One-Person Marketing Department? Here’s How I Did It—And What I Learned

When I first accepted my most recent role, the position didn’t actually exist. There had never been an official marketing role—let alone an entire department. It was both thrilling and a little intimidating. I was stepping into uncharted territory, with the opportunity to define the role and shape it into something meaningful. I was fortunate that leadership gave me the freedom to build it from the ground up. What I didn’t expect was that, more than a decade later, I’d still be the only person in that “department.” My professional title changed over time as I curated the role and I was eventually named Director of Marketing (oh, how powerful that sounded). I was excited to lead strategy, elevate the brand, and make a real impact. What I didn’t fully realize was that I’d created a position where I was also be the department’s designer, copywriter, event planner, social media manager, press liaison, volunteer coordinator, photographer, proofreader, email queen, and occasional balloon wrangler. Yes, I was a one-person marketing department—and somehow, I lived to tell the tale.

Truthfully, it was one of the most challenging and rewarding roles I’ve ever had. With no team to delegate to, I quickly learned how to juggle priorities, create systems, and trust my instincts. There was no "Let me loop someone in on that." It was just me—looping myself in, out, and back again. And through it all, I developed not just a sharper skillset, but a deep appreciation for the creativity, strategy, and grit it takes to build something from scratch (sometimes quite literally).

Wearing All the Hats (Sometimes at Once)

From big-picture brand strategy to the nitty-gritty of day-to-day execution, I handled it all. Need a brochure for the service team? Done. Social content for a hiring campaign? On it. A company newsletter, a new logo, an internal announcement, or a 200-person party plan? You guessed it—me again.

My work spanned every platform and format: websites, e-newsletters, social media, print ads, internal communications, award submissions, blog posts, and more. I even created a volunteer committee of ten employees to support our community outreach efforts—which, fun fact, included organizing everything from food drives and fundraising campaigns to sponsorship events and more. Never a dull moment.

5 Lessons I Learned (The Hard Way, But Worth It)

1. Clarity Is Queen - When you're stretched thin, clarity isn't just helpful—it's survival. Whether I was writing a press release or creating a poster for an event, I learned how to get to the point quickly and make it stick. If I can get an estimator to read a sponsorship email and smile, I’ve done my job.

2. Templates Are Tiny Miracles - Want to save time and preserve your sanity? Templates. I built them for everything: social posts, email campaigns, event agendas, even thank-you notes. They helped me move fast while keeping branding tight and messaging consistent. Plus, future-me was always grateful.

3. People Are the Secret Weapon - Even as a department of one, I was never truly alone. I leaned into relationships across departments, from project managers to HR, to get insights, feedback, and occasionally someone to help hang a banner (I'm only 5'1" for crying out loud). Good communication builds trust—and trust builds better work.

4. Creativity Doesn’t Require Anything Fancy - I didn’t always have access to the latest tools or flashy campaigns, but I did have creativity, Canva, and a lot of coffee. I learned how to stretch a dollar (and a deadline) and still produce polished, professional work that made an impact.

5. Boundaries Are Just as Important as Deadlines - When you’re a one-person team, it’s easy to fall into the trap of being “always on.” But I learned that doing everything doesn’t mean doing it all the time. Stepping back, asking for support when needed, and protecting space to think creatively was a necessity for doing the job well and staying sane. Remember, “no” is a complete sentence—and sometimes, saying it is essential to protect your time and well-being.

What I’m Taking With Me

Being a one-person marketing department pushed me to become more strategic, resourceful, and confident in my abilities. It taught me how to move fast without sacrificing quality, how to communicate across every level of an organization, and how to bring big ideas to life even with the smallest of tools.

Most of all, it showed me what’s possible when you combine a love of storytelling with a get-it-done mindset. While I’m looking forward to joining a collaborative team again (you know, where other people also know what InDesign is), I’ll always be proud of the work I did solo—and grateful for the grit, creativity, and perspective it gave me.