I started writing as a hobby when my parents bought our first computer - I was 12. I would email my friends stories chapter by chapter, and was the first to have a LiveJournal. It housed all of my angst-filled dramatics, but also poems and short stories. When it came time to declare a major at my alma mater, Northern Michigan University, I chose English writing with a focus in journalism. Although my path has taken a few twists and turns since then, my experience has given me an unparalleled skill I like to call the expert impact.
One of my favorite professors once told me, “a journalist's job is to become a temporary expert on whatever subject they are covering.” Temporary in the way that you obviously won’t be called to deliver speeches on the matter, but informed enough to school friends in casual conversation. This skill has followed me into every industry I’ve worked. Eventually, I took the impact to the level above temporary. I started working in a coffee shop when I was 16, which led to a craving for more food and beverage knowledge. Seven years later I had climbed the ladder from host to server, bartender, and eventually Assistant General Manager of a Michelin Star restaurant. It was only a matter of time before my creative instincts took over and I was back at a keyboard, marketing the industry I had spent so much time studying.
It was then that I realized what a powerful tool social media was, and how the expert impact benefitted me when working with these platforms. When I switched from food and beverage to marketing live music, I spent hours researching similar accounts. I read articles on the best times to post on social media and tips on live music photography. I worked everyday to gain knowledge in my new industry in order to be the most effective at my position. I did (and still do!) the same exact thing when I began managing social media for Chicagoland Doulas and Sideshow Gallery. In my opinion, being viewed as supremely knowledgable in your field is the highest of compliments. It draws people to you, and keeps them coming back for your guidance. My clients are true experts in their industries, and in order to represent them properly, I have to be one myself!
S.O. Social was founded on the endless, boundless search for knowledge. Let's teach each other something new!
