April Bear of the Month - Judi (Brown) Startzman
We are elated to introduce to you 1991 graduate, Judi (Brown) Starzman as our alumni Bear of the Month for April! This incredible woman is a role model for so many and has not only achieved a stellar career in marketing, but has done so while giving back to others and raising two great kiddos! Since she was a student at Noble all the way to today – where Judi leads, success follows.
After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising from the University of Oklahoma, Judi set the world of advertising on fire with Jordan Associates, where she managed various regional, national & international accounts including: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma, Cain’s Coffee Co., Cookies by Design/Cookie Bouquet, Dobson Communications, Inc. (CellularOne), Doctor On Call, Gardner | Tanenbaum Group, Ideal homes, Kerr-McGee Chemical LLC, Neurosmith Toys and Star Building Systems. In 2005, Judi joined the team at Vi Marketing and Branding, where she is currently the Vice President of Strategic Marketing and is responsible for providing inspirational leadership to a dynamic squad of marketing strategists. She plays a key role in the strategic development and management of every agency account from retail to government to global manufacturers – and everything in between. She has dedicated multiple years of community service leadership by serving on the board of directors for Positive Tomorrows, an innovative school for homeless children in the OKC area, and the board of directors for the Red Cross.
Judi has received many industry and leadership awards, including:
· 2008 OKC Business Forty Under 40 Award Recipient
· 2009 Journal Record Achievers Under 40 Class VI
· American Advertising Federation- Numerous Addy Awards, Including Best of Show
· American Marketing Association- Numerous Marketing Awards
We caught up with this Class of 1991 Rock Star to find out some more about her years in Noble and beyond, and Judi shared some pretty awesome stuff with us!
Did you always know you wanted to be in Advertising/Marketing?
I did my first advertising campaign when I was about 5 years old. I put signs and notes all over the house begging my parents to quit smoking. Today, I’m proud to work for the agency that creates the strategic marketing campaigns that encourage Oklahomans to quit using tobacco products, or never pick up the habits to begin with. Our agency is focused on behavior change to better our world and I like feeling like I’m making a positive impact on my state.
If you had chosen a different career path, what would it be?
If I had to pick another career path, it would be one of the following:
1. Open a party planning business and just focus on really cool and fun kids’ birthday parties.
2. Travel the country giving personal branding speeches to junior high and high school students, using my upbringing to encourage them and positively impact their futures.
What title are you most proud of and why?
The greatest title I have is mom and it’s my most important job. My mom always said God put her on this Earth to be a mother and I have always felt the same way. My two boys, Noah (7) and Luke (3) are the most amazing gifts I have ever received. My best day is when I’m playing games with my boys, watching them play sports, preparing for their birthday parties or snuggling up with them watching a movie together- even if we’ve watched it 100 times. I’m also very thankful for my husband, Jason and step kids, Kelsey and Jake. We will celebrate 12 years of marriage this September!
Share with us how your years spent in Noble contributed to shaping who you are today?
We moved from Ohio to Noble when I was in the third grade. I did not adjust to the move and really struggled to finish out the year. Most days, I could be found crying on the playground, wondering why my parents would uproot me and put me through the torture of moving to a strange town and forcing me to leave all familiar things behind. If only I knew then what was to come of this move. Amazing and wholesome childhood experiences within a small community of people who cared about each other. I learned to be a leader way back then as a result of the opportunities I was able to take advantage of. Things like Cheerleading, Student Council and DECA helped me grow my confidence and helped me stay focused on doing good. I have so many friendships that started way back then and have lasted for nearly forty years (and still going). I love seeing the good that has come out of our amazing hometown and am thankful I got to grow up in Noble.
What’s your favorite memory of growing up in Noble?
I’m sure this will come as no surprise, but I loved being a cheerleader and being a part of things that brought the community together. Specifically, I loved the Kick-Off event just before the school year started, decorating the lockers of the athletes and the bonfires. I loved cheerleading camp each summer and bonding with my friends. I loved when the school would come together for pep assemblies and we could all show our school spirit together. I was always proud to be from Noble and loved being able to cheer my teams on.
Overall, I loved that we lived in a small enough community that most of our families knew each other. I felt very safe and loved by more than just my own family! I can’t imagine not growing up in Noble, Oklahoma and to this day, my most favorite years of my life were the ones spent there!
Who were your most impactful teachers at Noble and why?
Mr. Fred Conley was my all-time favorite teacher. He was my fourth grade teacher, following the terrible 3rd grade move from Ohio, and the first teacher at Noble who made me feel cared for and comfortable in my new school. He was truly my hero! To this day, I have such fond memories of being in his class and am so grateful that he was my teacher. Every time I hear a Don Williams song, I think of him because he played it every day in class. Such an incredible human and he came into my life at such a pivotal time.
I also loved Mrs. Kersey. She taught Basic Adult Living my senior year and I learned some pretty important things from her. How to sew, how to balance a check book, and how to cook. She taught the class with such compassion and loving hands and I just really enjoyed being in her presence. She felt like family and shows so much love to all of us.
Finally, Mrs. Jody Humphrey had a huge impact on my life. When I was going into my senior year of high school, my brother was injured in a car accident, requiring my mom to spend part of her time in Kansas helping him run his bakery. Mrs. Humphrey essentially took me under her wing and filled that motherly role during the times that my mom couldn’t be present. I can’t really explain in words how much she made me feel loved and cared for.
What advice do you have for the current students of Noble?
A couple years ago, I was invited to be the guest speaker at the Edmond DECA banquet. It was something I took very seriously and as I prepared my speech, I remember thinking to myself, “WOW- I have the opportunity to positively impact a large group of future leaders…where do I start.” I decided to share some things from my heart. And then, instead of having a speech, I ended up basically sharing some significant things from my upbringing that helped me get to where I am in life. So, here are some highlights:
1. Your family background and socio-economic status do not define who you are. I grew up the youngest of six kids. My parents both worked very hard to provide for us. My father was a severe alcoholic and I spent many years of my childhood feeling embarrassed for this. When I finally realized this did not define me is when I finally felt free and really blossomed. Instead of wasting energy wishing my father was different. I decided to focus my energy on making sure I didn’t take the path he did. I also prayed for him a lot. He was a good dad, but he had an addiction that at times had a pretty negative impact on my family. In fact, most people in my family didn’t even graduate from high school, let alone earn a college degree. I’m thankful that I had the power to determine my future despite the fact that the road to get there was pretty rough at times.
2. The choices you are making as a high school student RIGHT NOW will most certainly determine what your life is like when you are 20, 30, 40 and even 90. For instance, no one tries a drug for the first time thinking “I want to be a drug addict, lose everything I have and maybe even end up in prison someday.” But unfortunately, that first very bad choice can get you there pretty quickly. Every single day, we all make choices that help determine what our life is like. These years count, so make good choices now. You are the captain of your own ship!
3. Don’t discount the small, miscellaneous jobs you are doing now-they will absolutely help you later in life. I waited tables for 8 years at Red Lobster in Norman before earning my college degree. Not only did it help me buy a brand new car and pay my way through college, it also gave me skills that I tap into every single day in my career. I learned more about communication, assessing people, creative problem-solving and multi-tasking as a waitress than I learned in any textbook or class at OU. Today, when I interview candidates coming out of college, I always get excited when I see that they’ve waited tables somewhere. I know they have learned real life skills that will help them every day.
4. You have a personal brand and it’s crucial that you carefully shape it and protect it. Think of a brand that you know- Nike as an example or Disney. You instantly envision what that brand represents to you and what your perception of it is. Does it make you think good thoughts or bad thoughts? Rest assured, people have opinions of your personal brand. And you’re the one responsible for shaping it. I’m not talking about the brands of clothes you wear, what you look like or what kind of car you drive. I’m talking about how you behave. Are you kind? Are you dependable? Are you responsible? Those are all positive brand associations. Or, are you mean-spirited, can’t be trusted and negative. Those are not things that you want people to associate with your personal brand and certainly won’t earn you any brand advocates, also known as friends. The best compliment I EVER received was when I was leaving my 4 year old son’s preschool one day. Another mom stopped to tell me she always told her son to hang out with my son, Noah, because he was so kind to the other kids and had such a good heart. I literally cried tears of joy and thought to myself, “Way to go, son- you are already building your personal brand.” Do you want to be the kid that parents want their kids to hang out with or do you want to be the one they aren’t allowed to hang out with?
5. Don’t feel sorry for yourself and don’t dwell on the negative- there’s always someone who is worse off than you. My son has life-threatening nut allergies. At times, it can be very challenging to manage and in many ways his allergies limit the experiences he can have. But the fact of the matter is we are fortunate that our situation is very manageable compared to many others. A child battling a terminal illness such as cancer would gladly give up PB&J sandwiches for the chance to live. Noah has learned so much as a result of his allergies. He is 100% confident challenging anything anyone outside of our family tries to feed him and has been politely questioning restaurant managers on their menu items/ingredients since he was able to speak in full sentences. The challenges and bumps in the road that we experience in life are what give us character.
What is your personal definition of success?
My personal definition of success is being the best me I can be. I fail at times, and that’s ok, but I genuinely try to be the person God created me to be. Success is not defined by title or money- both of those are temporary and can be taken away at any time. Rather, I feel successful when I lay in bed at the end of the day and know I helped someone that day. Maybe I helped them smile when they were feeling down. Or maybe I inspired them to do something they didn’t think they could do. Those feelings are what drive me and are the real treasures that live in my heart. And those are things that no one can ever take from me. I lost my mom to cancer when I was 23 years young. She is my inspiration in all things, and every day, I try to live my life in a way that would make her proud of the woman I have become.
It is always an honor for us to learn about and introduce to you, some of the excellent humans that are products of Noble Public Schools. Judi was a light in the lives of many while she was a student of Noble Public Schools and she is continuing that infectious love of life today by serving her industry, community, family, and friends. Thanks for being awesome, Judi!