Ryan Dodge Schaben

My First Blog Post

How about a little, "get to know me". My name's Ryan Dodge Schaben and I hail from the small town of Dunlap in southwest Iowa. I'm 22 and I grew up with 3 other siblings: Austin (24), Walter (17), and Bailey (16). My mom is a clerk and my dad is an auctioneer and along with my uncles they own a livestock auction that I grew up working at when I was younger.

Working for my parents growing up had its perks and its downsides.
Cons: Who do you think would be the first employee assigned to every task? Easy…me! I also had to work on Holidays.
It was torture.
Pros: I had a way to make money. I got to hang out with my parents (They will tell you this was their torture). But most importantly, my parents taught me lessons and responsibilities about work that some kids don't learn tell they get to college and some lessons they probably don't know they taught me.

Fun Fact: My dad was the 2003 World Champion Auctioneer.
Sadly those auctioneering genes were not passed on to me.

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

I'm currently a student at the University of Northern Iowa with a major in marketing and a minor in health promotions. I'm a marketing intern for the UNI Athletic Department.

When I'm not slaving away at the library trying to finish my degree, you can find me on the mountains snowboarding. If I'm not there I'm probably in the hospital because of snowboarding. (I separated my shoulder last year on the black diamond). If I'm not on the slope I could possibly be on a plane. I love traveling and I like to try things Iv'e never done.  I've been to 8 countries and that's not including the greatest of them all, the US of A! I have been fortunate enough to get to travel with my family and friends throughout the years visiting Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Costa Rica, Panama, Scotland, France, and England. (See some pictures from my travels)

Beaches of Costa Rica

Thankfully I did get some of my families good genes. I'm an exceptional "people person" and I like meeting new people. If there's one thing I've learned while traveling, it's being nice to someone can go a long way. You never know how their day is going, what they've been through, or what they can do for you.
That's your first life lesson: Try being a little nicer.

I also enjoy business, well the marketing side of it anyways. Hate is a strong word but man I hate accounting. Not my strong suit. I like the marketing side of business which is why I'm pursuing my degree in it. I'm starting this marketing blog not only for a class but hopefully to help people, mainly college kids, sort through all the clutter that's thrown at us about what we should be doing to get a job out of college. Were constantly bombarded with information and opinions and how to be a business professional it can be a little overwhelming. Marketing Files will be the place I talk about resumes, dressing professionally, internships, cover letters, social media, and all aspects of marketing yourself as a business professional. I'll sort through what works and what I've learned from professionals and through traveling to help you along the way.

Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

Jungles of Costa Rica

Snorkeling in Panama

Follow Me On:

Instagram: @schaben20

Twitter: @ryanschaben