“Each moment that you’re able to get up again and keep pushing, that’s success.”
Cynthia Ford is the Founder and CEO of Cynthia O Writing & Consulting, a South Carolina-based firm specializing in writing services, consulting, and speaking engagements. Her company focuses on three core areas; authoring inspirational literature, providing strategic business consulting, and delivering transformative speaking engagements
About
Cynthia Ford is a South Carolina-based writer, consultant, and founder of Cynthia O Writing and Consulting. After working for 15 years at the Department of Juvenile Justice and in education, she made the leap into full-time entrepreneurship in 2023. Her business includes grant writing, content development, social media management, and author services anchored by her deep love for literature.
Cynthia is also an artist-in-residence for literature and a published author with four books to her name. Each day looks different in her world, but her work always blends planning, creativity, and community connection. She sets aside time for writing, client meetings, content creation, and self-reflection, often starting her mornings outdoors or with a podcast.
One of the most meaningful moments in her career was launching her second book, Dream Like a Queen, through a collaboration with the Marion County Library. She hosted a tea party for young girls, complete with princess gowns, crafts, photo booths, and story time. That event helped children see the library as a magical space and brought literacy to life in a new way.
Cynthia encourages aspiring creatives to prepare thoughtfully before making big transitions. She’s learned to stay focused on her path, resist outside pressure, and build a foundation rooted in her strengths. Whether through consulting, writing, or workshops, Cynthia continues to grow a career that brings value to others and joy to herself. For her, success is not measured by accolades, but by impact and the courage to keep going, even when it’s hard.
“You know your worth, trust yourself and follow your path.”
Caletta Harris is the founder and owner of Reel2Real Productions, a video production company that has been transforming stories into powerful visual narratives for nearly 20 years. She is based in South Carolina and works nationally, blending creative passion with purpose-driven storytelling by using media to empower, educate, and amplify voices across South Carolina.
About
The powerhouse behind Reel2Real Productions is a woman with a camera and a mission. For nearly two decades, she has built a full-service video production company that thrives on diversity of stories, clients, and causes. Based in South Carolina, her work stretches far beyond its borders, but the state’s rich history and collaborative spirit have deeply shaped her creative journey.
Her most defining project came from a moment of action. After reading about Columbia City Council’s plan to address homelessness, she didn’t just sit back, she grabbed her camera. That impulse led to No Address, a powerful documentary series tackling the criminalization of homelessness, featuring stories from Columbia and Atlanta. The films, now streaming on Amazon and other platforms, sparked conversations in schools and inspired action in communities. As she puts it, “That has had the biggest impact on my life… I want to be part of the solution now.”
Balancing entrepreneurship and advocacy, she lives by a few guiding principles: meditate, protect your peace, and always follow your own path. “When you know your worth,” she says, “trust yourself.” Her story is a testament to what happens when creative passion meets purpose and never gives up. Caletta defines success through longevity and relationships. “My longest client has been with me for 15 years,” she shares, viewing trust and retention as the ultimate markers of success. Grounded in mindfulness, community connection, and creative authenticity, her work is both a business and a mission. “Take time to find your peace. Even five minutes of stillness can open the door to creativity,” she advises fellow artists navigating today’s fast-paced world.
“It’s just that when we’re conceptualizing art, we always think of it as something that has happened, but not something you can do in your own life, like in the current moment. So Don’t wait for permission. Just start working and start sharing.”
Evelyn Berry, poet and educator from Columbia, SC, uses her voice to champion authenticity and queer Southern storytelling. Through workshops, editing, and her acclaimed poetry, she inspires writers to embrace vulnerability and speak truth to power.
About
Evelyn Berry’s story is one of authenticity, resilience, and artistic devotion. A poet and editor raised in South Carolina, Evelyn began writing seriously at 16, publishing in local journals and never looking back. Today, she is the author of multiple poetry collections, including Grief Slut, and forthcoming Tea for Tea, Evelyn’s writing is deeply informed by her identity as a queer Southerner and her commitment to storytelling that uplifts marginalized voices. Beyond her books, she leads creative writing workshops for festivals, universities, and nonprofits, and works as a freelance editor and library communications strategist.
Evelyn’s writing is confessional and political, shaped by her experiences as a queer person in the South. “It’s impossible for pretty much anything I write not to be viewed by others as political,” she said. In a world where many discourage political storytelling, Evelyn insists on honoring the truths of lived experience. Evelyn’s work reflects a deep love for art and advocacy. As she shared, “All of our lives are very political,” and her writing unapologetically reflects that truth.
She emphasizes that success is “writing something that people respond to… that might change how they think or how they feel.” Her advice to aspiring artists is simple yet bold: “Don’t wait for permission. Just start making and start sharing.”
Through her books, mentorship, and community work, Evelyn creates space for voices often silenced. Her story is a reminder that art is both personal and communal and that creativity, when wielded with courage, can shift culture.
“I define success by being able to wake up and actually see my work impacting the lives of others.”
Desiree Williams is a licensed esthetician and educator. Desiree is turning creative passion into community impact, one lash, lesson, and life at a time.
About
For Desiree Williams, being a licensed esthetician isn’t just a job; it’s something she’s super passionate about, driven by creativity, mentorship, and resilience. Based in Columbia, South Carolina, she’s not only a certified esthetics instructor but also the founder of a growing beauty business specializing in master lash extensions. But her influence goes way beyond what happens in the salon.
Every night at 9 PM, Desiree hosts free lash classes on TikTok, giving guidance and support to aspiring beauty pros all over the country. With over 1,500 students under her belt, she sees success not in dollars, but in real transformations: “I’ve learned that my success is in helping people change their lives in a real, true way.”
Her journey hasn’t been a walk in the park. She started her business from home without any funding and faced a lupus diagnosis right when her career was taking off. Through it all, she learned how to create sustainable systems and find a healthy balance. “You don’t realize how much you’re pouring into something until you step back and look at the bigger picture,” she says.
Today, she credits South Carolina’s awesome support for micro-businesses, including the Columbia Business Office’s Next Level program, for helping her keep growing. Surrounded by local esthetics communities and entrepreneurial mixers, she’s built a vibe filled with support and opportunities.
“It’s a very fortunate blessing to find something in life that you like enough that you do it before you’re paid for it.”
Philip Mullen is a Painter and professor emeritus Philip Mullen reflects on decades of artmaking and mentoring and why South Carolina and a bathtub shaped his creative life.
About
Philip Mullen is a well-known painter and a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of South Carolina. For over fifty years, he’s poured his energy into large-scale acrylic painting, mentoring others, and staying true to his artistic vision. His awesome studio in Columbia even got a shoutout in The Artist Magazine. He’s had major shows in New York and participated in the prestigious Whitney Biennial. Throughout his journey in the art world, Mullen has shown both resilience and style.
Mullen opens up about the unique challenges and quirks of keeping an artistic practice going for life. He talks about stuff like making custom racks for his big canvases, learning to fix elevators in Andy Warhol’s old studio, and how he juggles teaching with showcasing his art. “To be an artist, you’ve got to have it in one seat. You’ve got to have a big ego … But myself, like most artists I know, have very fragile egos.”
During his 31 years at USC, Mullen created a hands-on course called The Artist Experience. This class lets students dive into practical learning by visiting studios, firing pottery, and getting up close with Degas sculptures.
Even though he faced some early doubts, especially from his own family, Mullen built a career based on passion rather than prestige. “In a way, to me, the success has to do with putting together a life in which I could spend a lot of time making paintings,” he explains. In this heartfelt conversation, he reflects on the joy of being creative, the need to keep that creativity going over time, and why Columbia, South Carolina, is such a big part of his artistic journey.
“The more you push yourself out of your comfort zone and out of the box you’re used to, the more confident you get.”
Tori Hord is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C. She grew up in Loris, S.C., and earned her bachelors in graphic design at Coastal Carolina University. She continued her graphic design with a Master of Graphic Design M.G.D. at North Carolina State University.
Interview
Transcript
Tori Hord
My name is Tori Hord. I am from Loris, South Carolina, so very close to Coastal [Carolina University], like 30-ish minutes. And I currently teach graphic design at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Emma Plutnicki
So how long have you been working there?
Tori Hord
Seven years.
Emma Plutnicki
Wow. Amazing. And your official job title, would that just be graphic design teacher?
Tori Hord
Associate Professor of Graphic Design.
Emma Plutnicki
Amazing. So how did you get into that? How did you find that job? And how did you just end up in that field overall?
Tori Hord
That’s an interesting, so I started when I started Coastal. I went to undergrad there, I started as a biology major. About a semester or two semesters in, I decided to switch my major to graphic design without telling any of my family and made them all have a small heart attack when they found out.
Emma Plutnicki
Oh my gosh.
Tori Hord
But it’s always something that I’ve loved. So it was a really good change for me. And from there, I just, I was just very passionate about it. And when I graduated, I got a job in the field. And I worked there for a couple years and then decided that I wanted to pursue my masters in graphic design. So I went and got a masters in graphic design from NC State. And then when I graduated from NC State, there were, y’know, lots of applying to jobs, and I landed here in Fayetteville at Methodist University.
Emma Plutnicki
Amazing. So what made you switch from biology to graphic arts? Was it more hating biology? Or was it more a passion for graphic arts?
Tori Hord
It was more passion for sure. Always loved it growing up, but just never considered or thought of it as a turning something I loved into the career. And once I figured out that I could do that, I was like, “Absolutely. Let’s do this.”
Emma Plutnicki
Yeah. More fun, probably. So can you walk us through a typical work day? Like, what’s expected of you, what your work process looks like, what kind of things you work on?
Tori Hord
Yes, absolutely. So for me, I think being, teaching design and being a professor, you kind of get the best of both worlds. So my initial attraction to teaching it, you know, other than just loving the subject and wanting to share more was that it has a great schedule. You have time for, you know, it’s a great work life balance for the most part. And that also gives you lots of time to continue to work in the field, which I was adamant about not stopping, I didn’t want to stop my design career to teach, I wanted something that would allow me to do both. And that’s what the shop does, which I love it, you get a great schedule, you get a, you know, it’s a steady, it’s not like you’re freelancing all the time, it’s a steady income. Day to day, it depends on what classes I have offered, but I teach anywhere from two to three, like studio length classes a day. So I’m in the art building, in the studio, working with students. And then when I’m not teaching I’m in my office, you know, doing housekeeping things and preparing and also working on my own work.
Tori Hord
Amazing. So the classes that you teach, are those different levels of graphic designer, or do they have specialties within them?
Tori Hord
Yes, I teach at all levels. So I teach the freshmen their first semester, on up to the seniors in their last semester. And everything in between. So I see a little bit of all of them all the time.
Emma Plutnicki
Yeah, that’s great. So can you describe a defining moment in your, like, creative journey so far? So maybe it’s a specific project that really showcased your creativity or had a significant impact on you?
Tori Hord
The one, this is ironic, but the one that really comes to mind as being most memorable for me was actually at Coastal at the Athenaeum Press.
Emma Plutnicki
Oh, really?
Tori Hord
Yes, we worked on the Gullah Geechee project. And there was, we traveled out to these different places and took photographs and did interviews and then the project itself won an Addy Award at the end. So it was kind of like a, a quintessential moment for me. I was like, “this is actually going to work. This is neat. We’re getting recognition for work that me and my friends have, you know, kind of poured our hearts into.” So that was a big moment for me.
Emma Plutnicki
Yeah, I’ve seen that work. It was great. So I’m sure that was a really fun time to work on. So do you think this career path is challenging? What challenges have you faced and how have you been able to kind of overcome those challenges? Because being in a creative career as a whole is pretty challenging, but how have you kind of worked through this?
Tori Hord
It is, I would say it was challenging. And it’s um, it’s like with anything you do, the more you do it, the more you push yourself out of your comfort zone and out of the box that you’re used to, the more confident you get in it. I do remember my first year teaching anything, I was terrified, right? I’m standing up in front of this group of people. And you’re suddenly faced with like, “I know nothing,” right? “I am not qualified to do this, I should not be here. Why did these people give me a job.” But the more you do it, you realize, “okay, I’m equipped, I have the knowledge, I’ve done the education, I have a passion for it.” So for me, it really was just making sure I was getting out of my comfort zone, and putting in the effort… and it was fantastic. But the more I was in those classrooms with the students and got to know them, and saw their excitement for it, everything just came together.
Emma Plutnicki
Yeah, that’s amazing. So within your specific field, can you think of any skills that you possess that helped you land that role, or any skills that you think an applicant should have to increase their chances of getting that role? I know, like you’re in teaching, so is there any like connection with teaching that you had to help you or was your skill in graphic design, like the driving force to lead you to teaching, or just in general, like any skills that helped you?
Tori Hord
Obviously, to be able to teach art or graphic design or anything, you have to have a certain level of knowledge, but especially for art design, you also have to have a certain level of skill, right, you have to be able to get to that point. So a portfolio is still a big part of this job, even though it’s not a, the focus is not necessarily all design, you know, work all the time, you still have to have a great portfolio, you still have to make sure that you’re paying attention to the detail, because it matters when getting these roles. And I think the other part of it is, is communication, being able to talk about what you want from that job, but also be able to talk about your work in ways that ties it in to people that might not necessarily be in your field. Which is a great skill for designers have anyway, because there’s lots of contact with people outside of the art world. So being able to communicate those ideas and your thoughts and passions to those people is really important, too.
Emma Plutnicki
Yeah. It’s a very important skill. And so, you studied in South Carolina, and now working in North Carolina. Are there any like organizations or programs or events that you recommend for people who are trying to get into that field? Is there any like conferences you went to that helped you network to figure out, like, gain more connections within the creative world or anything like that in the area?
Tori Hord
Yeah, I’m a big supporter of AIGA [the Professional Association for Design] I’ve been a member of AIGA since I was an undergrad, and continued that. But more so than that, I found a lot of helpful was these kind of like open houses for different schools. So when I was pursuing my master’s or thinking about going to get my graduate degree, I looked into these different kind of open houses, kind of meet and greets. And I met a lot of really great people and lots of great networking opportunities just from doing that. And that had no ties to it. You didn’t have to, no commitments, you’re just kind of going and exploring and learning about what your options are.
Emma Plutnicki
That makes sense. So AIGA, you said?
Tori Hord
Yes.
Emma Plutnicki
What does that stand for, do you know?
Tori Hord
American Institute of Graphic Arts.
Emma Plutnicki
Okay, awesome. I’m sure a lot of people know that. I didn’t know. That’s amazing.
Tori Hord
The chapter here is in Raleigh, the closest one. But a lot of universities have like local student chapters. I know Coastal used to have one, whenever I was there. And we have one here. It’s just a great opportunity for professionals and students to kind of connect.
Emma Plutnicki
Yeah, that’s amazing. So great. Thanks for saying all this. This is such an interesting field. I’m sure you have fun with it every day. But just as we wrap up, do you have any advice for current college students or just people who are looking to get into these fields in creative professions?
Tori Hord
Follow what you’re passionate in. That was a big thing for me. So I went along with, like I said, the biology doing what I thought I was supposed to do, and what, you know, everyone was like, “Oh, you’d be great, at you know, XYZ, you’d be a great doctor, you’d be great at this.” And in the back of my mind, there was always something like, “Maybe but I don’t know that I want it.” And just listening to that little voice, and you know, going after what you do want, regardless of what other people might think which, I mean is, you know, life anyway right?
Emma Plutnicki
Yeah. No, that’s great advice. I definitely need to listen to that too.
“Everyone’s got their own journey, and you have to find your way. I would never discourage anyone from a journey in the applied arts or the creative arts if they have the drive and the will to do it. Because that’s the biggest part of it: just being disciplined.”
Marius Valdes is an artist, illustrator, and professor of Studio Art teaching graphic design and illustration at the University of South Carolina. Valdes received his BFA in graphic design from the University of Georgia (UGA) and his MFA in visual communication from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Valdes is originally from Charleston and lives in Columbia.
About
“Being a professional creative is not for the weak of heart,” said Valdes. “You need to be patient and persistent.” He recalled the first time, as a college student, that he told his father he wanted to major in art. “I remember driving with my dad and telling him, ‘I think I’m going to be an art major.’ I was waiting for him to say, ‘What are you thinking?!’ but he just said to me, ‘Well, if you do something that you love, you’ll never really work.’ And I feel like that. I do work, but I work on things I care about. And that, to me, is one of the most important things.”
Valdes didn’t set out to be a university professor. After graduating from the University of Georgia (UGA), he worked as a graphic designer for several years and allowed his creativity to determine his next step.
“I was exploring illustration and enjoying it more than graphic design. I wasn’t very good about talking about my work, and I thought grad school would help with that, as well as allowing me to refocus my work and make myself more marketable,” said Valdes. Valdes earned a scholarship for his MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and part of that scholarship included teaching a class.
“I just loved it,” said Valdes. “I found that even though some of the students were in some ways more talented than I was, I knew more than them because I’d been doing it as a professional, and I really enjoyed it.”
In addition to teaching, Valdes works as an artist creating work for area organizations. “The past couple years I’ve been working with the Medical University of South Carolina children’s hospitals,” said Valdes. “I created some murals for them, created some kids’ activities books for therapists to use, and that’s been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. One day, a man I work with came up and said, ‘My kid is obsessed with your frog mural. It’s made a real difference.’ So it’s sad because seeing that mural means you have a sick kid, but it’s also rewarding to know it had an impact.”
“When you live with this experience of being the one dealing with this inaccessible content for over 30 years, you recognize what the issues are. And you have the skills to articulate the issues, you’re kind of in a position where if that’s something you’re interested in, that path sort of finds you automatically.”
Sarah Massengale is an alumnus of Converse University and the University of South Carolina. She holds a public relations and music degree. At the time of the interview, she was the community access specialist at Able South Carolina, but she is currently a Web Accessibility Auditor at McGraw Hill.
About
Sarah Massengale, a native of Barnwell, South Carolina, began her career in the music world after graduating from Converse University performing opera. However, she soon realized the limited opportunities for a music career in South Carolina, particularly for individuals with disabilities.
This realization sparked a fire within her, leading her to return to school and earn a degree in public relations from the University of South Carolina (USC). Throughout this journey, Massengale’s frustrations with inaccessible web content, an issue she has faced for most of her life, began to fester, fueling her passion for advocacy. Massengale recognized that inaccessible web content worked within the parameters of her public relations degree, and she soon took on the role of facilitator in her training and in her time working with a student-led public relations agency at USC, furthering her way to her current career. Eventually, during the pandemic, Massengale received a job with Able South Carolina, a disability-led organization working to create change within systems, communities, and individuals to be more inclusive of all people with disabilities.
Massengale’s typical workday changes daily based on her responsibilities of facilitating training on digital accessibility, creating accessibility content, and conducting digital accessibility audits on websites and web platforms. Though Massengale mentions the challenges in trying to reach clients to get them on board with having digital accessibility, and even still to this day, Massengale herself, outside of work, faces inaccessible content, she is most inspired by her impactful work with the South Carolina Arts Commission to continue working to make change.
From Massengale’s experience leading to her career path as a Community Access Specialist and her work with Able South Carolina, she offers advice to up-and-coming creatives interested in entering this career path and the next generation of creatives. “Do not let anyone, whether it be an academic institution, family, non-disabled peers, state agencies, or whoever, do not let anyone dictate your career path, and do not let anyone tell you that you cannot do your career path.”
“If you ever start to feel inadequate at what you’re doing, don’t let that stop you.”
Whitney McDonald is the Theatre Operator for the Amentum Center of Performing Arts and the Aiken Community Theatre in Aiken, S.C. She acts as a liaison between the city and the theater, runs the box office, and handles communications for the theater.
About
Whitney McDonald formerly worked in retail and banking, acting at the Aiken Community Theatre as a hobby. When the previous theatre operator announced her retirement, McDonald decided to apply. “I had been a part of the theater for a long time,” she says. “I always thought to myself, ‘Man, if she ever retired, it would be really great to have her position.’”
McDonald got a job offer two weeks after her interview. “It just worked out,” she says. “I knew everyone in the theater anyway, but I’ve always been a performer. I’ve always been on stage, I’ve done a little bit backstage. But I didn’t ever really realize how much goes on behind the scenes to run a theater.”
McDonald starts her day at 8 a.m., when she checks her email and voicemail, and makes sure everything in the theater itself is ready for production. Because she works for both the theatre and the city, she handles communication and manages the box office. “It kind of just depends on what’s going on that week. There’s always something different to do every day.”
McDonald says that every theater’s administration is different from being on stage, and each venue requires something different from its theatre operator. “Having a background in some sort of administration would help,” she says. “I didn’t have a whole lot of that.”
She also says students would need to be okay with working by themselves most days, and that they should work on their customer service skills. “You are the face of the box office,” she says. “When people call in, they expect to speak to you, and you want to be able to help them as best you can.”
McDonald suggests that people interested in working in theater should start by getting involved in local workshops and attending local auditions. “That’s how I got into it,” she said, crediting a lot of her success to the connections she made while acting. Finally, she advises students to be bold. “If you ever start to feel inadequate at what you’re doing, don’t let that stop you.”
“When you live with this experience of being the one dealing with this inaccessible content for over 30 years, you recognize what the issues are. And you have the skills to articulate the issues, you’re kind of in a position where if that’s something you’re interested in, that path sort of finds you automatically.”
Sarah Massengale is an alumnus of Converse University and the University of South Carolina. She holds a public relations and music degree. At the time of the interview, she was the community access specialist at Able South Carolina, but she is currently a Web Accessibility Auditor at McGraw Hill.
Interview
Transcript
Sarah Massengale 00:00
My name is Sarah Massengale. I’m originally from Barnwell, South Carolina, currently living in Columbia.
Emma Plutnicki 00:06
And can you please tell us what you do for work and where you’re working from, I’m assuming around Columbia?
Emma Plutnicki 00:12
Amazing, and how long have you been working doing that?
Sarah Massengale 00:12
Sure. So my official title is Community Access Specialist with Able South Carolina. To kind of break that down, what that means is I am in charge of conducting little accessibility audits on websites and web based platforms. I facilitate trainings on digital accessibility and creating accessible content, and do technical assistance and consulting on again, kind of accessible communications, creating accessible websites, things like that.
Sarah Massengale 00:14
May will be three years.
Emma Plutnicki 00:16
Great, amazing. So how did you end up in that field? How did you hear about it? How did you figure out that that was a path that you could take?
Sarah Massengale 01:03
So I started out, I think the person who nominated me mentioned I started out with a music degree from Converse University, it was Converse College at the time. And that, of course, was tricky in a number of ways. So first of all, having a full time music career in South Carolina, where it’s exclusively performance based, is tricky. Hopefully, there’s a teaching component or something like that, because there’s not the full time sort of performance venues. And then there’s the added sensation of being blind, where employment of people with disabilities is significantly less than the employment of non-disabled people. And that’s a whole longer conversation.
I ended up deciding to go back to school, got a degree in Public Relations, from USC, from [University of South] Carolina. And in the process, I had been living with, you know, for 36 years now, really living with the frustrations of inaccessible web content. And so when you think about inaccessible web content, it kind of plays really nicely with that public relations and communications and marketing and journalism space, right?
And so I started kind of taking on that role of facilitator in trainings. And my performance experience kind of comes into that because you learn to give that, you have that presenting ability, and the, you know, kind of assertiveness to really stand up and go, “Okay, I have the skills I can voice this, I can be in front of people and facilitate this.” And so I started kind of taking on the facilitating of those trainings working for a student-run PR agency that I was involved with, and then from there going into digital accessibility was kind of a natural path. And so Able hired me to do that work back when the pandemic was going on. And then from there, I’ve kind of built out my certifications and my credentialing to really be able to dig into that path. But I’m really always doing it from that communication space.
Emma Plutnicki 03:38
Yeah, that makes sense. So how would you say, you just mentioned that your like, performance background helped you? How else do you think having that degree in music has helped you in your current profession?
Sarah Massengale 03:50
So there’s a couple different things that go on. The performance background, of course, like I said, helps a lot with the training facilitations. And the other thing is, I’m in a space with, the digital accessibility space, where I’m in front of a lot of clients, in front of a lot of different people. And people who have very strong emotional reactions to various parts of the disability experience, whether or not it’s us telling them “hey, your site’s not accessible, you know, that’s a that’s a violation of the law,” or us having to give them information that they are just not expecting on the extensive remediation that’s going to happen. So there’s a value in reading people that comes from the performer’s mindset that’s also really important. And then kind of surface level. There’s the logistics and scheduling piece. So as a performer you’re constantly responsible for your own logistics, your own scheduling, you know, dealing with accompanists, dealing with opera directors, dealing with voice coaches, and so I’m very obsessively calendar conscious. And that’s something that comes from that performance background as well.
Emma Plutnicki 05:03
Yeah, that makes sense. So can you just walk us through a typical workday, what your work process looks like, and what’s kind of expected from you on a daily basis?
Sarah Massengale 05:13
Sure. For example, my workday kind of depends on whether it’s an audit day or whether it’s a training day. So an audit day is a couple of hours of admin first thing in the morning, which might be doing some of that logistic scheduling, might be some client correspondence, but then it’s going to be six hours straight of me, a minimum of three different screen reading pieces of software, two computers, and keyboards, various sundry automated testing tools, and just digging very deep into whatever web based platform is in front of me at the time. So essentially, basically, working in the tech field at this point, and doing that very deep-in technically-focused work.
Now, a Monday or a Thursday is going to be more client facing. And that’s going to be anything from facilitating these trainings, whether it be remote or in person, it’s going to be report consults with clients, where they have gotten their audit reports back, and I take some time to really sit down and decode those audit reports with them, because these are highly technical, very long documents.
And so really sitting down and putting this into the plain language, making sure that folks really understand not only what they’re looking at, but why it’s important and who the barriers are going to effect. And then, so, other meetings are going to be of course, what we call pitch meetings. And the pitch meetings are, you know, a client has come to us, or we’ve discovered a client’s website is inaccessible and so we’ve reached out, but either way, the client is sitting down with us. And we are really working to get them on board with accessibility and talking through the services that they can receive, and how those services are going to be beneficial to them as a company.
Emma Plutnicki 07:27
Yeah, that makes sense. So do you think it’s been challenging for you to find this career path? Or like how to figure out how to apply your background to this task? Or are there any challenges that you run into on a daily basis that you’re able to kind of conquer?
Sarah Massengale 07:45
I don’t think finding the career path itself has necessarily been challenging, because again, when you when you live with this experience of being the one to deal with this inaccessible content for over 30 years, and you have the skills to articulate the issues, and you recognize what the issues are, you’re you’re kind of in a position where if that’s something you’re interested in, that path sort of finds you automatically. But as far as challenges to conquer, I think the biggest thing is, those barriers still exist in websites that I have to access to do my job. And then it’s also the getting clients on board with accessibility.
Because, you know, for instance, I’ve been working with the Arts Commission. The Arts Commission is a rare situation, because they’re passionate, they’re excited, they want to do this work, they’re committed to this work. But eight times out of ten, what we’re more likely to see, say in a larger corporation is, “but people with disabilities don’t shop here. Why do we need to be doing this? Why? Why does it matter if our website is accessible?” Or something like, “oh, well digital accessibility is expensive.” Or, “Well, we’ll just put an accessibility overlay on our website. And that’ll solve all of our problems, right?” So the biggest barrier is really getting the client on board with what they need to be doing instead of doing just sort of these half baked ideas.
Emma Plutnicki 09:26
Yeah, that makes sense. I’m sure that’s very frustrating.
Sarah Massengale 09:31
Interesting.
Emma Plutnicki 09:32
Yeah. So, so far in your professional life, do you have a like defining moment that you’ve come across or like a particular project that you worked on, that’s made a significant impact on you?
Sarah Massengale 09:48
I think, honestly, this Arts Commission work has definitely been up there, because one of the things that’s been really cool, I joke with my director at work all the time about not often enough having the opportunity to, quote, “get out of my tech geek box.” And the Arts Commission project has been really cool, because in a lot of ways, it’s been able to really play the three parts of me, you know, the musician and performer, the woman in tech and the public relations and communications professional, all together. And I’ve really been able to maximize using all of that, and I’ve been really excited and really appreciative of that.
Emma Plutnicki 10:35
Yeah, that’s great that all your backgrounds kind of come together like that.
Sarah Massengale 10:39
It is, it’s awesome.
Emma Plutnicki 10:40
Yeah. And so are there any local organizations within South Carolina that you know, of either local organizations or programs or events that you can recommend for anybody who’s looking to get into a field similar to yours?
Sarah Massengale 10:57
So unfortunately, South Carolina really does not have the facility for teaching most of these skills. There are, there is access South Carolina IT or ASCIT, which is a dedicated organization for accessibility professionals in the state, which I also chair. But as far as trainings for digital accessibility professionals, that doesn’t happen in South Carolina, I’m one of the very few handful of auditors in South Carolina and one of only like two or three that are actually certified. Folks will have to go out of the state for the trainings, but we live in the age of technology, a lot of that is available online.
Emma Plutnicki 11:49
Yeah, makes sense. So just as we wrap up, do you have any advice for current college students or just people who are young and trying to get into a professional world similar to your field?
Sarah Massengale 12:05
So what I’m gonna say is not necessarily centric on my field, what I’m going to say is to young disabled college students, is that do not, do not let anyone, whether it be academic institution, whether it be family, whether it be non-disabled peers, whether it be state agencies, whomever, do not let anyone dictate your career path, do not let anyone tell you that you cannot do your desired career path. But also remember that as a person with a disability, you’re going to have to work twice as hard.
But it’s something my own mentor who was also blind said to me, when I got into the space that I was in college, and then I was starting to look for employment. And that’s something that has stayed with me because societal expectations of people with disabilities are unfortunately always lower. And so in order to make those societal expectations equitable, we are always going to have to work even harder than not disabled folks.
Emma Plutnicki 13:13
Yeah, that’s great advice. And is there anything else you’d like to add in general?
Sarah Massengale 13:19
I don’t think so at this time, but can I reserve the right to email you if I think of anything?
Emma Plutnicki 13:24
Absolutely, absolutely. For sure. That’d be great.
