Meet Julia Blyumkin of Sage Marketing Group in Fort Collins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Blyumkin.

Julia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story begins much like any other first-generation Jewish-Russian American. My mother was a victim of religious persecution who immigrated in 1989 from Belarus before the fall of the Soviet Union with hardly a penny to her name, no mastery of the English language, and in an arranged marriage to my biological father. I was born a year later. Divorced, baby in tow, my Mom was determined to make a life for herself, for me, and to help the rest of our family desperate to escape communist rule, and the ruin that followed. She persevered, helping safeguard a journey for all of our immediate and extended family, achieving professional success as a Senior Paralegal, got remarried to a man I am so fortunate to call My Dad. And together, they raised me – with unconditional love, to care deeply for others, to strive for excellence – academically, professionally, and personally, to take pride in our history and to celebrate our religion and culture. I owe so much of who I am today to my parents and extended family.

I was raised speaking Russian. It wasn’t until Mom met Dad that English took root. And when it did, I fell in love with the English language. I read voraciously, eagerly wrote essays and poetry, later joined the high school newspaper staff, and ultimately graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a BA in English Creative Writing. My reverence for the English language and for literature led me to pursue and graduate with honors with a Masters in Publishing (MS) at New York University.

The City my oyster, I ardently sought opportunities that would encourage my love of the written word, challenge me, and inspire growth while pursuing my graduate studies. I had the privilege of working with Donn Rochette, David Roth, and Pamela Roussos, a leadership team of true visionary brilliance that so effortlessly melded business, engineering, and creatives at AppFirst. Later, I was fortunate to intern under the esteemed charges of Josh Weiss, VP of Managing Editorial with Harper Collins Children’s, Steve Schultz, then Director of Application Services with John Wiley & Sons, and Marnee Muskal, then Director of Digital Marketing at The New York Times. I am indebted to all of them for opening up their inspiring minds to me and daring me to step out and absorb as much as I could to inform my bright journey ahead.

Turning the page on the concrete jungle, I returned to our beautiful state and fortuitously interviewed for a marketing coordinator position with Doug Larson, Principal of Sage Marketing Group, a boutique branding and marketing agency in Fort Collins. Under his towering presence only surpassed by personality with intellectual audacity and inspiring influence, my professional development has taken exciting strides. Nearly seven years and an immensely rewarding trajectory with a dream team, I’m now a digital strategist charting data-driven marketing tactics for clients across industries.

When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my soon-to-be husband, Serge, our pup, Ella, and family. The outdoors, red wine, cooking, gardening, painting, and traveling are just a few of my favorite things.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I work with Sage Marketing Group, a boutique marketing and communications firm based in Fort Collins, CO. We provide a wide range of digital marketing, branding, and traditional marketing services to businesses along the Front Range and across the country.

I am most proud of working within a team that continuously lifts each other up and inspires growth through a collective impact approach. At the end of the day, we can do good by each other and by our clients. Over the years, “Persnickety” has become my well-deserved moniker/term of endearment. And, it is my detail-oriented, particular nature that most certainly sets me apart. I always go the extra mile to ensure no stone has been left unturned.

Today, my focus is largely on strategic digital solutions that are in support of client growth and outcomes. Channeling creative, meaningful marketing that is informed by data-driven insights. Or as my boss likes to call it, fanatical marketing.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Some bias having been born and raised in this beautiful place, but I believe Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins are wonderful places for personal and professional development and growth. We are lucky to live in a place filled with curious minds and hard-working spirits that never take their work-life balance for granted.

Contact Info:

• Address: Sage Marketing Group, 125 S. Howes St., #C1, Fort Collins, CO 80521
• Website: https://sagemg.com
• Phone: 970.221.5007 ext 808
• Email: julia@sagemg.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/sagemg
• Facebook: facebook.com/sagemg

Image Credit:
For the Team photo only, please credit Kevin Heyse, SageMG

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