My First Job: Erika Schmidt, president, The Frause Group

July 2, 2006

My First Job: Erika Schmidt, president, The Frause Group

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Erika Schmidt

Current position: President, The Frause Group, a Seattle-based public relations, marketing and business-analysis firm.

First job: Door-to-door canvasser for WashPIRG (when she was a teenager), a nonprofit, nonpartisan watchdog group working on behalf of consumers, the environment and good government in the state of Washington.

Pay: Enough to make it worthwhile for a teenager.

How I got the job: A friend of mine had the same position with WashPIRG and mentioned the job to me. I figured it was for a good cause, the pay was decent, and I would get to enjoy the outdoors while I was working.

What I learned: Since I faced a lot of hostility and crudeness from the people who answered the doors during my canvassing, I learned that in order to be successful at anything, you have to believe in what you are doing and you must do it with passion and perseverance because nothing comes easily. I've carried that lesson with me through my career.

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