TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose By tracing something of my history in becoming a marketing professor and conducting research, I hope to demonstrate that if I can flourish without compromising my ideals or losing my enthusiasm for research, so can anyone.Design/methodology/approach I attempt to show my trajectory, emphasizing the little turns along the way that have sent me in certain directions. I also discuss several of my most cited articles and discuss how they emerged.Findings I emphasize reading broadly, working with interesting co-authors, learning from my students and breaking free of narrow disciplinary boundaries as ways that have helped to stimulate and inspire me. The implicit message here is to take a chance and dare to do something different from what seems to be the mainstream.Practical implications There is certainly no single way to pursue a successful career. But I hope that by showing how I happened to get to where I am, I may give support and encouragement to those who may feel they are outside the academic mainstream in marketing or that their ideas don’t quite jell with those of colleagues.Originality/value The story and opinions here are mine alone. Together with others’ biographies and autobiographies (Shaw and Wilkinson, 2011), hopefully the reader can find a range of possibilities.
VL  - 9
IS  - 2
SN  - 1755-750X
DO  - 10.1108/JHRM-11-2016-0026
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/JHRM-11-2016-0026
AU  - Belk Russell
PY  - 2017
Y1  - 2017/01/01
TI  - Russ Belk, autobiographical reflections
T2  - Journal of Historical Research in Marketing
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 191
EP  - 202
Y2  - 2024/04/19
ER  -