When the job market crashed in 2020, many new graduates were forced to take unconventional paths.

For Nathan Baron, that meant saying yes to opportunities that didn’t look like traditional marketing jobs. From cold-calling in industrial sales to leading global brand campaigns at Milwaukee Tool, the Marquette University alumnus turned every experience into a chance to grow.

Along the way, he never lost sight of his creative drive, building a content brand around his passion for motorcycles.

In this interview, Nathan reflects on the lessons learned through career pivots, the power of relationship-building, and how he balances full-time marketing work with side projects that keep him inspired.

Tell us about your career path in marketing, and how you arrived at a position to balance other jobs with your passion of creating content about motorcycles?

After graduating from Marquette University in May 2020 with a degree in Advertising and Marketing during the height of COVID, I spent six months job hunting while working three part-time jobs to make ends meet.

The job market was tough, and I knew I needed to stand out to land a marketing role. That's when I leaned into my passion for content creation to gain real marketing experience. I started by thinking about industries I was interested in and realized my first role likely wouldn't be in marketing, since companies were cutting ad budgets.

I began my career in outside sales within the industrial space, where I learned everything from sales basics to how field marketing impacts day-to-day sales efforts. After six months. I joined Techtronic Industries in their Field Sales and Marketing Leadership Development Program. There, I gained experience in merchandising, supply chain, vendor relationships, events, sales, recruiting, and training.

Eight months later, I was promoted to Milwaukee Tool's Brand Marketing team, where I spent two and a half years doing the work I had always wanted to do. Balancing my job with hobbies like content creation was difficult during those four years, especially with long hours. I had to prioritize work and family, so hobbies naturally took a backseat.

Looking back on your past jobs, what has been your biggest career lesson and how have you changed because of that?

My biggest career lesson learned over the last 5 years is that relationship building is not just finding the job you love but also career growth & building your mentor support system. Jobs were never handed to me; almost every interview of the 100s I've had over the last 5 years came as a result of networking.

You graduated from Marquette University with a bachelor's degree in advertising and marketing, how often do you incorporate your advertising knowledge into your marketing roles?

My Marquette University degree definitely taught me the basics of advertising & marketing but the real value it left me with was the ability to ask the right questions to understand the true problem at hand & think strategically. No business degree will make you an expert in your field; rather it's your experience in the real world that'll make you an expert.

What are some of your daily responsibilities at your job with Milwaukee Tool, versus the content work you do on YouTube?

I currently work as a Global Brand Manager for a fortune 500 company. In this role, I'm focused on product messaging & creative as well as creating global brand campaigns that drive end user consideration to our brand.

What part of your job do you enjoy the most, that makes you look forward to going to work every day?

My favorite part about my current job as a global brand manager is that I work cross functionally with colleagues living all across the world ranging from the US to Asia, Isreal & the UK. Working with people from all across the world keeps things fresh & interesting for me. Additionally, I also get to sit in on research interviews with customers from all over the world.

Looking at your LinkedIn, you have work experience as a marketing manager, sales rep, and design/content creator, what advice do you have for other people with diverse skill sets looking to use them all at their job?

If you want to directly use all your skillsets, go work for a small company that needs someone to do it all. If you want to continue to grow your skillset, learning & making mistakes on someone else's dime, then go work for a large corporation with infinite budgets & a massive team.

Tim mentioned that you attend local networking events, what have you gained from these events and why do you think they are important?

I try to stay very involved in the community as I know that relationship building is a huge part of being successful in your career. I actively participate in Marquette University alumni events; I volunteer for the local AMA Milwaukee chapter and am also a member of the Milwaukee Digital Marketing Club.

I got involved with these over the past year while transitioning jobs. Not only did I meet some really amazing people that have acted as great mentors to me but attending these events have broadened my perspective on business allowing me to learn about new channels of marketing & other facets of the business world. Always be learning & put yourself out there every opportunity you get!

You recently went through the job search process after departing Milwaukee Tool, reflecting back on your experience, what did you learn and what tips do you have for those entering this process?

The 2025 job market is similarly as tough to when I graduated Marquette during Covid in 2020. Submitting applications on LinkedIn is no longer enough. In order to get any traction, I found that I needed to cold direct message as many people as I could at the companies I was interested in to set up 30-minute intro calls.

During these calls, my goal was to learn more about the company, introduce myself, offer up my assistance to them in whatever ways I could, & hopefully gain their confidence so they could provide me with an internal referral.

Additionally, I used ChatGPT subscription alongside LinkedIn premium subscription as a resource during this process. ChatGPT helped me tailor my resume/cover letter for each application based on the actual job description, company mission/values, and insights learned from intro calls. I also used ChatGPT to help create interview outlines & do mock interviews.

What advice do you have for individuals who want to pursue a job in the realm of content creation on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, etc.?

Don't let perfection get in the way of progress. If you don't start now, you'll never make mistakes you need in order to learn and get better. You have all the tools you need to start creating in your pocket: your iPhone! PS. Don't worry about what other people think, you may feel goofy, but the followers will come.

Knowing what you know now, what tips would you give your younger self coming out of college about looking for a job?

I'd put a larger emphasis on maintaining relationships that I've built over time. It's easy to build new relationships but how can I ensure that the relationships I built continue to flourish rather than just reaching out when I need their help. Regularly checking in with people to see what's new in their career as well as their home life in a big part of this.