Throughout my career, I have always been drawn to taking risks and exploring new opportunities. During the first dot com boom, I took on a challenging role as the inaugural Communications Manager and then Director of Marketing at The Patent and License Exchange, an internet start-up with the goal of creating an online marketplace for monetizing untapped intellectual property.

I had the rare opportunity to build a comprehensive marketing and communications plan from scratch. I was tasked with developing a brand identity, creating a website, designing marketing collateral, overseeing worldwide public relations and advertising campaigns, and developing strategies for reaching out to potential customers and partners.

Unfortunately, as with many start-ups during that era, we were ahead of our time, and the company ultimately did not succeed. However, I remain proud of what we accomplished during my time at PL-X. I learned valuable lessons about entrepreneurship, marketing, and communications, and developed skills that have served me well throughout my career.

One of the key takeaways from this experience was the importance of taking risks and embracing new challenges, even when the outcome is uncertain. It's only by pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones that we can truly grow and learn as professionals and individuals.