Young Pros Spotlight
John Baro
What is your role / current company?
Manager/Spectrum Reach
When did you join the ARF Young Pros?
2015
If you could give one piece of advice to other Young Pros, what would it be?
Don’t be afraid to ask for more. I’ve always been of the mindset that you’ll never get what you don’t ask for. Also, don’t be afraid of unfamiliar situations. Adapting and growing are important to learn early on in your career. It’s easy to fall for the comfortable feeling of complacency.
What is your biggest professional challenge?
Staying agile while focused on long term goals. At times I find myself wanting to become a hardcore subject matter expert in some niche topic and I have to dial back that enthusiasm when I recognize it conflicts with long terms goals.
How has being an ARF Young Pro member impacted your career?
It’s been a great outlet for me to engage in the industry at large. I’ve attended events and brought back learnings to share with my teams. And more than just the Young Pros, I’ve attended a variety of events from the ARF that have been learning experiences and networking opportunities.
Do you have a favorite campaign or activation? What made it stand out to you?
I think MasterCard’s Priceless campaign is one that really extends the brands value beyond the services they offer. I like humor I can relate to as well – Liberty Mutual has a series of ads titled Something to Help You Remember and they all start with “Research shows…”. Working in an ad research role, I get a good laugh at those and their ability to turn a simple insight into fun creative.
Has mentorship played a role in your career journey? Anyone you want to give a shoutout to? Include their name if you’re comfortable sharing!
I wouldn’t consider it direct mentorship but an invaluable aspect to my career journey has been all of my bosses and managers. I’ve truly been blessed with what I believe are the best managers out there. Ones that have listened, been concerned about my professional development, and have given me the opportunities to do work outside of my responsibility when I’ve expressed the interest. And it’s been every one of them in every role I’ve been in.
What’s your dream job? (If money was no object, what would you do?)
It’s a tie between writing and cooking. In my free time I like to experiment with writing short stories. When it comes to cooking, I wouldn’t want the high pressure job of a chef but cooking for family and friends is a favorite past time of mine.
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