In fact, Requarth Lumber has been a cornerstone of Dayton’s lumber industry for more than 160 years. The company made significant contributions to the Wright brothers early aviation projects.
“My dad would take me to work with him sometimes and it was always fun going downtown,” Scovil said. “I loved the city setting.”
Scovil graduated from Centerville High School in 2012 and decided to go to Ohio State University for college. She majored in communication and said she wasn’t sure yet what she wanted to do for a career.
“I have always been creative and loved art growing up but didn’t know how to make that translate into a career,” she said.
Then Scovil discovered marketing and was hired as an intern at an art gallery in Dublin, where she managed the marketing. She ended up teaching herself while on the job and it provided her with real world experience in web design and overall marketing.
“Once I graduated from Ohio State, though I still loved Columbus, I felt ready to move to a new city,” Scovil said.
In 2016, Scovil moved to Cincinnati, which was closer to home in Dayton and familiar. She was still on the fence about work but decided to look for a full-time position in marketing and take on freelance projects.
“I found an agency in Cincinnati that connected creative folks with freelance jobs,” Scovil said. “I was matched with HGC Construction and worked for them on a freelance basis for a year. It was a great experience.”
During the year she worked for HGC Construction, Scovil learned about marketing in the business. But mostly the job felt comfortable to her because of the construction tie.
“Growing up around my dad working in construction materials and with blue collar workers, it just felt like home to me,” Scovil said. “I loved going out to job sites and seeing projects from start to finish.”
Once her freelance gig was finished, Scovil applied for a full-time job with the company but wasn’t hired. Unsure about what to do from there, she thought about turning freelancing into her full-time job but said she didn’t have the confidence that she could fully support herself.
“I had a three-year gap in my career and when Covid hit, it really slowed down,” Scovil said. “The agency that hooked me up with HCG called me and said another construction company needed part time help. We hit it off immediately.”
In March of 2021, Scovil was hired full-time with Triversity Construction in Cincinnati. She was the only member of the company’s marketing department.
“I would not be where I am today if not for that company,” Scovil said. “I learned skills and built relationships and really just blossomed.”
Scovil always knew, though, that she had an entrepreneurial spirit. Six months before leaving Triversity in May of 2024, she knew she wasn’t happy, but she wasn’t sure why. She decided that if she didn’t try, she wouldn’t know if she could make it on her own.
“I knew I needed to give myself the opportunity,” Scovil said. “When I started on my own, I had one client and was only doing project-based stuff.”
After making a promise to herself that she would try freelancing on her own for a full year, Scovil dove in. She became an expert at business development and hit the ground running talking to people about what she did and about her primary niche in the construction industry.
“I did have a few clients not in construction, but it still felt like my natural place was construction,” Scovil said. “It was a pivotal moment when I realized this.”
Scovil ended 2024 with a solid client base for her new company – Ocelli Marketing. She zeroed in on builders and contractors and continued networking. Today 90% of her work is in the construction industry. Now with eight regular clients, Scovil said she is “very busy,” and has hired a part time designer to help her.
“My bread and butter is my network in Cincinnati,” Scovil said. “Anything in the build environment just feels good to me.”
And having grown up with a dad who not only worked in the lumber industry but was always in the family garage “making something with wood or painting,” Scovil said she feels especially connected to her dad, when she is working in her chosen field.
“It feels like my dad is hanging out with me,” Scovil said. “And I’m excited that I’ve finally found something that I’m passionate about. It’s really cool to see how far Dayton has come with downtown and I’m extremely proud to call it home.”
For more information visit the website ocellimarketing.com.
Contact this contributing writer at banspachwriter@gmail.com.
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