The other night, I shared a lighthearted post to Instagram stories about my work from home set up. It included my fresh cup of coffee and my laptop resting on the box of a family-favorite game. While it’s not glamorous, the game box provides the perfect laptop height for Zoom calls and those on the other side of my computer can’t see it anyway. After viewing this story post, one of my friends, and former coworker, responded that the stickers on my laptop tell quite the story.

What a cool insight! I realized he is right. This laptop has been with me through a lot of distinct roles, across my varied career. The stickers are silent storytellers.

After leaving Law Enforcement I ventured into the marketing and communications sphere. The orange hexagonal mobius strip was a portion of the Polymer Solutions logo. Polymer was my parents’ company; my dad started it back in 1987 and poured blood, sweat and tears into it for over 30 years. Mom joined the journey along the way and was an amazing team-builder and leader. It was such a sweet and special time to be part of the family business, growing and learning alongside my parents and older brother. 

I left the family business to pursue my unexpected dream of owning my own marketing agency. The Blue Mobius Marketing logo was created to nod to the “thin blue line” of Law Enforcement and also played off of the shape of the Polymer Solutions logo, the mobius form. My company was born from a belief that people should always come first and if you show up and do what you love, the magic will happen. Along the way I managed to hire the dream team of employees and together, we made a positive impact. I look back on the 18 months of rapid and sustained growth with gratitude and awe. 

The “g” logo on the black speckled background represents Go Brand. It is one of the brands within the Joba Design portfolio. Joba is the company that acquired Blue Mobius and as a result paired their impactful design offerings with compelling communications of Blue Mobius. Truly, it was a fantastic creative fusion! 

The green Q is the logo for a company I care about deeply. Qualtrax, a compliance software solution, was a major part of my professional world both at Polymer Solutions and Blue Mobius. At Polymer, I was their client and benefitted from their powerful and purposeful software product. At Blue Mobius, I was blessed to have them as a major client. They are unashamedly dedicated to a company culture that values purpose, joy and excellence. They inspire me with how they value people first and know that as a result, they are able to create something great.

My #HighlanderPride sticker represents both where I’ve come from and where I am now. I’m a very proud alumnus of Radford University. Now, I serve as the Associate Vice President for University Relations. I have so much for our University and a deeply rooted belief in our mission to provide students with transformative educational opportunities. 

The vibrant green sticker with the silhouette of a little girl is for New Hope Girls. I serve on the board for this nonprofit organization located in the Dominican Republic. They rescue girls from the darkest of places and provide refuge and restoration. I love supporting this organization and working to make a lasting impact in critical areas. It makes me happy that they use a bright and beautiful color as a primary part of their logo. The color speaks to the vibrancy of their spirits and refusal to succumb to the darkness.

There is a City of Radford sticker and Virginia is for Lovers sticker that nod to my love for our region. I was born and raised in the New River Valley and am now so proud to raise my family here. 

The sticker that reads, “Empowered Women Empower Women” was a gift given to me after speaking to the Collegiate Women in Business at Virginia Tech. I remember how those women were so generous with their time and attention. They inspired me with their enthusiasm and reminded me that we have a responsibility to each other — to uplift, support and encourage. Empowering other women is something I love to do!

I love how these computer stickers provide a road map and testimony to the beautiful, vibrant and meaningful career journey I have traveled. I never thought reflecting on a series of stickers could leave my heart feeling so full and overflowing with gratitude — but here I am. Where are you?

I’d love to hear about your “sticker story” whether they are affixed to your guitar case or laptop, or are actually magnets on your refrigerator. What landmarks do you have that mark your journey? 

Have we connected on Instagram yet?

If not, make sure we do! It is currently my platform of choice and a whole lot of fun! @CaitlynScaggs