As I scroll through Facebook, I see fellow classmates living in big cities like LA, New York, and Chicago. In the past I often felt jealous that they were courageous enough to leave small town Toledo while I stayed home and drove the same streets, ate at the same restaurants, and went to the same church as I did when I was young. After years of wondering, I realized I did make a choice. I chose home. I realize now that those big cities can’t give me an evening at Ohio Skate with my niece, or a night a 5/3 Field with my parents. In New York, no pizza will ever be as good as the Village Idiot, and no Broadway show can bring the nostalgia of reliving my moment on stage as I watch the Central Catholic Glee Club perform their spring musical at the Valentine Theatre. I am proud to be a woman of Toledo, and I am passionate about using my skills to bring positive change to our community.
I found an interest in digital marketing before I entered junior high. I created my first website when I was 13 years old and carried that passion with me as I graduated with my marketing degree from the University of Toledo. After a few years in the real world, I gained enough confidence to use my marketing talents for the greater good. In addition to working with the Women of Toledo, I became the marketing chair for the Janet Phleger Foundation where we give college scholarships to Toledo high school graduates who had a parent diagnosed with cancer as well as the YWCA, whose mission is to Empower Women and Eliminate Racism. While I’ve been able to use my marketing talents to help these wonderful organizations making a difference in Toledo, I longed for another type of connection with young women in our community. In 2014 I joined Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and was matched with an amazing 12-year-old girl. As she now enters her senior year at Whitmer High School, I am so grateful that I have been able to watch her blossom into a beautiful young woman.
Being able to make an impact in this city with organizations like Women of Toledo has been truly life-changing for me. Women of Toledo’s mission to educate, engage, and empower women is exactly what this city needs to continue to move forward towards its full potential. It’s organizations making a difference like Women of Toledo that makes me proud to call Toledo my home.
Yours Truly,
Julie Woods
Julie Woods is the owner of JWoods Digital Marketing, a digital agency that works with small business owners in the Toledo area to establish and maintain an online brand that stands out from the competition and drives measurable results.