Carolynne Scoffield

From social media manager to marketing director

In September 2021, when Carolynne Scoffield’s daughter was starting kindergarten, she decided it was time to start something new, too. She enrolled in the Business Administration – Digital Marketing Diploma at Bow Valley College.

“It was just the right time and the right fit for myself in order to succeed,” she says.

At the time, she had launched her own social media marketing business, Savvy Socialite, and was working as a social media manager for her biggest client, a major real estate developer.

“I wanted to start my own business because it would give me the autonomy to take care of myself and my daughter on my own schedule—something Bow Valley College helped me with through remote classes and flexible scheduling,” she says.

Carolynne wanted to combine her “artsy side and strategic side” and bring more structure and strategy to her business. Thanks to the flexible learning and supportive instructors, she kept up with a full course load of five classes while raising a young child and running a sole proprietorship.

A defining part of her experience was developing a strategic mindset, especially during her two semesters with the Alberta Deans of Business Case Competition. The competition challenges Alberta’s top business students to analyze a real-world problem, develop a strategic solution and present recommendations to a panel of industry leaders—all within a single day.

“That intense pressure formed a diamond of strategy within me,” she says. “No matter what I look at now, it’s never just a campaign. I see the bones, the muscles, the veins—everything that needs to be developed. It’s not just the KPIs—it’s the storytelling and the connection that create a returning customer base year over year.”

In her second term on the team, Carolynne and her teammates earned a second place finish—a highlight of her time in the competition and a moment that stayed with her.

When she graduated in 2023, she felt stronger as a professional and ready to take the next step with her biggest client: “Thanks to the skills and processes I learned at Bow Valley College, I took a step back with my main client and evaluated the business as a whole—looking for gaps, areas where we could add value or reposition ourselves in a way competitors weren’t doing. I took that to our CEO and said, “Look, this is what I can do. This is what we should be doing moving forward.’

Her role evolved, and she was promoted to marketing director. Today, she also works with major clients like Amato Gelato, where she handles their marketing operations.

Carolynne gives her time generously to students and business owners who hope to follow a similar path. She was also invited to share insights and encouragement with the next Alberta Deans of Business Case Competition team at Bow Valley College.

Her advice to digital marketing alumni is to think broadly and avoid boxing themselves into one skillset.

“Don’t expect when you graduate to be just a copywriter or a content creator or a graphic designer,” she says. “Small businesses now expect people to be more dynamic and able to put on many hats—what I call a one woman octopus. You may not be a specialist in one area, but you can be a very good generalist across many areas. Even if you feel driven toward social media or content, look at strategy, look at graphic design—things outside your wheelhouse.”

She says your education doesn’t end the day you walk the stage; instead, embrace a lifetime of learning while cultivating strong human connections: “In marketing, we think about systems and platforms—that’s important, but so are the people and the relationships you’ve built. Network, network, network; reach out to people in different fields. Maybe you’re comfortable with fashion but talk to someone in automotive—learn that industry because there could be a gap you could fill. Don’t segment yourself. Stay open.”