Hatching a Grade-A Plan B
By Becca Broaddus
Veronica Garcia had a plan: move away from home, go to a faith-based university, major in business, land a dream job in a new place and keep moving up the career ladder. But God had other plans.
“I prayed, ‘God, you can send me anywhere,’ and he was like, ‘OK, I’m going to send you back to your hometown,’” Garcia laughed.
“I felt called to go back to Arizona. There was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I thought, ‘God wasn’t going to open this door for me if I wasn’t supposed to walk through it.’”
When it came time to graduate, she was ready to begin her career in marketing. While at Baylor, Garcia majored in Marketing, worked on campus in the Baylor Athletics Marketing Department for two years and volunteered for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. The first-generation Baylor Bear stepped off of campus in 2017 and directly into a decision-making position—skipping entry level.
“I knew that even though it was going to be a lot harder personally and professionally, it was closer to getting me where I wanted to go,” Garcia said. “It’s really daunting to be at the beginning of your career. Entry level would have been nice to learn things like how to request days off or email etiquette. But now, I report directly to our CEO and ownership. I couldn’t pass that up.”
At her first job out of school, Garcia was the first member of the Hickman’s Family Farms marketing department…and the only member. She handles everything from advertising to web design to social media for the family-owned and operated egg supplier—the largest in the Southwest U.S.
“I get to dip my toes in just about everything,” Garcia said. “It was overwhelming at first, I’m not going to lie, but I love branding and marketing. It’s interesting to me how people identify with a brand. I’ve just been so blessed to have those doors opened, and it started with taking a leap that I didn’t know I necessarily wanted to take.”
During her two years at Hickman’s, she has been able to create and introduce a brand refresh, design a new website, add a lighthearted slogan to the company’s delivery trucks, and this year, celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary.
“I’ve known I wanted to do business since I was little,” Garcia said. “It was either that or being a lawyer. Marketing has always attracted me. Marketing is the face of your brand and telling people who you are and what you do. It gives you a chance to be the storyteller.”
In addition to growing in her role at work, she has enjoyed being back home spending time with her family. She’s been able to help co-coach her sister’s soccer team with her dad, go on runs with the family German Shepherd, Porter, and try her hand at woodworking. But she’s open to God’s plan for her. In the meantime, she’s got a few ideas of what she’s working toward.
“I want to work for brands who value marketing and constantly adapt to the marketplace,” Garcia said. “Eventually, whether it’s chief brand officer or chief marketing officer, that’s definitely something I want to strive for. That’s my goal.”
That is… unless God has other plans for her.