“I did not need experience with online advertising to get started, I could learn to sell advertising. I needed the determination to design my schedule around my priorities, and that I had.” – Sharon Edlefsen, Wife and Mother
There never seems to be enough hours in the day to focus on our real priorities in life. This became apparent when Paul and Sharon Edlefsen decided to make raising their child a top priority. Sharon had worked in Healthcare Administration for 5 years and had grown her career working with a fortune 500 company. After leaving in 1998 she worked a few contract jobs and then as a telephone operator and marketer. This allowed her to be at home with her son as much as possible during his first years.
Sharon learned about an opportunity selling online ads and developing ad strategies for Meridian Magazine. Within the first year of building a presence for Meridian Magazine in online advertising, she was able to leave the telephone marketing position and turn her attention towards advertising. This supplied her with a more than comfortable living and the freedom she needed to spend time with her family. In 2008 she joined one of the original Ancestry.com founders to build Precision Ad Network. Sharon stayed with Precision until they joined the iMedia family of sites. Her story inspired the policies of our growing network of media professionals. Everyone working with iMedia has the time to make a great living, be PTA president for their child’s school or their soccer coach, whatever is important and meaningful for raising your child.
“I was not afraid of trying something new. There was simply no two ways about it, I had to have a job that supported what I believed in most.” – Sharon Edlefsen
Starting your own business and building a portfolio of ad clients and publishers may seem intimidating. Sharon agrees, it was, it took hard work and determination. Her father’s entrepreneurial spirit taught her not to fear change or challenge. This lesson is one she also taught her child. She worked wherever she wanted to be. Whether she was calling clients in a parking lot during her son’s practice or working evenings, as necessary, when her husband was home with their son. Taking advantage of modern technology, such as a smart phone and Wi-Fi, Sharon had the freedom and the mobility to meet most of her priorities, never feeling tied to an office or a desk. Being part of a strong network of media professionals all with personal ownership means priorities are left where they belong. For 18 years Sharon has been where she wanted to be, when she wanted to be there, such as on the sidelines cheering on her rugby loving son.
