One foot in front of the other: a nifty little phrase that’s been used in countless stories, even my own. My name is Laura Segro, and I am the Operations Coordinator here at Scheffey. I am also an avid runner.

It’s been exactly one year since I began my work here at Scheffey, and reflecting back on this year has me feeling grateful. Every day I am surrounded by a team of creative thinkers that constantly help me to stretch my boundaries: much like my running.

In fact, there are many similarities between my experiences here at Scheffey and my pursuit of running. I started running when I was 43 years old in order to help support some friends of mine who organized a 5k to raise money for family members during a difficult loss. As someone who never backs down from a challenge, when I was asked to join the Warrior Dash shortly after this, I, of course, said YES! (The Warrior Dash consists of a 3.8-mile course with 13 obstacles.)

Shortly after completing that race I signed up for my very first Half Marathon in Philadelphia, all within the same year! In the words of Charles Bukowski, “Find what you love and let it kill you.” And that’s exactly what I did. I was hooked! Running isn’t always easy but it’s what I love to do.

Flexibility & Discipline

In order to successfully run long distances like these, I had to be tenacious with my mileage and disciplined with my routine. I needed to learn what waking up at 4 am felt like and troubleshoot a diet that could sustain my runs. I also had to learn when to be flexible, since not every run goes the way you want, and knowing when to adjust and go with the flow is important.

Learning to be disciplined yet flexible helped me to tackle the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable process here at Scheffey. Meeting deadlines and invoice due dates are crucial to the business body and with my new rigorous routine, I had trained myself to stay on task and on time. And when problems arise, I am able to quickly adjust and have the flexibility to find solutions.

Support

While developing my running skills I found other mother runners who opened doors to accountability and support for me. Having this kind of reinforcement was a necessary and vital part of what helped me to meet my lofty running goals.

I was lucky enough to also have a mentor who guided me with options and encouragement. She helped me figure out what running gear to purchase, which shoes to wear, and how to refuel. Through this process, I formed unbreakable relationships and found my tribe.

At Scheffey, this role of support is also a common theme, whether I am providing support or receiving it. An agency requires collaboration to take a client from the meeting room to their marketing success. Having worked at Scheffey for only a year, my beginnings required support to learn the culture and process. And now that I’ve gotten the swing of things, I’m happy to play a supportive role behind-the-scenes helping the ship to sail smoothly.

Remaining Present

I’ve also learned to be present. It’s not something we often remember to do in our busy lives. Knowing when to run my hardest yet remain present enough to know when to walk, was my most valuable lesson along the way. Some runs are better than others, and sometimes walking is necessary in order to go the distance.

At Scheffey, I juggle managing the office, the needs of Client Managers, incoming calls, billing, and staff celebrations. Being present and prioritizing is something I work on daily to help the team move forward at whatever pace is required.

Teamwork

During my first half marathon, I completed my personal goal of finishing under 2 hours. That experience led me to a full marathon the next year and a Ragnar the following year. A Ragnar is a race of 200 miles or so with a team of either 11 or 6 runners. “Team” is the key word here as we worked together and built each other up to reach our common goal.

An agency is synonymous with teamwork, and an important part of being a member of the team is learning to leverage your strengths. At Scheffey, we constantly work to improve our workflow by focusing on each others’ strengths. This makes for a much more efficient team both in running and marketing.

My experiences running and working in a creative agency have helped me grow exponentially, especially in this last year. As a runner, I have overcome many obstacles and am now able to mentor other runners on their journey. At Scheffey, I’ve played the role of the mentee this past year, but am looking forward to learning even more and eventually becoming a mentor to new team members in the agency environment.

During the last four years, I have completed 3 Warrior Dashes, the Rock & Roll Philly Half Marathon, the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, the Garden Spot Half Marathon, the Bird in Hand Half Marathon, the Gettysburg Half Marathon, the Erie Full Marathon, the Washington DC Ragner, a Color Run, and a small handful of 5Ks. Looking ahead I plan to do the Hot Chocolate 15K in Philadelphia, the Wineglass Half Marathon in Corning, NY, and the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon in Colorado at 7,800 feet.