A global pandemic didn’t stop Steve Kettig ’19 from successfully launching the SEO and digital marketing consulting company, Lead Sprout. Here he describes his path to his new career, with a little help from the Hamilton network along the way.
I majored in environmental studies at Hamilton and planned for a career in environmental consulting. A few months after graduation, I started a job with a well-known environmental consulting firm in New York City. I was surprised by how different the work was from what I had expected, and within a few months I began considering a change in career paths.
My goal was to get into a more creative field where I could better use the problem-solving and writing skills that I developed at Hamilton, so I decided to pursue digital marketing. I used my free time after work and on the weekends to get my Google Ads and Analytics certifications.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and I was furloughed from my job.
I took full advantage of my free time and finished all of my certifications and set out to get some work experience, but how could I get my foot in the door? The answer: the Hamilton alumni network. I was fortunate to make connections that led to project work running the Google Ads and Analytics for the websites of several Hamilton alumni. Within a short time, I took over all of their SEO and digital marketing efforts. From there, I was able to pick up more clients and officially start my business.
I owe my success thus far largely to Hamilton. Although I lacked relevant work experience, my Hamilton education gave me the confidence to transition into digital marketing because I learned how to work hard, think critically, problem solve, and effectively apply what I learned in various subject areas. I was also able to take advantage of the connections I made while at Hamilton and through the alumni network to get project work. Thanks to several Hamilton alums, I was able to start Lead Sprout and establish myself as a freelance digital marketing consultant — all during a global pandemic.
