardless of their physical or mental abilities and limitations. How I’ll get there, I have no idea, but it’s a goal that’s obviously near and dear to my heart.
What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Maybe daring isn’t the right word, but the scariest thing I’ve ever done was certainly the decisions I made in the past year. My daughter was injured and had been in hospitals for over 5 months, and I had to decide to either take her home, which required full-time, round-the-clock care, or find another short-term facility for her while we waited for her to recover more. I chose to take her home and managed to balance her needs, 2 other kids, and everything else in life without completely losing my mind. She’s recovered slowly, and it’s getting easier. But those first 4 months I still look back on in awe of myself sometimes.
Is your glass half full or half empty?
Oh, my glass is half full. Without a doubt. I’m one of those obnoxiously-always-way-too-positive type personalities. I can’t help it, but it’s also served me well when things are rough.
If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
Dangerous when provoked, proceed with caution. For best results, feed every two hours.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today, Robin! It’s been great getting to know you better. If you would like to learn more about our LeadingResponse team, you can view more Meet the Team blogs, or visit our Team page!
