Meet a Member: Sunny Ricks

JUST THE FACTS

• Name: Sunny Ricks
• Title: Director of Marketing Communications
• Years of Experience: 25 years (16 with firm)
• College Name & Degree(s): Florida State University, BA in Communication
• Firm Name: Warren Averett
• Firm City & State: The firm is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, but I’m located in Pensacola, Florida.
• Firm Size: 800+ team members
• Email Address: [email protected]
• Professional Memberships: Association for Accounting Marketing Member and Virtual Education Committee Member
• Community Involvement: Leadership Pensacola, Class of 2021; Former United Way Loaned Executive, Pace High School Boys Basketball Boosters President
• Twitter Handle: @sunnyricks
• LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnyricks/

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

• What is your experience with Martech/Tech Stacks and what are your suggestions to marketers looking to explore this avenue further? At Warren Averett, we use a variety of marketing technologies to help improve efficiencies, track data and grow the firm. Throughout my time in accounting marketing, I’ve onboarded, used and offboarded many different technologies—CRMs, marketing automation tools, survey platforms and everything in between. My advice is to do your research, know your needs and focus on buy-in, implementation and adoption.
• Within your career, what have you learned the hard way? Do what you are good at and what fits your personality. I tried sales for a very short while early in my career, and it was not where my strengths lie.
• What are your special skills or what is something people may not know about you? My first job out of college was in marketing with a country music radio station. So fun!
• What is the biggest benefit you receive from your AAM membership or what affect has AAM had on your career? I love the resources and training opportunities, especially the knowledge sharing with other AAM members.
• What do you feel is the biggest issue facing accounting marketers today? I’d say it’s the challenge of defining goals and priorities (and for these to align with your leadership team). There are so many areas that accounting marketers can touch and impact. It’s important to align your goals and establish priorities so that you can know the road map to success.
• What would you be doing if you had not become a marketer/business development director? Probably a high school English teacher.
• What books have you read recently that you feel would be beneficial to other AAM members? Atomic Habits by James Clear and The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon.