Professional, community, and civic organizations: Freedom Forever Ministries Board Secretary What initially inspired you to pursue your profession? I was always fascinated with entrepreneurship, and I guess you could say it runs in my blood. I grew up watching my parents run their own businesses and my great grandad owned a shoe factory in Dresden, TN where my grandmother worked. After I graduated from college, I went to my first job interview which surprisingly, resulted in my first marketing client. I never believed I would pursue a career as an entrepreneur, but my first client gave me the idea to grow my roster of digital marketing clients. A few months later, I turned my freelance gig into a business when I founded Harp & Oaks Communications. Six years into my accidental leap into entrepreneurship and one business has expanded into three businesses. Today, I own three different marketing companies: Harp & Oaks Communications, The Social GuideHers and MAP Coaching. I look back and am so thankful I took a chance on myself to pursue my dreams. Every day, I wake up excited to help small businesses reach their goals and the opportunity to provide jobs to deserving men and women who are incredible at what they do. It’s truly been a dream come true. To be a great entrepreneur, you have to love the game for all that it is: the ups, the downs and everything in between. It’s so much more than a career path. It’s a lifestyle and one I’m grateful I get to pursue. What is the best piece of business advice that you’ve ever received? Success comes from small, consistent daily actions. And never giving up. Sponsored by 40 Under Forty Professional, community, and civic organizations: Paducah Chamber of Commerce Member, McCracken County and Kentucky Bar Associations Member, Elks Lodge Member, Rosary Chapel Catholic Church Member and Community Outreach Team, Country Club of Paducah What initially inspired you to pursue your profession? As cheesy as it sounds, I grew up watching Andy Griffith with my dad, and Matlock and Perry Mason with my grandparents. I loved those shows, what each of them stood for, and they undoubtedly impacted my desire to pursue law. My undergraduate degree is in international affairs, and for a brief period, I thought perhaps I wanted to pursue international law. That trajectory, however, evolved as I matured and grew. I realized I wanted to return to my roots; I wanted to come home and practice law in the place I grew up and loved. And whereas every day is not an episode of Matlock, I consider myself lucky to be living in Paducah, Kentucky, fighting for what is right. What is the best piece of business advice that you’ve ever received? This sounds simple, but I stand firmly by my roots, and I believe honesty is the best policy. When people come to me with a problem, they come to me for a reason. My reputation speaks for itself. If you’re looking for somebody to sugarcoat and tell you what you want to hear, I’m not the attorney for you. But if you want somebody who will look you in the eye and shoot you straight, I’m the one. Professional, community, and civic organizations: Mayfield-Graves County Happy Feet Equals Learning Feet Chairperson, Mayfield Schools F.A.C.E. Center Advisory Council Board Member, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Committee Member What specific steps or strategies did you take to become successful in your field? Taking a job as a bank teller at First Kentucky was the best thing I did for my career. It wasn’t my “dream job”; however, it was in a professional setting, offered good pay and benefits, and allowed me to get my foot in the door. Early on, I expressed interest in using my degree and experience, and they were receptive to placing me in the marketing assistant role. I poured myself into opportunities geared towards community outreach, leadership, and networking with the goal of becoming the best representative for the bank. Have you had any mentors or role models who have influenced your professional growth? I’ve had many mentors and role models throughout life, but the most influential one for my career was Laura Stinson. She was the Marketing Director at First Kentucky when I began in banking and my direct supervisor for ten years. Laura was the perfect female leader to mentor me because she was positive, tactful, organized, and well-respected. She taught me to reach for perfection, but to also be flexible when things did not go as planned, which helped me learn the art of patience and timing. With her guidance, I achieved my goal of becoming First Kentucky Bank’s Marketing Officer, at age 31. 8 SEPTEMBER 2023 Alisha Bobo Attorney, Bobo Law Office, PLLC Allison Harpole Digital Marketer, Harp & Oaks Communications, MAP Coaching, and The Social GuideHers Amanda Rorer Marketing Officer, First Kentucky Bank
