Diahann Smith Finds a Win-Win in a Career in Marketing
Diahann Smith serves as the Director of Marketing and Business Development for Florida Dairy Farmers, where she has worked for the past thirteen years. Growing up, she wanted to be a pharmacist, but while in college she took an interest in marketing and this became her passion. In this interview with J.B. Adams of Crummer Connections, she describes her early influences growing up in Puerto Rico, the challenge of relocating to Florida as a youth, and the importance of developing mutually beneficial relationships in business.
Part 1: Diahann Smith as Director of Marketing and Business Development at Florida Dairy Farmers
J.B. Adams: Let’s talk about Florida Dairy Farmers and the work that you do with them. How long have Florida Dairy Farmers been around?
Diahann Smith: Florida Dairy Farmers have been around for fifty years. We are an association representing the Florida dairy farmers, the people who milk the cows every single day so you can get up in the morning and have your nice cup of coffee with milk.
J.B. Adams: As Florida residents, when we go to the grocery store, are we buying Florida milk? How can we make sure that we’re getting milk that’s local?
Diahann Smith: If you want to get Florida milk, the easiest way is for you to look at the gallon of milk. There’s a code on there that talks about the plant number. If it starts with a number twelve, that means it is based here in Florida. It usually takes two to three days for the milk to go from the farm, to the processing plant, and to the grocery store. It’s very quick and it’s the freshest milk that you can get.
J.B. Adams: You work in marketing and business development. Tell us what that means.
Diahann Smith: My role is really to develop partnerships, either [in the] industry or with the media, to try to promote the healthy benefits of milk. In addition to serving as a spokesperson, I also cook once in a while and represent our organization for how to bring those products and milk to life, via yogurt, via cheese, via ice cream — all those different recipes. In addition to that, I like to develop partnerships in the community, sometimes with different products, but also with other businesses that might be sympathetic to our organization and be able to develop promotions in the community.
J.B. Adams: Tell us what you love about this work.
Diahann Smith: I love the variety. Every single day I have a different task, a different opportunity to promote dairy. One day I could be meeting with a Vice President of a foreign country, talking about the dairy industry as a whole. The next day I might be picking up boxes. I’m preparing for an event or cooking or doing dishes. I also love the opportunity to develop relationships. I’m a people person. I think that in the long haul, developing relationships and providing mutually beneficial relationships is very important to me. This job affords me that opportunity to be a resource, to be somebody that can help another organization or another individual achieve their dreams.
Part 2: Diahann Smith’s Backstory and Early Career
Diahann Smith was born in New York City and raised in Puerto Rico, where she lived with her grandparents in a small town. Her grandparents owned and operated several small businesses. Diahann Smith describes how she was influenced by her grandparents’ work ethic, dedication, and compassion when working with their clients and their business. However, Ms. Smith spent much of her time at the corner pharmacy because she wanted to be a pharmacist.
J.B. Adams: Did you get a job at the pharmacy in those early days?
Diahann Smith: I was not in a specific job, but I would say more like a volunteer. I wanted to be a pharmacist, so the pharmacist took me in and would teach me about the medicines. They would teach me about the different control methods, about the names, and what they did. Sometimes they would let me count the pills — probably that’s not okay to do, but I’m sure they counted right after me. During the holidays, like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, I used to work at the perfume counter [at the pharmacy]. I would tell people about perfumes, let them try them out, and wrap them up really pretty. Then at the end of my shift, they would give me perfume, and I would have something to give to my grandfather or to my grandmother. That would be my payment.
J.B. Adams: That’s a great story. It really shows where your priorities were because you had access to all these opportunities, but you made your own opportunities. What advice would you give to a young person who’s trying to find their way and particularly someone who is in a situation similar to yours?
Diahann Smith: If you are interested in a specific topic or area, try to get a job there. Try to volunteer. Try to ask questions. I think especially when you’re a student, professionals are more open to providing information, to meet with you, to give you their time. Take advantage of that. Always, you might find out that you love it or you might find out that you don’t. That experience, either positive or negative, is really important, so do try to find a job or a volunteer opportunity or an internship in the field that you are interested in.
J.B. Adams: You were very interested in pharmacy and then you had a significant transition when you were a teenager. Tell us how that changed your life.
Diahann Smith: When I was fifteen years old, my grandfather passed away, and then I had a crossroads. What did I want to do? Do I want to stay in Puerto Rico, or do I want to move with my grandmother to Florida? That was a big transition moment for me. My grandparents were travel agents, and that’s how I started learning English; when I traveled with them, I used to be their translator. I said, “Well, I want to continue to learn English. I want to have bigger opportunities. So I’m going to move to Florida and I’m going to live with my grandmother and I want to come here to college.”
J.B. Adams: Tell us about the adversity.
Diahann Smith: Moving to a place where you do not know anybody except your family, fitting into high school where people dress differently and acted differently… Everybody already had their own cliques. It was difficult. I remember having to wait for my aunt to come to pick me up after school. I got to meet one person, and I could communicate with them, but it’s hard when you’re trying to communicate and you’re not completely fluent. I worked hard just trying to build relationships. I think that has helped me in my career — the importance of really connecting with somebody, even if it’s not in the same language. There’s a lot to be said for non-verbal communication.
J.B. Adams: You’re a people person who was really challenged with overcoming a language barrier. I think there’s a recurring theme of perseverance.
Diahann Smith: If you’re lucky enough, things happen for you for the first time. For many of us, if we want something, we have to keep on trying. I think perseverance is very important in achieving your goals. Sometimes I don’t write them [my goals] down and I probably should, as everybody else says. If you think about them and you revisit them in your mind often, you can make them happen.
When Diahann Smith came to Florida, she wanted to be a pharmacist. However, while studying at the University of Central Florida (UCF), she realized that pharmacy would not be fulfilling to her as a “people person.” Instead, she chose to pursue a degree in liberal arts with a minor in business and transition into marketing. After changing her major, she interned with the Orlando Sentinel working in marketing and special events.
J.B. Adams: When you switched from pharmacy to marketing, did it feel like this was a better fit?
Diahann Smith: Yes, it was a natural transition. I think you need to love what you do for your career, and I found what I love. I took off and never looked back.
J.B. Adams: While you were at the Sentinel in your internship, you had a valuable takeaway when your boss went on vacation. Tell us about that.
Diahann Smith: My boss said, “Here’s your internship. These are the projects that you’re going to work on. I’m going to be getting married in about two months, and I’m going to leave you here for two weeks. I’m hoping that you can help me out and do the best you can.” My supervisor had not been at the Sentinel for a long time either. By the time he got back from his honeymoon, he’s like, “Diahann, you know more people in this building than I do!” I thought that that was a very fun part. When I ended up getting the job at the end of my internship, he’s like, “That’s the reason I gave you the job — because you took initiative. You went out there and you helped in the H.R. department. You talked to other people in editorial. You did this via your relationships. You were able to complete your job.” It’s not about what I knew; it’s about who I knew.
Part 3: Diahann Smith’s Crummer Experience
Diahann Smith describes her decision to pursue an MBA at the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College.
Diahann Smith: I had already moved from the Orlando Sentinel and got a new job at Florida Dairy Farmers. I had seen over the years that people with master’s [degrees] were advancing, especially in the marketing field. I felt that I was not at the level that I wanted to be. I had wanted to get my master’s for a long time. My mom always helped me out with the kids, and she used to tell me, “Diahann, hurry up, and do it so I can help you.” When I finally decided to make that decision and start my MBA and the application process, my mom passed away unexpectedly.
I had gone to my first interview when she was at the hospital. Unfortunately, she passed away. We were at her funeral in Puerto Rico. I remember, we were at a hotel in San Juan facing the water and I was reflecting on all the things that were happening in my life when I got a call from Crummer. It was that I was accepted. It was such an incredible moment for me. At that point, I decided, not only am I going to do this for me, but I’m also going to do it for my mom.
J.B. Adams: What was one thing that surprised you about your experience while you were a Crummer student?
Diahann Smith: We always hear that Crummer is a very small, tight-knit program. I think that seeing it firsthand is very important. The care that the professors and the staff take on your education, trying to help you achieve what you want to achieve — that’s something that always sticks with me.
J.B. Adams: What advice would you give to a current student?
Diahann Smith: A lot of times we focus on completing the class, doing the homework, and getting a passing grade. I think it’s important to take time to absorb the information. If I had to go back and do this again, after every class, I would write a couple of thoughts down so I can reflect on it. It’s important to reflect on what you learned, what you did, and then also make sure that you connect with your classes, connect with your professors, and develop these relationships that are going to help you in the end.
Part 4: Diahann Smith Applies her Crummer Education
Diahann Smith graduated with her MBA in 2017. She continued her work at Florida Dairy Farmers while pursuing her degree. She discusses how her favorite class at Crummer, Mergers, and Acquisitions with Dr. Halil Kiymaz, influenced her career.
Diahann Smith: He brought everything together. In the program, we’re learning how to look at things from a global perspective, as far as leadership, and what you do in the C Suite — which, of course, is where I want to be. I think that Mergers and Acquisitions were very important because it combined not only the numbers that we learned from accounting, or efficiency from [operations], but also the human capital and how to merge those together. When you’re merging two different companies, you have to pay attention to the people that are coming in and how to bring two separate ideas, opinions, and companies into one new vision.
I thought it was so interesting. In any kind of project that you do, you have two different ideas. I worked with a lot of groups and organizations, and it’s always important to find out — how can we both win? It’s not about somebody winning and somebody losing.
J.B. Adams: Can you give us a brief idea of what’s next for you?
Diahann Smith: After my experience at Crummer, I had the opportunity to be promoted in my position and to expand my role. Sometimes it’s not about the promotion or the title. After you have the experience and exposure to more knowledge, you start influencing other people that you work with. At the same time that you’re trying to teach and impart your knowledge, you’re also learning and growing. So you know what? One day soon, I hope to be in a C suite near you and making a difference in the world, not only in the office but in the community and at home.
J.B. Adams: If there’s anyone out there thinking about whether they should pursue an MBA at Crummer, what advice would you have for them?
Diahann Smith: It’s never too late to learn. Never stop learning and just do it. I wish I would have done it ten years ago. Go to one of the informational sessions. I’ll be there. Call me. Talk to me. Make sure you really do it because it’s just for you.
The Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida is consistently ranked as the number one MBA in the state of Florida. Crummer offers a variety of educational programs to prepare students to become global, innovative, responsible, business leaders.
