Following a scintillating Austin summer of endless sunshine, late nights, and outdoor adventures, I’m excited to be kicking off my newest adventure as Marketing Coordinator with HMG Creative!

Originally a Phoenix native, I bravely ventured into the unknown territory of Texas for college in 2006 and never looked back. After a 12 year expedition of all things Dallas, my insatiable curiosity lured me off to the rolling hills of central Texas and landed me in our state’s exploding capital – Austin.

Before I get into my current ardor for Texas’s weirdest city, let’s backtrack to the beginning of my young adult life in Texas.

Starting off with a degree in Communications from Dallas Baptist University, I launched into a career in the nonprofit industry, primarily focused in an area of one of my greatest passions – travel.

Post-college, I hopped across the pond for a year to explore Europe with one goal: authentically experience life in another culture. The journey started with a month in Ireland, guided me through six transformational months on the golden coast of Southern Spain, and finished off with a five-month stint as an au pair in Italy’s historic Renaissance hub, Florence.

Let me pause for a moment to unearth a need-to-know fact about me: I’m obsessed with Italy. Anywhere with captivating landscapes, lingering dinners, and tantalizing amounts of carbs has my heart. And although I’ve acquiesced to my less-than-romantic life stateside, I’ll unashamedly confess I’m on a constant quest for experiences reminiscent of the magic of my Italian adventures.

Fortunately, my position as a Missions Coordinator for a faith-based nonprofit organization afforded me the opportunity to continue engaging with new cultures, with the added purpose of improving lives through community transformation and poverty alleviation. For three years, I had a front-row seat to powerful stories of life-change stemming from new perspectives and community support.

In all the glory of pre-iPhone camera days, I lugged my DSLR with me on every excursion and delved deep into my love of photography. Eventually, my creative tendencies propelled me to transition into a marketing career, focusing on graphic design for a boutique advertising agency and content marketing for a tech startup. I relished in the promise of a blank canvas’ potential and got hooked on the gratification of creating something from nothing. With marketing and design, I finally found my outlet to thrive.

Which leads us right back to my recent warm, summer days in doggy-centric, nature-loving, taco-obsessed ATX. With a growing love for the creative spirit of our innovative city, I couldn’t be more honored or excited to be joining a team of talented creatives like the crew here at HMG Creative. I’m eager to share my experience in social media and content creation to help HMG Creative develop new connections and opportunities – the perfect fusion of my passion, experience, and ambition. And when I’m not pumping out blogs, curating the perfect Insta-post, or strategizing on the newest marketing tactics, you can count on me spending way too much time in one of my favorite spots: church or the gym.

At HMG Creative, we look forward to opportunities to collaborate with neighboring individuals, businesses, and organizations, sharing the power of effective communication through beautiful design and innovative strategy.

I can’t wait to see what my adventure here at HMG Creative has in store and hope you enjoy following along on the journey on our social media pages. Whether it’s marketing insight, behind-the-scenes moments in our crazy world of creativity, or Austin’s greatest secrets, we have a feeling you won’t be disappointed coming along for the ride.

Austin Favorites: Radio Coffee & Beer Bluegrass Nights, Elizabeth Street Cafe, Zilker Dog Park, Barton Springs Pool, anything South of the river

Favorite Coffee Shops: Stonehouse Coffee & Bar, Mozart’s Coffee Roasters

Debate-Starters: Walking > Running, Beach > Mountains, Heat > Cold, Almond Butter > Peanut Butter, Late Night > Early morning, Gelato > Ice Cream, South Austin > North Austin.

Agree? Disagree? Drop a note and state your case! [email protected] | @Sarahdhetrick