My name is Julianna Sweeney.
This is my story.
It all started when...
...a Portuguese immigrant fell in love with a
second-generation Irish-American...
It wasn't long before they started a family.
They brought three crazy kiddos into the world.
My parents taught us to work hard, have faith, and give back along the way.
It was a home full of love and laughter.
My mom was an artist and instilled a love of creativity in my siblings and I.
I fell in love with music at an early age.
I wrote my first song when I was 11 years old. During my freshman year of high school, I had the opportunity to compete in a state-wide songwriting competition designed to bring awareness to the drug epidemic facing
young adults.
Music meets my passion...
From girl scouts to youth group, I have always been passionate about working with teams to bring communities together. During my junior year of high school I thought, "what better way to bring people together than through music?"
I partnered with a friend of mine and we put on a Christmas Talent Show that year. We raised over $250 for the NORWESCAP in our town to support impoverished children during the Holiday Season.
This was only the beginning...
The year everything changed...
My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer back when I was in middle school. Thankfully they caught it early and through surgery and treatments, she went into remission... or so we thought.
In the fall of my senior year of high school, we received word that not only had her cancer come back, it had metastasized.
She endured a lot of pain but maintained a fighting spirit and a love of life to the very end
We lost her about a month shy of my high school graduation in April 2017.
She dedicated her life to giving back and she touched the lives of countless people.
Ever since her passing, I have made it my mission to give back through my work.
It is still my mission to this day.
The "One Stop Tour"...
The "One Stop Tour" was an annual benefit concert that I founded in 2017 as a way to bring the community together to support those in need.
It allowed students to gain hands-on industry experience in running a live show with state-of-the-art equipment.
This provided them with experience to add to their resumes, their community service hours, and to cooperate with others working toward the same goal.
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Proceeds from ticket sales and concessions were donated to a different cause each year.
2017
2018
2019
Over $500 in funds were raised to help with medical bills for a family in our community whose son had been diagnosed with a severe form of brain cancer.
Over $900 in funds were raised to create care-packages to send to a Marine Unit from our community. They were deployed in Afghanistan.
Over $1,000 in funds were raised to aid in medical costs for families with children
diagnosed with cancer.
I organized and managed the concert for 3 consecutive years. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we were unable to continue.
When Hurricane Michael left Florida in disarray, I was in my second year at college.
I put together the "Rock the Rain" Hurricane Relief Show and got the biggest bands and artists on campus to perform
Relief Concert...
I wanted to make sure relief funds got down to those in need as soon as possible so we organized the concert and put together a marketing campaign in only 1 week.
We raised over $300 and put on a professional concert with a 1 week turn around
Professional PR and Marketing begins...
My first internship with ProMO image was when my professional interest in public relations and marketing really began to take off.
Throughout my seven months with the company, I was the content creator, social media manager and newsletter curator for a country TV station.
I also gained experience in writing press releases, pitching clients to various media outlets, and being a liaison between the company and various other businesses.
ProMO Image is based in Nashville, TN
This was a remote work experience
The Fix Cafe & Bakery...
In the fall of 2019, I stumbled upon a new little coffee shop that opened up around the corner from my apartment.
It was called The Fix Cafe & Bakery and at the time, I had no idea what a profound impact it would have on my life.
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The owner, Danielle Poquette, gave up a corporate position that afforded her security, benefits, and a more than comfortable salary to open up a little cafe on an Albany street corner where she wasn't sure if she would make the money she needed to keep the lights on.
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Her reason? She was more passionate about bringing the community together than living a comfortable lifestyle.
Hearing her story inspired me and after a few months of cappuccinos and conversations, Danielle took me on as a barista. Before long, I became social media marketing manager and event organizer.
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We started putting together various events that brought in groups from the surrounding schools, church groups, PAL, and community members.
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One of our biggest turn outs was at our Holiday Party. We hosted local musicians and provided the materials for guests to make Holiday cards for underprivileged kids in the neighborhood
When COVID-19 struck, we used all tips and donations that we received to make sure that the essential workers at the local hospitals were taken care of with coffee and goodies!
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, like many other small businesses across the country, The Fix was forced to permanently close.
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We have received countless "thank-you's" from community members for bringing such a positive energy to the area.
Danielle has not given up on her mission and is diligently working toward opening another coffee shop (hopefully in the near future)
Chicken Joe's...
During my time working at The Fix, I had the opportunity to get to know many members of the community that I wouldn't have otherwise.
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One of our regulars was the manager of a little restaurant around the corner called Chicken Joe's.
They were in need of a social media marketing manager to help boost their business during COVID.
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I was offered the position and have managed to help them maintain a
steady flow of customers throughout this past year.
Money Mouth Marketing...
Last October, I voluntarily took on a three month internship/training program with Money Mouth Marketing.
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I knew that I wanted to pursue marketing and communications in my career and the program offered detailed training and hands-on experience
During my time with MMM, I learned how to effectively implement marketing campaigns, I brokered joint venture partnerships for a client of the company, I partook in extensive research, and I led a team in preparing for the launch of a brand new podcast.
Upon completion of the program I was offered a job from the CEO of the company. I am currently working for a Startup of his called Fearless Impact.
Exit Fo[u]r...
In between my experience with Money Mouth Marketing and my current position with Fearless Impact, I completed my Bachelor's Degree. I also recorded, produced, and released a 10 track album of original songs.
I released the album on my mom's birthday, January 27th, and in keeping with my mission, all proceeds from CD, merchandise, and streams are donated to childhood cancer research - a cause that was close to my mom's heart.
With a limited budget and an in-house marketing campaign, I was able to break 1,000 streams on EVERY track on the album in less than a week. I'm also pleased to say that so far, through sales, streams, and donations, I have been able to donate over $850 to childhood cancer research.
I'm excited for what the future holds...
Fearless Impact...
I am currently the Program Coordinator and Project Manager for a Startup called Fearless Impact.
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We empower passion-based entrepreneurs (coaches, speakers, authors, small businesses, etc) to maximize their impact on the world by providing them with the tools and resources they need to thrive.
I led a team of 15 hard-working individuals in launching a brand new podcast in 3 months. We successfully received over 10,000 downloads in the first 24 hours and the show has been growing ever since with glowing reviews.
I aided in the completion of the company website and worked with the brand team to ensure continuity across platforms.
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I have also built out the systems that our teams use to grow our social media platforms, continue the growth of our podcast, and communicate in an effective and streamlined manner.
One of my primary roles as Project Manager is identifying key assets in team members and exemplifying them through constructive criticism, positive reinforcement, and promotion to leadership positions.
Building relationships is at the core of our being as humans. It's also the first step in helping someone else tell their story to the world...
Much of my experience has been working with diverse groups of individuals. Through partnership with Money Mouth Marketing's internship program, I have had the pleasure of working with people from all walks of life, from all over the world.
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Because the internship program puts an emphasis on providing underprivileged individuals the experience they need to break into the workforce, I have been exposed to some incredible stories of perseverance.
Why my story should continue with CVS...
1. Innovation - I have been innovating ever since the first benefit concert I organized. I think differently and can offer a new perspective to the team.
2. Collaboration - At the heart of any truly successful story is the value of teamwork. From getting through the loss of my mom, to creating community events at The Fix and successfully launching a podcast, none of it would have been possible without the help of others.
3. Caring - My mission is to give back through my work. I have been shown care throughout my life and I want nothing more than to reciprocate and pay it forward.
4. Integrity - I was raised to work hard, have faith, and give back. My efforts in raising thousands of dollars collectively through community events for various causes would be in vain had I not had the integrity and stewardship to make it count. The same goes for helping others in my current position to grow in their careers. I value integrity and have what it takes to contribute to the team.
5. Accountability - Without taking accountability for mistakes, we are unable to grow. There have been many times throughout my career where I have messed up, but because of those mistakes I was able to learn and improve. I cannot promise that I will be perfect - by any stretch of the imagination - but what I can promise is that you can always count on me to take ownership of my mistakes and grow from them.