Enginuity Employee Spotlight: Sara Tomerlin, Sponsor Success Manager

Welcome to the Enginuity Employee Spotlight series! This new series will share employee stories, focused on their achievements, personality, successes, challenges, and more to get to know them in and outside of work. The series will build connections among employees and boost belonging and inclusion among our larger community.  

Today's employee spotlight features Sara Tomerlin, a Sponsor Success Manager for the Texas Public Media Network. Sara started her Enginuity career 8 months ago after leaving the hustle and bustle of owning a restaurant chain. Now she is utilizing her Radio, Television, and Film degree to fulfill Texas orders on the post-sale side. She loves getting to talk to new people every day and getting to know folks from every station in Texas. We are excited for you to get to know her better.

Tell us about one of your favorite work stories

Before joining Market Enginuity, I was a small business owner.  I owned a restaurant that sponsored our local KERA station. After a decade of working at the restaurant, I learned a lot about managing people and the process of growing a startup to something bigger. After a while though, I realized that running a restaurant is very demanding and tiring, and I wanted to utilize my degree I loved so much. So, I was originally interested in working for KERA which is my local station in Dallas. I checked out their website and found Market Enginuity! Now that I am a part of the sponsorship team, it feels like everything is a full-circle experience.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Aside from being a mom, I am a quilter and student of quilt history. I am working toward my certification to be a quilt appraiser. I love history and textiles because I am looking at art that someone made 100-200 years ago. It's fascinating to be able to identify the time frame of the quilt based on the fabrics used, the thread, how it's stitched, the fibers, and the dye. There’s a real science behind quilting and I feel like quilting is one art form that is often overlooked. No one else understands how you can draw a line between the quilts and the social movements that were happening in history at the time.

What is the most important thing you have learned in the last five years? 

Running a restaurant was very fast paced, physically demanding, required me to work long hours, and I was gone during the times my kids needed their mom the most. So, I made a decision that was best for me and my family which is what led me to leave that industry. That was my biggest lesson. To slow down!

Between a major career change and the global pandemic, the last five years have been all about reassessing priorities and getting comfortable with a slower pace of life. I want to enjoy each day and enjoy the time I have with my family. Working at Market Enginuity has really allowed me to do that. It has allowed me to keep normal hours, to work from home, and even though I’m working and I’m busy, it’s not the same as an all-encompassing restaurant job.  

What would people never guess you do in your role? 

I work with public radio stations all over Texas.  Waco, Amarillo, Beaumont?  Check, check, check. And while the majority of my role spans the state of Texas, I've also been helping our friends at the Kansas City station lately too. Since they are a new-to-Enginuity station, they needed some extra hands. And I love being able to help take orders in Kanas now. It’s interesting seeing the difference between Texas and Kansas. Since there are multiple major markets in Texas, there are a lot of cross-sales and it’s not really like that in Kansas and other states. I love how no two workdays are ever the same.

Where would you like to go on a dream vacation? 

I would love to take my kids to Europe. I was lucky enough to spend time in London for one summer for a study abroad program. Since we only went to school 4 days a week and had three-day weekends, I went somewhere different every weekend. I went to France, Germany, Austria, and just all over! I’m hoping to take my kids there for a graduation present or something so I can give them that experience. I really can't wait to share it with my kids one day. 

Sara also has a huge passion for history, and anything antique in general. Her grandmother was a quilter and she taught Sara how to quilt when she was young, so you could say it's in her blood. Her grandmother was a collector of antique objects which influenced Sara's appreciation. She values anything that someone puts so much hard work into, even if others think it’s trash. And once she gets her certification to be a quilt appraiser, maybe we will see her on Antiques Roadshow one day! Consider reaching out to her to say hello at stomerlin@marketenginuity.com.