A few weeks ago, on June 2, the Incentive Marketing Association announced its nominees and shortlisted candidates for the 2025 IMA Awards. This is a quick thank you to the Incentive Marketing Association for naming me one of two finalists for the 2025 Incentive Industry Influencer of the Year Award.

Many of us have had them…Jobs that never made it to the résumé. Roles that don’t quite “fit” our career narrative. Positions that got left off LinkedIn—not because they weren’t meaningful, but because they didn’t align with our so-called professional brand. This week, I’m sharing one of those stories. In my late 20s, I took a six-month job that had absolutely nothing to do with incentives, gift cards, loyalty, or payments. I worked at Bredenbecks - a Bavarian bakery.