David Beckham B.BA, MBA, MarketProMBA Small Business Developer

Hello everyone, my name is David Beckham. I was born in Burlington, IA, in May 1966. I graduated from Burlington Community High School, 1984. I attended DeVry Institute of Technology for a year, and then decided to do something different. I went to work for Hallmark Marketing Corporation as a Retail Installations Coordinator.

It was while I was working for Hallmark that I decided to join the U.S. Army Military Police. About 2 weeks after signing the papers to join the Army, I met my wife Sheri. We were married May 1986 after I completed Military Police Training at Ft. McClellan, AL. We spent the next 3 years in Germany. It was some of the best years of our young life.

After my time in the military, I chose to go back to school and attend college at Iowa State University. I started out in Computer Engineering, but after almost three years, I found myself more interested in marketing and advertising so as many college students do, I switched majors. I graduated from ISU in 1996 with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing and a minor in M.I.S and Psychology.

I worked for several years through my college education as the facility manager for the City of Ames, IA. My responsibility was over the city golf course and the Ice Arena. I logged hundreds of hours on a Zamboni and learned to love hockey! During my time as a facilities manager, I learned a great deal about marketing, human resources, and overall operations. I made some very positive changes while I was employed with them that resulted in increased profits and higher customer satisfaction.

In May 1997, while visiting my in-laws on Pensacola Beach, FL, I found a job in the newspaper with BellSouth Advertising & Publishing, The Real Yellow Pages. I purchased a suit while on vacation, tested and interviewed for the job while I was there. I was offered a position a week after I left as an inside sales rep. July 1997, we packed up the house and moved to Florida.

After one year with BellSouth, I was assessed for management and out of six people tested in our region, was the only one to pass. I was promoted 6 months later as a trainer for the new sales system. After spending 9 months in training, I took a job back in Pensacola, FL as the Sales Support Manager where I have been since.

In 2004, I started my Masters of Business Administration in Marketing with the University of Phoenix and finished in 2007 with a 4,0 GPA. It was a challenge working full time and completing my MBA but in the end was worth the effort.

In my current position, now with AT&T Advertising Solutions, I am responsible for the overall operations of our district, which runs from Pensacola, FL to Tallahassee, FL. My responsibilities include, sales management, operations, human resources, labor relations, process management and product marketing.

In June of 2007, my wife Sheri and I purchased a franchise from The Original Basket Boutique (OBB). I was so intrigued with the company that I wrote my MBA final project on the company. It was after our purchase of the franchise, that I became good friends with the company franchisor & CEO, Patrick Lamoureux. We discovered that we had the same vision for this company and the potential it could achieve. After some lengthy discussions, in January of 2008 we agreed that I would become the Director of Operations in charge of new franchise sales & development, marketing and overall web site operations.

Owning a small business has given me valuable perspectives that have allowed me to help other small business owners in our community. My job background and education has given me a vast array of experience to draw from. My hope is that I can reach other small business owners through this blog and my website at www.marketpromba.com to help them through some of the rough spots with their marketing & operations.

In 2009, I became very active with the Gulf Breeze Area Chamber of Commerce. I took over as chair of the Small Business Development Committee and recently I accepted a seat on the Board of Directors for 2010-2013. I am also the recipient of the 2009  Gulf Breeze Area Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leader of the Year.  Being involved with the chamber has given me new prospective and insight on small business ownership. Our committee is dedicated to improving the business community through education and business development. Our goal is to help current and prospective members find new ways to improve their business and continue their success.

I look forward to meeting new friends and learning about your business ventures through this blog.

Best wishes and prosperity,

David Beckham

MarketProMBA www.MarketProMBA.com

The Original Basket Boutique www.obbpensacola.com