Marketing director and freelance writer earning $210,000/year

Welcome to another post in the $100k Club series. You can see the full series here. This is "My Morning Routine" for content marketing folks making six figures. The goal is to shed light on the skills and habits that enable people to achieve lucrative jobs and help get more people in this club.

These will be anonymous and updated regularly. If you make more than $100k/year and want to contribute, email me.

For more info on content marketing salaries, check out our salary report.

If you'd like to see more info on salary by job title, check out these resources: Content Marketing Manager Salary, Content Strategist Salary, Head of Content Salary, and Content Director Salary.

What was your first full-time job in content? What was the salary?

Assistant Editor - 35k/year (USD)

List out your income by year for as long as you've been working in content marketing

• Assistant Editor - 35k
• Section Editor.- 50k
• Section Editor - 65k
• Managing Editor - 75k
• Content Marketing Manager 105k (90k + 15k bonus)
• Head of Content $120k (105k + 15k bonus)
• Marketing Director $170k (140k + 30k bonus)

How much do you earn today? What's your job title?

This year I'll close $210k between my day job and my freelance clients. I'm a Marketing Director and a Freelance Content Marketing Consultant and Writer.

What's the single biggest salary jump you've made? (either from job-hopping or a promotion/raise)

$50k raise

What is your most valuable skill?

Honestly? I'm driven. I work hard. I'm obsessed with learning everything I can and sharing my knowledge with others. And I have always had empathy for others, which makes me a good fit for people management roles (which tend to pay more).

What's the best book you've ever read on writing, marketing, sales, business or productivity? (Feel free to suggest more than one!)

Obviously Awesome is a must-read for any strategic content marketer who's beyond basics and wants to understand how to position a product in the market ... so they can guide clients and create intelligent content strategies and messaging guidelines.

Have you had a career mentor/coach? If so, how did you find them and what have you learned from them?

I've had two amazing managers, but until very recently I never had a mentor. My current mentor is an executive at my day job. I applied to my company mentoring program and asked him to pick me!

What skills or habits help you thrive at work?

Prioritizing my tasks. Knowing when to say no to work and meetings. Learning to delegate well (giving people the information they need to do a good job and fully relinquishing control). Learning to give developmental feedback.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to join the $100k club?

1. Educate yourself. What are high-earners doing that you could do? What courses or certifications could you take? What webinars or conferences could you attend? Can you get a mentor? Can you ask someone you respect to coach or mentor you (be willing to pay for their time, of course).
2. Think of yourself as a business ... invest in your future just like any business would.

Where do you live? What is your gender and ethnicity?

White female living in Boston, MA

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