1.

What brought you to Mayo Clinic, and how long have you worked here?

I grew up in Michigan surrounded by the automotive industry, where the “Big Three” – General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler – are headquartered. My dad was an engineer at General Motors for more than 40 years, and naturally this led me to begin an advertising career for automotive accounts. For over 20 years, I strategically created advertising and design solutions for Ford Motor Company, Audi, Lincoln, and Kia. Around 2019, something began to stir inside of me. The workdays began to resemble “Groundhog Day,” replaying the same day repeatedly, and I started to feel burnt out and creatively stagnate. That’s when I began to think about moving on to something new. But what?

One morning as I awoke, I grabbed my phone and opened LinkedIn. After a few swipes, I came across a repost from a colleague for the creative director position for Mayo Clinic Laboratories (MCL). I had an overwhelming feeling about this opportunity that inspired me to apply that day. I am happy to say I celebrated my second year with Mayo Clinic on May 24, 2023.

Amy Turunen

2.

What’s your current role and what does a typical workday look like for you?

As the creative director for Mayo Clinic Laboratories, each day brings unique creative opportunities and projects. Working alongside the marketing team, I funnel creative requests for design solutions for a variety of marketing support materials. For example, some projects I work on could be social media posts, product flyers, brochures, e-books, presentations, website graphics and designs, trade show booth designs, video graphics, proposal designs, conference and seminar designs, photoshoots, campaign conceptualizations, and creative ideation. I am fortunate to have the support of two very talented senior art directors, Tom Gallus and Adam Bowlin, who help strategically tackle all requests that come our way. Our creative solutions always align and continue to define MCL branding initiatives and our visual identity.

3.

How do you think your work benefits providers and patients?

Our marketing materials curate testing awareness and provide insightful information to physicians, lab partners, and patients. When we center the needs of the patient first and administer the right test to the right patient at the right time, we can help find answers for proper diagnosis and treatment for patients. There is no greater benefit than knowing that through testing, a patient received the answers they were searching for that improved their health or even saved their life.

4.

Is there anything about you or your job that others might find surprising?

As a remote worker, my daily “coworkers” are my three dogs, two cats, and a parrotlet. They are my passions, however, sometimes they misbehave the moment I get on a Zoom call. Another passion of mine is fitness. I’ve taught a variety of group fitness classes, but now I focus on personal training after hours. It is so rewarding to see my clients get stronger and more confident.

5.

Which part(s) of your job is the most challenging, and why?

After many years of reporting to an office, I love being a remote worker and I appreciate the new mode of work life. Also, I embrace Zoom, Teams, email, texting, and chat communication technologies. However, each day’s schedule does fill up with a lot of meetings and chimes, which can take away from the creative ideation process. The challenge can be finding balance.

6.

What gives you meaning and purpose in your work?

There is an incredible sense of camaraderie and support among leadership, my team, and the marketing group. Their support, recognition, and encouragement drive me to continue improving professionally and personally. It is such a pleasure to work with individuals that share similar goals and strive for creative solutions that will help patients in the long run.