Amanda Bekric is a social media strategist at Dady & Gardner, P.A., a franchise law firm based in Minneapolis.
With her deep understanding of digital marketing and passion for creating impactful online campaigns, Amanda plays a pivotal role in enhancing the firm’s social media presence and engagement. Amanda is responsible for all marketing strategies, formulation and execution of comprehensive social media plans that align with the firm’s overall marketing objectives.
Amanda’s journey in the legal marketing industry has ignited a passion for growing as a creative freelance professional, where she continues to hone her skills in various marketing disciplines.
Through her freelance work, she collaborates with a diverse range of clients in the arts, music and design, which includes small businesses, startups and non-profit organizations.
Amanda is the Programming Co-Chair for the Legal Marketing Association Minnesota Chapter. Amanda is the co-founder of the Children’s MN Heroes for Hope Endowment Fund where she also serves as a voice for families and patients as member of the Children’s MN Family Advisory Council.
Why did you choose your profession?
Legal marketing was not a profession I was seeking out, however, legal marketing found me. The firm I work for was growing its social media presence and was looking for more brand awareness, reputation management and engagement across its business and social platforms. Two years before they began that expansion, I had gone back to school for marketing management. At the time, the needs of the firm allowed me to naturally use the information in my studies by creating a space to take a deep dive and apply techniques and concepts in a real and relevant way.
The scope of creativity in legal marketing continues to broaden and evolve. I am excited to be a part of this shift and watch law firms embrace their mission in ways that benefit their clients, communities and workplace culture.
What do you wish you could tell your younger self?
I wish I could tell myself that it is ok to be genuinely you, it is ok to cut ties with people or spaces that do not serve a purpose of good, and you do not have to fit into all the boxes in which society expects you to fit. Looking back, I spent so much of my time both professionally and personally making everyone else happy and being the “yes” person, that I never truly took a step back to stop, look in the mirror and dig in to learn about myself. Unfortunately, that also meant I missed out on opportunities to find contentment at a younger age and use that knowledge as leverage to propel my career and passions later on. You will never regret being true to who you are as long as you do good things, are kind to others, and lead with passion and thoughtfulness.
How do you find work/life balance?
The pandemic has changed so many aspects of my personal and professional life, most of them in a positive way. The most notable change has been learning to balance career and personal life in ways that bring joy and happiness. I have had to learn that it requires me to be intentional, at times make tough decisions and set boundaries. Ensuring I have a work/life balance means I can take care of myself, be a good friend, a trusting mom and a dependable partner, while also maintaining my ability to grow my career and be an efficient colleague.
What is a surprising/fun fact about you?
I love to give my time to organizations that have given me so much! I am the co-founder, along with three other amazing women, of an endowment fund called Heroes for Hope at Children’s Minnesota. We fund individualized medicine, research and family resources for pediatric brain tumor patients and their families. The endowment also funds hospital-wide staff education to ensure they are providing effective and efficient resources and training to all families as they transition from the hospital to being at home with a medically complex child. I also thoroughly enjoy volunteering and being active with the Legal Marketing Association and am the current co-chair of programming for Minnesota.
How has social media helped you create a business/brand?
When I was a senior in high school, a guest speaker gave a presentation to my business course about this new online community that was growing at colleges and universities around the country. He convinced us all to set up accounts on this platform so we could stay connected after high school and stay connected with each other after the year ended. This website would later be known as Facebook. I started using social media in its infancy and never imagined it would become such an integral part of my life.
As I continued my career, I watched social media platforms take over advertising and marketing for organizations globally. As I began marketing in the legal field, I learned so much about the intricacies and benefits of social for all businesses, especially those in very niche markets. As I continue to grow in my career, I have been able to learn about social media and how it can help brands truly engage and create useful experiences for their audiences, while becoming thought leaders in their industries.
Social media has allowed me to connect with like-minded individuals and communities, in ways that have allowed me to think more broadly, find creative solutions, continue to learn and obtain new skills, and scale my capabilities in ways that truly benefit and help build a successful personal brand.