There was no newsletter last week because I was still catching up after an incredible weekend: my dad was ordained a deacon!

It was a beautiful weekend full of incredible moments getting to celebrate all of my dad's hard work leading up to this new vocation.

But of course, it wouldn't be me if I didn't have a few marketing takeaways for you too from the ordination :)

Prepare for the long game.

Surprisingly, my dad didn't just show up at the cathedral on ordination day and say, "Hm, I'd like to be ordained please!"

The Mass lasted an hour and a half. His formation? Six YEARS.

Hours of commuting to the seminary, even more hours in a classroom twice a week, countless days of service and retreat, thousands upon thousands of words written — all in preparation for the graces bestowed in about 15 minutes during the ordination Mass (and his lifetime of vocational service to come).

The same is true in marketing. A sale takes about 1-2 minutes to process, but you know the hours that went into making it happen behind the scenes.

That's where the real work happens. There's almost no instantaneous in the vocational or marketing world, but continuing to show up, to put in the work, to persevere in patience and steadfastness...it's worth it.

And trust me, the Holy Spirit always comes through when it's "go time."

A plan makes or breaks everything.

Ordination day has been on our calendar for months.

Weeks ago, we figured out all our travel plans.

And guess what? The week of the ordination, our travel plans changed not once, not twice, not thrice, but FOUR TIMES.

But even with the plans changing that much, I don't regret having an initial plan.

Because it was THAT plan that we were able to anchor to as logistics kept changing. The ultimate goals we had allowed us to prioritize different options instead of simply scrambling in the moment.

It's the same in marketing. A plan that changes is better than no plan at all.

Creating a plan when you're not in the thick of it allows you to know your priorities and make "on the fly" decisions with more confidence versus being in constant survival mode. Plus, the chances that you'll still get where you want to go are higher even if the route to get there looks different.

Have clear signage.

My #1 practical concern the day of the ordination? Where the bathroom was.

For the longest time, our cathedral had no public bathroom. It is now concealed away in an old confessional. (10 out of 10 location for a church bathroom, the amount of puns that arise from that...)

But it's not at all clearly marked (because, you know, who expects to find a toilet in a confessional?!) and so I spent a good portion of my time when we got there not praying and preparing for Mass, but rather worrying about scouting out this secret bathroom.

The lesson? Whether it's digital or physical, giving people directions is one of the greatest marketing services you can ever give them. Whether it's signs for the bathrooms in person or step-by-step checkout instructions online, clearing up confusion before it happens is one of the best ways to show that you truly understand your audience — and an audience who feels understood is approximately 1,000,000x more likely to take action than one that is stuck being confused.

So put yourself in their shoes. What questions would they have, and how can you answer their concerns before they even have to ask?

Ask for blessing before you market.

During his first Mass, my dad bowed his head before his pastor and asked for his blessing prior to preaching the Gospel.

And I couldn't help but reflect how we should all do that before we market.

Because if you've been around here long enough, you know that I believe strongly that Catholic marketing is our own way of preaching the gospel message.

Do you ask for God's blessing in prayer before you do so? Do you ask the Holy Spirit to be on your lips and heart as you seek to draw people closer to Him, even in the mundane things like before posting on social media or making that website update?

(Asking myself that too, trust me.)

We can forget that even with abysmal social media reach, each number in our analytics represents a child of God who is beloved by Him. And He has entrusted us with a task and responsibility to shepherd them that we cannot take lightly. We need all the help we can get!

If it's not already a regular part of your routine, I highly suggest putting a holy water bottle on your desk and praying a simple prayer as you do each marketing task!

Every experience is preparing you.

People (my mom and I included) have been asking my dad if he'd ever considered being a deacon for at least the past 20 years.

He just had those qualities. He's extremely devout and yet relatable to the average Joe, he's humble and yet a fantastic public speaker, and his whole life has been dedicated to service and helping others.

My favorite of those "you should be a deacon" stories was one time after Mass at least 15 years ago, he was walking up the aisle setting up for a baptism (he and my mom used to be a mentor couple for baptisms).

A woman was praying in the front of the church and asked him if he was a deacon.

He replied no, and apparently she simply replied, "You will be someday."

Y'all, we knew everyone in that church. He'd never seen this woman before, and he never saw her again that I know of.

15+ years later, her prophecy turned out to be right, whoever she was. (I'm not ruling out the Blessed Mother.)

But all of those qualities he had — super relatable, down to earth, prayerful, devoted to helping and serving others — they were all big neon signs to the rest of us that he was being called to this.

(Major props though that he waited patiently on the Lord's call and timing, not letting the outside voices, even well-intentioned ones, rush him along.)

The same thing is true in your marketing. Whatever "random" collection of experiences you've had in the past, I promise they're not random. The Lord has been cultivating them in you for such a time as this.

And even if it's not directly related, it's all still experience you can and should be marketing as a benefit to how you can serve others.

So yes, pretty much the greatest blessing in that my kids now have TWO deacon grandfathers (my father-in-law is an incredible deacon in our diocese too!).

And yes, I'm reveling in the joy of their vocations, especially ALL THE HOLY WATER — but as the bishop said at my dad's ordination Mass, the work of a deacon is often unseen, serving quietly in the background, much like we often do in our marketing.

So in your charity, please pray for my "Deacon Dad" as he begins this new vocation, that he may always retain the fire of the Holy Spirit for serving God and His people, and I will pray for you, that you may also never tire in this service of serving God and His people in the unique way He's asked you.

For His greater glory,

Emily

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