Driven to Serve: Commitment to mentorship strengthens Nashville marketing group
- bayleegardner
- Apr 9
- 3 min read
A “driven to serve” spirit is about more than responding to a crisis or pitching in when asked. It also means taking the initiative to meet a need.
That is what drove TTL Marketing Manager Susannah Medley to create a mentorship program for the Nashville chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), the national non-profit organization that supports marketing professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries.
At the heart of SMPS Nashville’s new mentorship program is an unwavering commitment to her fellow marketers. Designed to bridge the gap between seasoned professionals and those new to the field, this initiative aims to create a supportive community where confidence is built and leadership skills are learned.
“When attending SMPS events in recent years, I was seeing young professionals I didn’t know and, at the same time, realizing that some of the more seasoned members had simply stopped attending,” she said. “I thought this program would get experienced professionals involved again in a beneficial way.”
In recognizing the challenges young professionals face in the AEC industry, Susannah saw an opportunity to foster connections and provide much-needed guidance.
Not only is she a Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM), Susannah has been an active member of SMPS for the past 15 years and is a past president and former five-year board member of the Nashville SMPS chapter. These experiences have shown her first-hand the importance of leadership, learning, and mentorship. And, as an experienced marketing professional herself, she is always looking for ways to give back to the industry and organization that have given so much to her.
To get started, she researched mentorship models from SMPS chapters from Louisiana to St. Louis. With their assistance and insights, Susannah crafted a six-month program tailored to meet Nashville’s unique needs that, for this inaugural effort, pairs four mentors with four protégés to cultivate meaningful professional relationships.
Among those is TTL’s own Lily Marlin, graphic design specialist for our marketing team. Initially hesitant on joining, she eventually took the plunge and was paired with an experienced graphic designer in the industry.
“Having her as a mentor has truly made this experience even more exciting,” Lily said. “I can’t emphasize enough how valuable it is to have the support and resources in this industry to connect with someone who genuinely wants to help you grow and expand your network.
“Without this opportunity, I’m not sure I would’ve had the confidence to really immerse myself in the AEC marketing community.”
For Susannah, though, this initiative is about more than just SMPS. It’s about elevating the entire profession. She’s now looking to expand the program, encourage more seasoned professionals to re-engage, and even explore mentorship opportunities within TTL.
This passion for helping others navigate their careers is a reflection of TTL’s “driven to serve” mission to educate, mentor, and support one another and, through her leadership, Susannah is creating a lasting impact – one mentor pairing at a time.
“Most of us who are marketers in the AEC industry didn’t know the industry existed, so young professionals can feel lost or not know much about marketing outside of the firm they work for,” she said. “I hope this program continues to grow and provides our young professionals advice on navigating a career path in the AEC industry.”
