AMA July Member Spotlight – Carl McGowan

This month, please take a moment and get to know AMA Member Carl McGowan

Where do you work?
I work for Houston IVF, one of the premier fertility clinics in the country. We’re located in the Memorial Hermann Tower, on I-10 & Gessner.

Tell us about your job.
When I took the job of Director of Practice Development 16 months ago, the physician owners told me that they ‘just wanted to practice medicine, so go get patients.’ That was my job description. As it turns out, in the U.S., 1 in 7 couples has difficulty conceiving a child, but most aren’t aware of their treatment options. My job is to increase awareness of our services as well as differentiate the practice from its competitors.

If you weren’t a marketer, what would you want to be doing instead?
I would love to teach marketing and strategy courses and consult small businesses on growth strategies. A lot of teachers and professors are lacking relevant real world experience to match their classroom skills, and I think I could bring both. Either that or a speechwriter.

What is your all-time favorite marketing campaign or brand?
Budweiser.  I almost took a job with them after business school. They’ve switched agencies and executives over the years, but what hasn’t changed is that when you think of guys bonding over sports and what they’re probably drinking, you think of Bud.

What’s your favorite food or drink?
I eat chicken or fish almost every day. Like a lot of people, I’ve decided to try to eat healthier, so mostly lean foods and water. I get great recipes from Men’s Health Magazine, which does an awesome job with their social media and outbound marketing, by the way.

How long have you been an AMA Houston member?
Since 2006.

What’s your favorite thing about AMA Houston?
The information sharing. The SIGs put on great workshops, and I get to meet interesting people in my field.

Want to connect with Carl? He loves to talk marketing, share community awareness tips, and probably has a few good books suggestion for us too. Be sure to connect online or at the next AMA Houston event.