My career began to unfold in a Gen Ed class named Intro to Broadcast Operations (this sentence is very Lord of the Rings). At the time, I hated that in order to pass the class, I had to take shifts at the student radio station, KZLX. To my surprise, I was pretty good on-air and I actually liked doing it. I decided to major in Mass Media. Little did I know, this would be the beginning of my career in marketing and content creation.
Four years later, with a little graphic design, videography, and audio production under my belt, graduation was at my doorstep.
I was offered a gig at a popular Kansas City radio station, but I needed a change of scenery, a challenge. It seemed the most logical thing to do was apply for teaching jobs in China. The obvious choice right? My parents thought I was crazy. In fact, I don't think they believed I would actually do it until I boarded that international flight with a one-way ticket.
Yea, this was definitely a left turn, but something in me knew that I had to go for it, so off to Haikou, China I went!
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That year abroad I got into social media and photography.
I started a travel blog and began dabbling in photography and video production. It was then that I experienced the power of social media, and creating engaging content that attracts an audience.
That year abroad also taught me how to be flexible, empathetic, resourceful, and open-minded. All skills that would later have a huge impact on my work-life.
After coming back to Kansas City I still felt that I needed to experience more. I landed a Marketing job in New York City and after being diagnosed with alopecia I pivoted my travel blog into a Youtube channel about natural hair and wellness. It was a niche concept but I gained a following.
Once again, I was shown the power of creating engaging, authentic content. I learned how vital it is to understand your audience and provide value.