Growing Up as a Military Brat: How I Fell in Love with Creative Services

A Childhood Without Commercials

Growing up as a military brat meant living a life that was both deeply American and yet strangely disconnected from mainstream American culture. My family moved constantly, from Florida to Germany, from Turkey to Arizona, to Korea, to Italy, and eventually to Japan, where I graduated high school.

Unlike most American kids, I didn’t grow up bombarded by commercials. Instead, I watched the Armed Forces Network (AFN), which didn’t have traditional advertisements. Instead of fast food jingles or toy commercials, my TV breaks were filled with public service announcements (PSAs) and Ad Council messages about public safety, financial responsibility, or military community values. These government-approved snippets were my early exposure to media, and in a way, they primed me to think differently about how messages spread.

A Nomadic Life and a Global Perspective

Being constantly uprooted and placed in different cultural contexts gave me a unique perspective on how ideas traveled. Some trends, phrases, and pop culture references spread effortlessly across borders, while others never quite made it. Living in Germany, I saw how different brands adapted to European tastes. In Turkey, I noticed how some American ideas were embraced while others were ignored. In Korea and Japan, the stark contrast between Western advertising and local marketing techniques fascinated me.

I didn’t know it then, but I was developing a mental framework for understanding virality, social influence, and the power of messaging—long before social media would turn these into major fields of study.

Philosophy, UCLA, and the Millennial Mindset

Like many in my generation, I was told to study what I loved and that my degree would be a stepping stone to any career. I chose philosophy at UCLA, driven by a love for deep thinking, cultural analysis, and the search for meaning. At the time, I didn’t know how this would connect to a career, but I was obsessed with how people think, why they believe what they do, and how ideas spread.

It wasn’t until I finally moved to New York after working for American Apparel and traveling globally for four years, that everything clicked. Marketing, at its core, is about understanding people, predicting behaviors, and crafting narratives that resonate across cultures. My childhood experiences—watching PSA-style ads, analyzing global conflicts, and constantly adapting to new social environments—had prepared me for this world more than I realized.

Discovering the Art and Science of Marketing

In New York, I dove deep into creative services, branding, and strategy. Every marketing campaign felt like a miniature experiment: Could we introduce something new to an audience? Would it spread? What made certain messages stick?

My early exposure to AFN and government PSAs gave me an appreciation for clear, impactful messaging. My nomadic upbringing trained me to understand cultural nuances and adaptation. And my philosophy studies helped me dissect the psychology behind persuasion, belief, and consumer behavior.

The Takeaway: From Military Bases to Global Marketing

Looking back, my love for marketing and advertising was shaped by a life of contrasts: a childhood spent moving between cultures, a world without traditional commercials, and an academic journey that prioritized deep thought over practicality.

Marketing, at its best, is about storytelling, connection, and understanding human nature. My journey—from a military brat watching PSAs to a marketing strategist crafting global campaigns—has been one of seeing patterns, embracing change, and constantly learning how ideas move people.

And in a way, isn’t that what all great advertising is about?