Not just another company: How I’m making social impact the focus of my new career path
Life has a funny way of placing you exactly where you need to be at precisely the right moment. As I embark on my journey as a female entrepreneur I decided to take a look back at how I arrived at this moment.
Knight Life
In 2008, I was a student at the University of Central Florida earning my Advertising and Public Relations degree. I had just joined the executive board for Knight-Thon, UCF’s largest student-run philanthropy supporting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Along with my desire to help this growing program, I desperately wanted to work for UCF Athletics.
The year prior, UCF opened the on-campus Bright House Networks Stadium. The opening game vs Texas Longhorns will go down as one of the most electric (and hot) environments I’ve ever been in. I was in the color guard for the Marching Knights and as we entered the field, I couldn’t hear a thing besides the buzz of a sold-out stadium. My heart felt like it was literally beating out of my chest. UCF’s famous zombie nation chant shook television cameras and the stadium coined the name, “The Bounce House.”
After an incredible football season, I wanted in on the action. One day in my PR Writing class, I sat down next to a girl I had never met before. I don’t know what made me mention it, but I expressed the hope to work for the UCF Athletics Communications department. She then proceeded to tell me that she was a current intern there and wanted someone to take her spot. As my jaw dropped, she continued to say she would walk me over to the office after class. While in gym clothes, I thought this is definitely not ideal first impression material. She shrugged it off and told me I’d be fine. As she promised, we walked over to meet with Doug Richards, the Director of Athletics Communications.
With no resume and no formal interview, I had secured a summer internship with UCF Athletics that lasted throughout my entire college experience.
I would spend nearly every football in the press box managing the participation chart, handing out stats to President Hitt and networking.
One of the reporters that helped cover the Knights was current, Orlando Magic Insider, John Denton. We had built up a rapport at the games and one day he asked to grab lunch. He explained he would need to travel for a UCF Men’s Basketball game and needed help with post-game quotes for an Orlando Magic vs Lakers game. Now, this was the ‘08-’09 season where Dwight Howard helped lead the Magic to the Finals against the Lakers, so externally I was trying to play it as cool as possible. Internally, I was freaking out. There was no other answer, but YES. HECK YES.
I’ll never forget having my first media pass, walking into the Orlando Magic locker room to interview the players and meeting all of the Orlando media I would soon see again very shortly working the ’09 Capitol One and Champs Sports Bowl Games with Florida Citrus Sports.
All of this was happening in parallel with helping run Knight-Thon as the External Director, interning at Curley & Pynn, Cox Radio, working a part-time job and taking 16–18 credit hours each semester. Looking back, I don’t even know how it all fit! When I realized I had the chance to graduate early in December of 2010, I thought why not? I was excited to take everything I had learned to the workplace.
Post-Graduation
I was back in Sarasota and applied everywhere, except in Florida. I wanted to travel and experience a new state. Come March I was…frustrated is the wrong word, I felt defeated. In college, everything was easy — it just came naturally. I went to my high school guidance counselor to vent, when a mentor for the non-profit, Take Stock in Children (“TSIC”) politely asked if he could introduce me to Lisa Bechtold, the Executive Director of Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County. With nothing to lose, I decided to take this stranger up on breakfast with Lisa.
Lisa is an angel to many, but I really don’t know where I’d be without her. As we talked at breakfast, Lisa mentioned how she had just received a grant for a marketing position. Another jaw dropping moment. I show up to breakfast and walk away with my first job, the Director of Marketing and Development for Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County. My job consisted of: Planning a two-week summer camp, writing scripts for our PSA, producing a flash mob (remember when those we’re cool?) and endless other efforts. After about two and half years at TSIC, I had this gut feeling that I needed to go to New York City.
I can’t help but laugh now, as I told Lisa I was moving to New York City with no job, living in a $3,300 apartment in Harlem and was just going to figure it out.
But, that’s exactly what happened.
The Move — Feb 1, 2013
I was extremely fortunate to move to NYC with two friends. We were a huge support system for each other as we learned how to navigate through the Big Apple. A few months prior to moving, I visited the city to interview at a number of PR firms and start-ups. My trip happened to be the week after Hurricane Sandy and during the middle of a Nor’ Eastern. Needless to say, all of interviews were cancelled and my suede grey boots were garbage.
Sitting on my friend’s couch in Brooklyn, I didn’t want this trip to go to waste. I googled, “sports conferences nyc.” To my luck there was one the next day, “Sports Business Journal’s Sports, Media and Technology Conference” at the Marriott Marquis. The ticket price was high, so I thought maybe I can volunteer? Extremely naive, I showed up that next day. Volunteering was not an option, but I did manage to grab a booklet with a list of all the attendees.
I knew one person on that list.
Immediately I emailed him and he met me in the lobby. We walked into a session where Omnigon was marked as a sponsor. I googled “Omnigon” and the logos of NASCAR, PGA TOUR, FOX Sports and others popped up. I knew I needed to make an introduction. I don’t remember what I said in my first email to Dave Nugent, but I got an interview. I sent him a hand-written thank you card and I remember my first day on the job, that card was still sitting at his desk.
Entering Digital
Working at Omnigon was a huge learning curve. The experiences I had and lessons I learned are invaluable — From taking my first business flight to LA, pitching a room of American Idol executives to learning an entire world of digital I didn’t know existed. As a Florida girl learning the ropes of Manhattan, the Omnigon team quickly became like family.
In the summer of 2015, I started to become really interested in the business role social media had with companies. I thought I should take a peek at what PR firms are doing in the digital/social space. Again, I googled, “top PR firms nyc.” Dan Klores Communications (“DKC”) came up #2. I had never heard of them, so I clicked on the blog section of their website and Kristin Boehm had just been hired from People.com to lead DKC Connect, the digital and social division. I shot Kristin a note, and we decided to meet. After a great meeting, she expressed they were only looking for junior staff at the time. Less than a week later, I was back at DKC meeting with Sean Cassidy, President of DKC and soon after offered the job as Senior Digital Strategist.
Leaving a team I respected so highly and clients I enjoyed working with was extremely difficult. I made the decision and took a leap of faith to work at DKC.
#DKCConnect
At DKC, I was empowered to lead accounts, bring forth innovative digital ideas and be a leader on new business pitches. Working alongside the Sports Illustrated team to launch the 2016 Swimsuit Issue, helping produce a Facebook Live for Empire’s Taraji P. Henson and taking over Good Morning America’s social channels for weather anchor, Sam Champion are just a few of the incredible projects I was fortunate to work on.
I think something that stands out the most at DKC, was the green light I was given to launch, DKC Impact with SVP Bruce Bobbins. After spending a week in the Dominican Republic volunteering with the impact cruise line, Fathom, something had changed. I came back to work and felt we could do more to give back. DKC Impact launched in the Fall of 2016 to not only work pro-bono with non-profits, but allow employees the ability to apply to work on different projects, thus getting the chance to work with colleagues they would normally not interact with. To date, DKC Impact has worked with six non-profits and engaged 24 employees. I hope the program only continues to grow.
Faith
I’m not sure if there was an exact moment where I knew I wanted to start my own company. My Dad is a small business owner and maybe it was a thought tucked away watching him work all these years, but one day, I just said it out loud. I believe God is ALWAYS listening and he must have been listening extra closely that day. Once the words were spoken, doors started to open. I went to a networking event with my boss and Afdhel Aziz, author of, “GOOD is the new COOL” was speaking. When he spoke about his interviews with executives building new business models based upon social impact, my soul was on fire.
I bought the book and couldn’t put it down. I took endless notes and the words, “positive” and “equation” were starred on my notebook.
I thought, this is happening…I’m going to take what I’ve learned in the social and digital world and help the industries I have a passion for: Sports, media, entertainment and non-profit to create purpose-driven approaches to their social strategies. Then panic set in, how would I do this? Am I leaving my stable full-time job? Just going for it?
Answers: Not really quite sure and yes and yes.
The Hustle
As I write this post, I’m 30,000 feet in the air leaving a FOX Empire Visual Album shoot in LA where I was able to work with an incredibly talented production team. #IsThisRealLife
I don’t know what God has in store for me in this next chapter with Positive Equation, but I have faith in Him and my ability to hustle for something I believe in.
Let’s use social for good and change the world. :)
#PositiveEquation
