Tag: Social Media

  • Marsh Deane

    Marsh Deane

    “Especially because right now is a digital world, the world is just an open oyster for creatives so just do it. Otherwise, the dream will just stay in your head.”


    Marsh Deane is a filmmaker, photographer, and outdoor educator based in Pawleys Island, SC. Through his business ML & L Media, he captures South Carolina’s hidden stories and landscapes with heart and purpose.

    Interview

    Transcript

    Lexi Raines 00:00 

    So first, just give a little introduction of yourself. What do you do for work and where are you currently working from? 

    Marsh Deane 00:09 

    So, my name is Marsh Deane. I’m a photographer and a filmmaker and an outdoor educator. I’m based out of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and I own an independent media company called ML & L media. 

    Lexi Raines 00:26 

    That’s awesome. So, how long have you been doing this? 

    Marsh Deane 00:30 

    I’ve been into photography since I was in middle school. Probably 20 years as a photographer. But as a career, I only started in 2019 when I graduated from Coastal Carolina, so I’m in my sixth year as this career. 

    Lexi Raines 00:52 

    Yeah, that’s amazing. So, you said you work out, you work in Pawleys Island. What’s one thing that you love about working as a creative in South Carolina? 

    Marsh Deane 01:01 

    Well, for me, it’s definitely the access to nature, the access to the outdoors. Here along the coastline, we have, of course, amazing beaches that everyone knows about, but we also have amazing river systems. We have Cypress forests. We have remote barrier islands. We have a lot of special places that have been conserved and are kind of off the beaten path. And a big mission of mine as a creative is I try to document, and I try to showcase our heritage. I try to showcase the parts of South Carolina that visitors don’t see and really, as an outdoors enthusiast. It’s a playground for me. I’m a boater. I’m a kayaker, and that’s kind of what I’ve become known for.  

    Lexi Raines 01:53 

    I would completely agree with that. I think that a lot of people, whenever they think of South Carolina, only think of the super touristy parts. And yeah, we do have that, but we also have a lot of other stuff. So, what do you think South Carolina brings to your work, and what is its unique influence on you compared to being anywhere else? 

    Marsh Deane 02:15 

    Well, I’m born and raised here, and a kind of unique part of my story is that, I grew up in historical locations. My parents were antique dealers, and they purchased old plantation properties. So, I was very, very lucky to grow up on 50-acre properties by the river in 150-year-old former plantation houses. And when you grow up in a place like that, on one side, I had the natural beauty, I had access to that which really shaped my development and my interests. And then there also is a negative side to our history, and I learned about that at a young age. We had slave cabins on the plantation that I grew up in, and so I learned about that history, and I learned about, you know, the dark truth of the South Carolina story. And that also shaped my interests, and it shaped the stories that I wanted to tell. And so, for me it’s a very personal journey. As a proud South Carolinian, I hope to tell our story. I hope to share our heritage. Also, in this area, we have a lot of tourism and a lot of development. So, I see a unique opportunity that as this region changes, part of my job is that I can capture moments in time, and I can tell these stories while we have them, because I know that down the road, this area is going to change so much. And I feel a little bit of a weight on my shoulders that as a South Carolinian, I’m trying to preserve some of our heritage for the future generations to enjoy. 

    Lexi Raines 04:05 

    I think that’s definitely an amazing thing to do, for sure. How would you describe your local professional community? 

    Marsh Deane 04:13 

    Very giving. I live in Pawleys Island, and we’re a little tourist town, and when I started out, I was with the Georgetown RISE program at Coastal Carolina. And from there, I was connected with the nonprofit world. We have a lot of nonprofits in this region, and I started marketing for the nonprofits. And I found out that this area is just so giving from churches to school groups, to community groups. I mean, there are, I believe now, in Georgetown County, there are 90 different individual nonprofits that you know have community missions. And so, I’m heavily involved with southern hospitality that is alive and well down here. And that can really impact your career, you know, especially as a creative finding ways to share the positive stories and the positive the giving nature of this region. 

    Lexi Raines 05:12 

    One thing I’ve noticed is that everyone who moved here from the north, their number one thing they always say is everyone’s just so friendly, so like, I’m glad to hear that it’s the same in the professional community as well. So, how would you define professional or personal success in your creative endeavors? 

    Marsh Deane 05:29 

    For me, it’s really about having a tangible impact that you can see in the creative industry. There are different paths you can take. And nowadays we get sidetracked by social media. We get sidetracked by, you know, followers and views and short form media, right? And that gets a lot of attention, you know. So, you can focus on social media, on Instagram, YouTube, and get those high views. And there’s certainly a great career in that of being an influencer, but there’s also other things. For me, it was more getting involved in local communities, creating short films that were, you know, supported initiatives that I’m interested in. So, yeah, as a creative our work is individualized to us. It is an expression of us and our energies and our efforts and our interests. And so, no matter what it is, whether it’s on social media or whether it’s in the local community, there’s so many ways to feel justified and fulfilled in your time spent in this creative industry. And there’s so many different niches. There are so many different things that you can do nowadays, and it’s very rewarding. Once you find that path that’s working out, and you find that that job or that that gig or that niche that satisfies you. It’s just extremely rewarding, in my opinion, more so than any views or really any dollar amount. And it is just the satisfaction of being an artist and knowing that I’ve done something that has created a ripple.  

    Lexi Raines 07:11 

    Yeah, I completely agree with that. I feel like long form content has definitely been lost with the rise of social media. So, I feel like it’s awesome that you are still finding beauty in that, because I think there is a lot of value in it. What was your biggest fear when you first decided to pursue the arts professionally? 

    Marsh Deane 07:33 

    Definitely the biggest fear is, you know, going out on a limb by yourself, not having a boss, not having a company that you’re working for, and not having a guaranteed paycheck when you start a business as a creative. The great thing about it, is that you can shape it to what you want to do and have not having a boss is great, right? Setting your own schedule is great. But there’s also immense pressure with that, because you realize you are the one responsible for the income. And so, it is taking a leap. It’s taking a leap of faith, if you really commit to it, I think anyone that takes that leap is going to find success, especially because right now, it’s a digital world, and so the world is just an open oyster for a creative you know? And again, whether you’re going to focus on social media or you’re going to focus on the business side of it, there’s just every company, every industry, every business needs marketing, needs to tell their story. And so, there’s just so much out there you might not even know when you take that leap. You might not have a clue what you’ll be doing next year, but you have got to take the leap to find out.  

    Lexi Raines 08:47 

    I think that is definitely one of the most important things. I’ve talked to a lot of creatives, and they have all said that you just got to take that leap. I agree that it’s very important. Can you describe a defining moment in your creative journey? Was there a particular project that made a significant impact on you?  

    Marsh Deane  09:09 

    I would say probably my internship with the village group started it off for me. I had been doing some Real estate photography, and so I knew that I could make money doing Real Estate photography. I knew that there was some potential there, but it didn’t fulfill a lot of satisfaction. It was a great career to be in.  I started my internship with the village group, and I was doing marketing, showcasing what this nonprofit is doing for children in a rural Plantersville community. And through that nonprofit, first I was doing marketing, but then they found out, oh, well, you like the outdoors? Hey, would you like to take our students on an outdoor walk? And then that outdoor walk became, I brought my cameras along, and I let the students use my cameras. Then that became a Media Club, and we got a grant, and we got 20 cameras for the students. It quickly went from a marketing internship to a teaching opportunity, and it was just this eureka moment, because I loved it. I mean, taking these, these kids, out into the woods on a nature trail, giving them cameras, and kind of teaching them photography, and just seeing how just how interested the kids were, it’s a fun class to teach, and so I get the best out of the students. And that was the moment where I was like, I definitely want to do this for the rest of my life, if I could just keep doing this, finding an avenue to, you know, combine my camera the outdoors and people having a good time, and the village group having that internship through the Georgetown RISE program. Had I not done that, I have no clue what I would be doing today.  

    Lexi Raines 10:58 

    That’s so special, like, I’m sure you gave special memories for those kids, and that you might have given them something they really love too. So, that’s actually awesome. So, what’s the best and worst advice you’ve ever received?  

    Marsh Deane 11:15 

    I guess the best advice I’ve received in many ways over the years, the Nike slogan, just do it. Just do it. It’s so easy. Nowadays we’re surrounded by comfort, and it’s so easy to put things off. It’s so easy in the evening to, you know, sit down and turn on the TV. But if you have any goal, you have to just do it. You have to, sometimes you must give yourself that little kick in the pants to get up and chase that dream, to make that project that you want to make. Otherwise, it’ll just stay in your head. You have to just do it. You know, action, and especially nowadays, I think a lot of my generation and younger, with all these distractions around us. I think a lot of us do struggle with procrastination. And so, really, the best thing is you got to get up and do it. You know, you got to be moving, momentum. The worst advice being opinionated online, I tell students, just to be careful with, you know, online right now, there’s so many different things going on in the world, and we’re all very passionate about many things, and online discourse, as we all know, gets very it’s easy to misunderstand, it’s very easy to misunderstand people, and then it gets negative pretty quickly, right? And so, I’ve learned just that, you put something out there, and you really need to take the time to make sure that your thoughts are understood by the reader in the way you intend. And let’s say, if they’re not understood the way you intend. Don’t take it personally, and don’t get in those comments. And you know, it’s easy to get even a little triggered online. And that goes for all of us, and I admit that. And you know, sometimes you can turn away viewers. You can turn away the audience you’re supposed to reach, just with online misunderstanding. Misunderstandings and bad advice that I’ve received, but I do just that’s I know that that’s advice I try to give my students of things not to do is just take a little slower online when dealing with other people and just understand communication. We’re meant to communicate face to face and see each other and hear each other’s tone, I don’t know if that really answers the question.  

    Lexi Raines 13:49 

    It does. I think that is good advice, because I feel like if you don’t listen to that. There is so much that could go wrong in that situation. So, can you walk me through a typical workday, what does your process look like and what’s expected of you on a daily basis? 

    Marsh Deane 14:07 

    Well, so the cool thing as a creative and owning my own business is that I am my own boss. So, I get to wake up when I like usually, I’ll wake up between eight or nine, but it depends. Really, you know what’s on the schedule. I have set up my business so that most of the work I like to do after 10am. I like to give myself that extra time in the morning to kind of wake up and have a slower pace. So. usually during the day, after 10am it’s meetings, I’m going out into the community to different locations for photo shoots or video shoot, interviews, and then the afternoons and the evenings are usually set aside for editing time and editing as a creative that’s one thing. Yeah, we work a lot. We work a lot behind the scenes. Often, I’ll be editing until 11 or 12 o’clock at night. And so I’ll tell some people that I work 80 hours a week, but those 80 hours aren’t what you would typically think of as work. You know, because sometimes I’m sitting at the computer, I’m working on a project, but as the computer is rendering, I’m pulling out my phone and on social media, or I’m multitasking, I’m bouncing around. My days are very, a little disjointed, you know, I’ll spend an hour working on something, and then I’ll get up and walk around my yard for a little bit, do some yard work. I’ll go inside, you know, make a meal. So, I don’t really have a set schedule. I don’t have a nine to five, and I love that. But also, again, sometimes it is annoying, you know, when you find yourself at midnight still editing and working on that project. So, for creatives you kind of have the power to be as structured as you want or as unstructured as you want. I’m unstructured by nature. I’m ADHD. But I would definitely say being a creative you do have that power to structure your life whatever way you wish. And I think that’s amazing. I tell many people that I get up when I want to, I go to sleep when I want to, and I schedule work when I want to, but of course, you schedule your work around your client and when they’re available, and so really, on a week to week basis, it changes. I travel a lot for work, which is great, and there’s also a lot of time spent. Though people don’t see this as a photographer or any creative, there’s a lot of time spent packing gear, charging batteries, processing data on the computer. And if for painters or other you can translate that into dealing with, you know, the paint or your canvas, there is a lot of unseen. It’s not as glorious as you think, being a creative there’s a lot of time doing busy work in between to get everything lined up so that you can create. 

    Lexi Raines 17:09 

    You have already explained this a little bit, but how do you create a work life balance where you’re able to maintain. Like your professional creativity, your personal creativity, and what are some habits that you have that you think would be beneficial to others wanting to pursue the arts? 

    Marsh Deane 17:26 

    For me, having the work life balance there, there really is no, well, it’s unbalanced, but that’s a little bit of a good thing for me, because it is my passion. Every day I’m working on projects. Some days that’s a project for a paid client, so it’s work. But then there are other days where I’m working on a personal project. And those personal projects, it might be a video going out into the swamp and showing people a really cool tree, right? YouTube videos. So, my balance is that I’m balancing the professional work and then the personal, the passion work, right? The work that I want to be known for, the work that I enjoy. I’m not getting paid for it, like the YouTube videos, or the swamp adventure videos. That’s not my career, but I do see it as work, because I see it as my portfolio. I see it as my legacy. And so, for me, it’s having that passion and doing what you love. If I didn’t have the time to do those personal projects that I enjoy, I probably would be miserable. And so, I think, for any creative just make sure that, yes, you’re doing a lot of work for clients that are going to get you paid but make room for the personal work that you want to do. I feel that most creatives are always working on something, and so just be sure that some of that is giving you enjoyment. It’s for you, it’s for your soul, it’s for your satisfaction as an artist, because you can get burnt out really easily. And I certainly got burnt out about a year or two into my journey, because all I was doing was working for money, working for other people’s vision, and I wasn’t doing things for myself. 

    Lexi Raines 19:19 

    I think that honestly is really amazing advice, because, as you’re saying, it is so easy to get burnt out as an artist. 

  • Cynthia Ford

    Cynthia Ford

    “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  

    Interview

    Transcript

    Emma Plutnicki 

    So, to start, what do you do for work? And where are you currently working from?  

    Cynthia Ford 

    Okay, I’m working from home, and as of 2023, I left for my full-time job to work on my own business. So, I own Cynthia O Writing and Consulting, and I have three portions of that business. One, I’m an artist in residence for literature. I’m also an author, and also I help businesses with consulting and writing needs, such as grant writing and other additional writing services.  

    Emma Plutnicki 

    Okay, cool and how long have you been doing that for? Since 2023? 

    Cynthia Ford

    Full time? 2023 you know, I have done some other things part time as I was working full time. And I’ve been doing some social media content management as well, just part time until I launched that. 

    Emma Plutnicki

    Okay, nice and where is home for you?  

    Cynthia Ford

    Mullins. 

    Emma Plutnicki

    Okay, nice. And so, what does a typical day look like for you? What’s expected of you on a daily basis, and what kind of responsibilities do you have?  

    Cynthia Ford

    The day, the typical day, really just doesn’t exist, you know, but I do plan things out ahead of time, you know, on my schedule, times to meet with those who are interested in services. I set certain days for that. I also set time aside for researching, for grant writing. So, I just split it up. You know, I split up my day for the first portion of the day is my time where I’m, you know, I had that moment to myself, whether I’m just outside, meditating, reading, listening to podcasts, or just preparing for the day. And, you know, then I’ll begin to do my social media posts for the businesses that I help with that. And then I’ll begin additional things that I have to do for other businesses, whether it’s the grant writing services I’m consulting and reaching out and networking with other people where I can, you know, spread my services. Um, I also save time for writing, as relates to me being an author, so I have another book that will be coming out, so I set aside specifically time just to make sure that I’m on task when it comes to things I have to publish or networking regarding the books that I’m doing. 

    Emma Plutnicki

    Nice and so the businesses that you consult for, are they, oftentimes, South Carolina based, or are they around the country? 

    Cynthia Ford

    So far, they’ve been only South Carolina based. I’m not opposed to, you know, reaching out to other businesses outside of South Carolina. But so far, yeah. 

    Emma Plutnicki

    How would you describe the like local working professional community in South Carolina. Do you have any experience in other places where South Carolina is particularly, particularly unique, or how is that community here?  

    Cynthia Ford

    Do you mean as far as the business, the different businesses in itself, are they unique, or? 

    Emma Plutnicki 

    Just in general, with like, how the working community is in South Carolina. Is there a lot of collaboration? Is it kind of there are cliques of groups? How is like collaborating with businesses in South Carolina?  

    Cynthia Ford

    I have actually seen both aspects of it. I have seen situations where businesses are able to grow because they have networked with other businesses, you know, provided resources to other constituents and, you know, just information that they needed in order to help push them to the next level. So, I have seen that definitely, yeah, you know how they’ll say sometimes not what you know its who you know. I see a lot of that, you know, you know, from just my experiences, from working with other businesses, yeah. 

    Emma Plutnicki 

    And is there a way, if you’re starting out to kind of break through that or grow your network? 

    Cynthia Ford

    Yes, I would definitely say, attend any type of event, whether it’s virtual or in person. A lot of times there are free events that people can tap into, searching through different places, like Eventbrite or just searching online when there, when there are things that are related to what you’re doing or what you desire to do, but just kind of tapping into that. I’ve also found a lot of resources virtually myself, just through podcasts, you know, YouTube, and I have been able to pour into my business just through those things and connecting and investing in myself, the things that I’ve researched through that. 

    Emma Plutnicki

    Yeah, of course. And so, you have a lot of things pulling you in different directions. In a creative career like that, it’s hard to kind of know what success looks like. So how would you define personal and professional success in your career? 

    Cynthia Ford

    Well, you know success, of course, and like you said, I am pulled in different directions, but when I can accomplish things that I have set out to do, when I’ve set those goals and they’re accomplished. So those moments are success to me. Trying each day is success to me, because I could have a moment where I’m like, okay, you know, I’m really just not feeling this. But then when you get up and you try again, that’s success. You know, you’ve gotten past the mental things that try to hold you back, or you’ve gotten past any type of barriers that are out of your control. You know, found a way to go around it. That’s success. So, each moment that you’re able to get up again and keep pushing, yeah. 

    Emma Plutnicki 

    For sure, did you have any fears when you came into this career? 

    Cynthia Ford

    I did. I actually it took me a couple of years to do it, and I actually desired to start it in 2019, but it’s like I knew that there was something that I wanted to do. I didn’t know how to get there, and didn’t know exactly what it was, but it was a big jump for me, because I was with the Department of Juvenile Justice for 15 years, and so I went to coastal, you know, I started with teaching, and I did some other things, and I worked with DJ J and moved up to kind of direct the position. So, to actually move from that position where you’re settled and everything is good, to launch out to something where you have to start over, that was a huge leap. So I was afraid, and I was okay, well, how am I going to make it financially? I just couldn’t pull those things together. But I began to prepare financially, mentally, and just began to get all those things together before I took the big leap, you know, just make sure that I was, you know, well, I had a well, um, grounded Foundation, and knew that was what I was going to do. 

    Emma Plutnicki

    For sure, and along the way, when you had those fears and faced challenges, was there anybody there to give you advice, either mentors or family? Do you remember any like, the best advice that you received and also the worst advice? 

    Cynthia Ford

    Yes, the worst advice, I think, would come from, you know, when someone would say, well, just leave. Just do it. Don’t just leave. Just do it without being prepared. And there were times when I could, yeah, I could have left when I first thought about it, but I was no way of where I needed to be as far as when prepared. I could have fell on my face financially, but, um, you know, don’t just leave without being prepared. And some people was like, just go. Let’s go. No, don’t just go. But I also received, one of the best advice that I received was someone that told me, just make sure you stay in your lane. You know you don’t have to look on anyone else’s paper when you know exactly what it is you should supposed to be doing, and you’re grounded in that. Just stay in your lane. You don’t have to copy what someone else is doing, or feel like you have to emulate what the other person is doing, do the best of what you are supposed to do.  

    Emma Plutnicki 

    Yeah, that’s great advice. Very good advice. And so, throughout your career, have you had one project that made a significant impact on you, maybe something that was particularly meaningful, that just kind of resonated with you and kind of stands out as a pinnacle or peak of your career? 

    Cynthia Ford 

    Goodness. Actually, I have a couple, but I would probably say, when I released my second book, Dream Like a Queen. I did that in collaboration with the library, Marion County Library, and it was a tea party, and so I really prepared for that. I bought this gal, and we asked the girls to come out and dress up in their little princess dresses. And we had the library just totally transformed. So, when you went in there, it wasn’t like, oh, just your regular library. It was a magical type thing. And the young ladies were just amazed that we had a station for pictures, a station for painting, arts and crafts. And of course, they got their copy of their book pictures together. So that was, um, you know, huge for me, just to be able to bring literacy to the young people in that format, and for them to see the library in a different way. 

    Emma Plutnicki

    Yeah, that must have been amazing to witness. It was your project come to life. And just overall, as we’re wrapping up, is there anything else you’d like to add about your career? Any advice, anything of that nature? 

    Cynthia Ford

    Well, as relates to great creativity, I first started and see how large of a spectrum that I can go into, as relates to writing. I just thought about, okay, me as an author, you know, I’ve written, I’ve published four books, but I have a living weight, but not knowing, just the expansion of what I can do, you know, I can. I launched out to different workshops where I can teach children and adults literacy, so you can also turn it into speaking opportunities and coaching opportunities. So, I also thought about I had, you know, take myself back to what I truly love and desire in every career or job in.  I love some aspect of it, and I wasn’t afraid to close the door at a certain point. So, when you get to that point where you want to close the door and launch to something else, do that because we have different purposes in life. And you know, just don’t be afraid to tap into that. And if the door closes and it’s your time to move on, move forward. You know, it’s okay to move forward if where you are is no longer serving you, and that’s what I did. I just moved forward, and I was able to see it unfolded to me to different ways how I can launch my writing services and connect into different areas where I love and that was business that was helping youth and helping the community, but also publishing my book and knowing that I can take that book and do different things, teaching workshops, speaking, so it’s not just that one thing, 

    Emma Plutnicki 

    Yeah, yeah. That’s great advice, and it’s an amazing story about how you, you know, arrange your finances and gain the courage to then quit a job that you know you had well established. So it’s really inspiring, and I love it, and I’m glad that you’re, it’s refreshing to hear that you really enjoy your job now. So thank you so much for sharing. Really appreciate it. 

  • Shyla Duff

    Shyla Duff

    “Trying out a bunch of things is how you find the lane you want to go in.”

    Shyla Duff has been a Social Media Associate Producer for PBS News Hour and Washington Week with the Atlantic. She grew up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and she graduated from Coastal Carolina University with a BA in Digital Culture and Design and a film minor. She held multiple internships at PBS NOVA and the Wall Street Journal.

    Interview

    Transcript

    Shyla Duff   

    My name is Shyla Duff. I’m actually from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I’ve grown up here. I’m a Social Media, Associate Producer if that makes sense. So, like video, but like specifically for TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and I think Facebook and Twitter. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Cool. Awesome.  

    Emma Plutnicki   

    And just in general, how did you get into this field? 

    Shyla Duff   

    This is what’s interesting, because it’s long and convoluted. But it starts CCU [Coastal Carolina University], with the Athenaeum Press. So, I transferred to Coastal in 2019, from USC [University of South Carolina], and USC are like, okay, I could start from the very beginning, which is that I went to Charleston, College of Charleston, they didn’t have a video or film, or I think a Communications Degree, or major. So then I transferred to USC. And then from USC, I actually ended up coming home and transferred to CCU [Coastal Carolina University], and then I remember talking with them and being like, what kind of video work do you guys have, or like a major? And I got placed into digital communication, or digital culture and design. So that was 2019. And then I hopped on the Athenaeum Press, as this might have been, I think 2020 Because I remember the pandemic started. But I hopped on anything in price as a video, Videographer, and Video Editor. And that was like my foray into, like, video production and digital media as like an educational type of, I don’t know the word, like, route, I guess. Or like platform. I just really, are you guys still doing the Gullah Geechee [Digital Project]? 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    I think, I think that project finished, but— 

    Shyla Duff   

    Okay, so that’s what I was doing. It was great that digital archive. So, it was like, create, it was a binding like local, with history with educating the public. And so all of that I just like, really, really love. So, I started there. And then because the pandemic hit, I was able to get a remote internship with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. And while I was there, I was a digital, or I was like, I was a digital video intern, or I think it was a video production intern, but video. And there, what I was on was for creating content that was surrounding like S.T.E.M. [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics],  and science and like, space and stuff like that, for middle, middle school students. So it was the same type of thing where it’s like educational, but it’s also like, kind of breaking down topics so that like the general public can understand them. And, but, it still stayed in the video sphere. And I really like video editing. So, like, because it was remote. I couldn’t film anything. So I was just like, they would give me interviews and stuff that they already filmed, and I would edit them. 

    Shyla Duff   

     And then after that, I got an internship with PBS Nova as a digital video intern. And it’s still remotes; all this is still remote. And so then it was the same thing. That’s their science show or, like, organization. And, I was working on YouTube videos, and I got to produce my own video while I was there. And I got to help, like, basically, like cut down their documentaries for social. They didn’t have Tick-Tock off at this time. So it was just Twitter, and, Facebook, and YouTube. And so I got to do the same thing there that was like science oriented, but complex topics, breaking them down for the general public to understand and also like history is involved there too, in some ways. And then after that, I think I graduated, and then I got an internship with the Wall Street Journal’s podcast, the Journal, and it’s a daily news podcast. That’s like 20 minutes a day. But it’s business news and stuff like that. And so I was a podcast intern remotely still.  

    And so this was my first news job. But it was still like breaking down there to break down these like crazy news stories that were happening like in like the political sphere or like business sphere and things like acquisitions and stuff and we would like help them break it down into like, 20 minutes that like, again, the general public could listen to on their commute to work and like understand and stuff. And so that was really interesting. I I’m glad that I did the podcast because I kind of just learned that I still love video. Like I was missing video that whole time, but it gave me like firsthand News. From experience, which I don’t think I would have been able to get the job that I just got if I didn’t have any newsroom experience. So I did that for a few months, and then the internship ended. And then I got my full time job of a digital production assistant remotely, but for PBS Nova, so I went back to them, and they hired me full time. And then I was like a contractor, but it was full time. So then I worked with them for a year being a digital production assistant.  

    So then we launched our TikTok, that’s when they launched the TikTok, and I went like all in on that. But my job wasn’t social media producer. So it was kind of hard because I was also doing a bunch of other stuff for them. Like, I was like working on their website, and I actually wrote a few articles or a couple articles for them. And then I also was helping them produce tiktoks Like, I’m talking like scripting factchecking, finding scientists interviewing them, then editing the tech talks and captioning that like I was doing I was we were like cranking them out. And then just just like that was just on top of my regular job. But it still was really fun. Because I like we had we got to experiment a lot with that, which was fun. And it was still video focus. And so that was my last like, full time job. But during all of this, I was a social media intern in Myrtle Beach with the Children’s Recovery Center, which is a nonprofit. So I did that for like, I think like two years to three years. And so I was making content for them on Instagram and Facebook. And we didn’t really do Twitter, but I was filming. I got to film stuff for them, like interviews and things there. So that was like the only like, local thing I was doing on the side. While I was just like hopping around to all these other different places. And then I ended up with PBS NewsHour, which is really exciting. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Yeah, wow. That’s such an amazing journey. 

    Shyla Duff   

    It’s kind of crazy. When I like look back on it. I’m like, Yeah, I’ve done that, too. Like when people ask me, like, if they’re just like, oh, like what got you into it? I’m like, Well, I just like had a lot of different things I had to build off of the other. Yeah, that’s 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    amazing. So in your job that you’re going to start soon, do you know like, what day to day life will look like or what projects you’ll be responsible for, or what your responsibilities will be? 

    Shyla Duff   

    I know that Washington Week is the show that they said they’re just gonna give me and then I have to like produce for it. It’s following the it’s following their roundtable show of their anchors, and I think, don’t quote me on this, it might be someone with the Atlantic, but we can look it up. But I know it’s a roundtable discussion every week about like what’s happening in the political sphere and like the election, so I know it’s gonna be political focused, but I have to grab content from their discussion every week, every program, and then pick sections of it that are going to go on YouTube, and then tick tock. And then they said, I was going to also work with the Atlantic on picking out Instagram segments or something for Instagram, too. So I know it’s gonna be social media base, but like, I think directly around the election and like, just because that’s in November, that it’s like, they told me is a little crazy right now. But I’m working on the Washington Week show. And then PBS News Weekend, because I’m going to work weekends. So that said that it’s both social focused, and like clipping, clipping things from the Friday 8pm show. And then I think I work through the weekend. So it wasn’t I think I said it was on Saturday or something. But it comes out Friday eight, and then they like, discuss, then I work on clipping through the weekend. And like, it says, I’m going to work with the Atlantic and like send them stuff. I think so. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Cool. That’s so cool. 

    Shyla Duff   

    So that’s not to like vague.  

    Emma Plutnicki   

    No, no, that’s good. And just in general, has it been challenging to kind of find your way in this career?  

    Shyla Duff   

    Yes. So there was like a ton of media layoffs last year, because I applied for this job in December. But I saw that their opening has been up since October. And then I didn’t start interviewing till January. And it took two full months of interviewing. So that was like really stressful, because I just like I’ve been applying and stuff and just like didn’t know how long the process is going to take. And like they weren’t—like I had four interviews, which I’ve never had four interviews before, that was just like a lot. And I also had to take a very extensive writing in pitching test.  

    And so on top of applying with cover letters and everything and find and trying to find these jobs, I found this job by—this is also how I felt my internships, they weren’t a like, I think I found one of them on LinkedIn. But most of them I would have to just like I’d signed up for newsletters, journalism, and I’m signed up for like a freelance newsletter, and that would come out weekly, and I would just have to search through them and they kind of would lead me to other websites. And I found most of these on their official website in their job stuff. Because LinkedIn was just like not always reliable and  I used Indeed as well, but it felt like a lot of these jobs were hidden. And then a lot of media layoffs were going on on. So there are a lot of hiring freezes. And then there are a lot of times where I was applying for jobs.  

    And there was one that I wanted really bad. And I had a connection, I had two connections there. And they told me to reach out, email them. And so I did. And then the girl that I have a connection with, she was like, I’ll text him and let him know to look out for your application. And I was just really excited because my old boss was like, I’ll put in a word for you. And then never heard a single thing back, like not even like an email back, not an interview, nothing.  

    So it was like pretty, it was just like a lot of challenging, like trying to find these opportunities and stuff. And they don’t really like make it that easy. Like, a lot of the times it’s on their website under careers. And it’s not like on a full job board. So you have to kind of just like, I would kind of have to just like think about like, what company? Like I could try it like it might have an opportunity and then go directly there and like search through their stuff. 

    Emma Plutnicki 

    Yeah. That definitely makes it hard. And also, just like throughout your entire professional career so far, have you had one project that you’ve worked on that like particularly stands out as having like a significant impact on you?  

    Shyla Duff   

    Yes, this is so funny, because I actually said this in my interview, and I think that helped me get it. So this is just like, it’s just like the whirlwind that it was. So when I was an intern at PBS Nova, they were like you are tasked with like producing throughout the few months you’re there, you get to produce your own video. And it is in partnership with the documentary at the time that is coming out. So I didn’t pick this. But the documentary that was coming out is called The Cannabis Question. So it was all about cannabis. And like, its health effect, or its effect on PTSD. And veterans and stuff like that, because it has a really big impact on them, and people who have seizures. So it was like a medical approach. But also, the approach was like incarceration stuff, too. So they touched on a lot.  

    But that was the overarching documentary. And so they were like, you get to produce a video during your time here that could be like a supplemental short form video on YouTube that goes along with it. And I was like, “Okay.”  

    And so they were like, “You get to pick the topic.” And so I pitched a few topics, but the one I was the most excited about was a history-based one, but that goes with science. And I pitched the genetic history of the cannabis plant. And at first like the executive, my boss liked it. But the executive producer was like, “This is too history focused.” And I was like, I just like really talk to my boss about it and kind of fought for it. I was like, I really think like, this is a very interesting topic. And there was actually a scientific study that came out like a few months before I started that was about how the plant… Everyone thinks that it originated in India, but they they actually like traced it back to China. So I was like everyone thinks is in India, which makes sense, but because it grows like crazy there. But this scientific study, which we worked a lot with scientific studies while there, kind of debunks that. And so I was like, this is just super interesting. Like, I really think there’s something there and there’s no one’s really talking about it and like this format.  

    So I fought for it, they approved it. And then they tasked me with finding two to three women of color scientists that are in the cannabis research field. And that was so insanely hard because one there’s not a lot of women of color in science anyway. But like in cannabis specifically, like research it was was really hard. So that gave me one that was in the documentary or in one of their videos or something like they only worked with her. So I had her, which was great. And then I had to find another. And I was searching so many places, so many academic institutions, just everywhere. It was so hard. And then I finally was like, I couldn’t find anyone in America. And so I was like, let me check Canada, and I found this girl on LinkedIn, she had a private profile. So I don’t even know like I was like, I don’t even know if she’ll answer my request. And then I have to talk to her and like vet her and stuff. But I found her in Quebec and she agreed she like answered my message. She agreed to it. We did a phone call, or like a zoom. And because she was in Quebec and even though I was remote, PBS Nova is in Boston because it’s this is confusing, but it’s produced by GBH, which is their like, public media station, but they produce PBS Nova. So they’re in Boston, so they set someone to fly to Quebec and film the interview for me and then send me all the footage. And then the other girl they gave me she worked at like Arizona University or Arizona state. And they have this thing where like you can for free like you can just like they can film an interview for you and send you the footage. I was able to get like professional footage of both because we’ve done like Zoom interviews, but it was just like it’s better quality if it’s like an actual interview with the camera. So I was able to have those sent to me, and then edit this videe. Go through a few things like I had someone else do the narration because I do not like the sound of my voice.  

    And so we did all this, edited everything, the script turned out well, it was cut down to like four minutes. So the video was like four minutes. And it performed so well, they were able to get it out right before like on my graduation day in December of 2021. And that was rare because usually they were saying like, they hadn’t like when I got there, they still hadn’t, I think like put out there other interns videos, it’s just hard to get an intern video out. But because I was graduating, my boss was like, I really want to make sure we get this out and just like be done with it and like have it out there for you. And so they got it out. And then it ended up performing like so well. And it was one of their top performing videos of the year. It’s over 500,000 views, which is like literally crazy. And they said it was the best an intern video has ever done on there. And then when I joined as a full time employee, when they were going over like the last years, like statistics, everything that my video was on there, and they would like shout me out, because I was working there now. And I was like, “Oh yeah, that’s me.” 

    Emma Plutnicki   

     That’s amazing. 

    Shyla Duff   

    I know. That was actually really cool. It was just like, the payoff was just really, I don’t obviously expect every video to go viral or anything, and they don’t of course. But I just worked so hard on it and like as a student like, and I had to fight for my topic. So it was just really gratifying to be like I really believed that people were interested in this topic, and then it like came true. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Yeah, that’s amazing. 

    Shyla Duff   

    Let me see. I don’t remember the name of it. But okay, it’s at 749,000 views right now two years ago, but the title is “Where did the cannabis plant come from?” So it’s like the genetic history, the genealogy of it.  

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Amazing. 

    Shyla Duff   

    Very confusing. By the way, it was I remember putting out the scientific study and having to read it like 10 times, because I was like, We got to figure out what they’re talking about.  

    Emma Plutnicki   

    I’m gonna have to go watch that.  

    Shyla Duff   

    I’ll send it to you. I’ll send you a link.  

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Okay, perfect. And so within, like this field, if you’ve been going through application processes a lot. So do you think there’s any, like specific skills that an applicant should have or explain so that they can do better in like the job market? 

    Shyla Duff   

    Sure. That is a great question. 100% cover letter. I feel like once I changed my cover letter, I started to get more, at least, at least interest. Like there’s a few jobs I’d never gotten interviewed for. But they would tell me that I got moved into like a category… Like an example is I was applying for like Smithsonian social media jobs to because I wanted to play I want to be in DC. So that’s why I always kept doing that area. But they have this thing where they go to veterans first, but they would email you if you got moved. And they were like, if we can’t find a veteran, we would go to you. So like it was still positive feedback. But I really think the cover letter is very important. And my cover letter starts with, it’s like three paragraphs is still one page. But the first paragraph is like something that grabs you. It’s not just like, Hi, how are you? That’s not like that at all. I was applying for the New York Times Fellowship a few years ago when I was a student, and one of the fellows, they were like, reach out to me with any questions. I asked them specifically about cover letters. And they were like, if you I think this only kind of applies for people in creative fields. Like if you’re like a computer science major, like this wouldn’t make any sense. But in the creative field, they were like, narrative cover letters and approaches like work, like that’s what they did. And so I made my first paragraph kind of narrative, where… because I’m trying to look for Social Media Video positions. So I immediately start kind of talking about how everything is on our phone. And then I actually put in a statistic from the Pew Research Study, which is about how like 53% of Americans get the news on their phone, or like on social media. But I kind of started with a narrative approach where it’s not just about me, but it’s not super long, but it’s something just to grab them. And then I go into my experience. And then I say like how the experience applies to the first paragraph, which is like how social media how everything’s on our phone, like what I can bring to the table. But ever since I changed my cover letter to that, I feel that I’ve gotten at least like further in the process.  

    Shyla Duff   

    And then also my portfolio which I made, it was like our senior thesis or a senior project while in digital communications or Digital Culture and Design. And I like am able to put everything on there and link everything there. And so I’ve had like interviews where they’re like, or I’ve had applications where they asked you to link a portfolio and like three videos you’ve done or something like that. So portfolio I think is very important. But if you’re a video person, then you have to do an editing reel, which I’ve tried to do that. And I don’t think mine’s good. So I’m just like, stick with my portfolio because it’s just like it’s writing. It’s social media. It’s video, it’s podcast. But I really think a place where everyone can find, like your work, and it’s easy to navigate is really helpful. And then my resume, I don’t know, I actually like, don’t I don’t like that you don’t get any feedback on your resume. But honestly, because I’m in a creative field, my resume is colorful, I made it on Canva. I haven’t heard anyone say like, this is a bad resume or anything. But again, if you’re like, like, I have a friend who’s in accounting, and she was like, my resume is not allowed to look like that. But it’s because she had to have like a specific format for business. But in the creative field, I think mine kind of is more fun and kind of shows like I’m in a creative like person. And then the color scheme goes with my portfolio. So if they’re looking at both, they’ll see that like, the text is like the same color, stuff like that. But I really think that’s only allowed in the creative field. And like you have to be more like, you know, like by the book if you’re in like a more business field or something like that. Yeah, that makes professional I guess. I don’t know. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Okay, so just in general, do you have any advice for someone who’s trying to get into your field? 

    Shyla Duff   

    That’s a good question. Oh, I forgot to mention that. Right. before I graduated, CCU added a film minor. And I immediately was like, I have to have that and hopped on that. So if someone’s interested in video, specifically, I would say the film minor, obviously, everything went remote while I was there, so I don’t know what it’s supposed to be like in person. But I think like, we were supposed to have like, production studio stuff. And I remember like, we had to go remote. Because the studio look really cool at CCU.  

    I would say 100% do the film minor. And then internships, like do like as many or do an internship at least one or two, because you get credit for it. So because I think they let you do get at least two credits for an internship and so are basically they let you do an internship for credit. And they let you do that twice. I mean, so I was able to get like two credits towards my degree, because I had two internships at the time. And so I would say just like, go that route, obviously, it was easier for me because everything was remote. So like, like, everything opened up, like, there’s no way I could have moved all around to that where those places were. But the children’s Recovery Center was local. And then I got credit for the Athenaeum Press too. So I would just say, like, internships for credit, but also just like, for experience, even though it’s remote, so it wasn’t like in an office or anything, but gave me experience like in the professional world, like you’re still learning how to do like, like how to send out emails and stuff to people, and set up phone calls, and you just get like thrust into the professional space. And I think that was that really helped me feel more confident. And just like, it’s just something you have to learn, like, you have to learn how to talk to your co workers.  

    And we use Slack and Teams and stuff like that at different places. So you’re always like, communicating with one another. And just like learning how to collaborate, if that makes sense, with everyone. And it’s kind of fun, because like, obviously, like I was the youngest person there, because I was just an intern. But like, it still was really fun. It wasn’t, it’s not as intimidating as like, someone would think because like I can get intimidated very easily, but it’s just nice to be like say even if like you’re doing nothing, you’re doing a bad job, but they want to help you succeed. They want to help you learn like you can’t really do a bad job if you unless you’re like not trying, but it’s just a fun experience in general that I think like just really helped me feel more confident like going to the next internship or something like knowing like, okay, they want to see me to see like succeed they want to see me learn like I can do it and then helps me like like stepping stone to others.  

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Yeah, that makes sense. That’s really good advice. Just in general, is there anything else you’d like to add? 

    Shyla Duff   

    That’s a good question. I don’t want to forget anything like I got the film minor. Because honestly, the second they were like we’re adding a film minor and I was about to graduate. I was like, I have to have that because, what’s funny though, is like obviously like I was Digital Culture Design, but like I don’t know if anyone knows what that is. So I was like having the film minor, I could just be like I didn’t video stuff or like digital media and could just like lump it in, and it wasn’t like I mean I did it right before I graduated, so it wasn’t like I had to add on like a ton of classes or anything, and like couldn’t. So minor for sure. Internships definitely. I’m trying to think…  

    Oh, well in the meantime, like while I’ve been job searching and stuff, I just like love TikTok and so I have like a history-based TikTok account that I just use to keep practicing my skills Unlike my video production skills just so they don’t get like rusty, I guess like, while I haven’t been like working a nine to five, so honestly, like, advice that someone gave me was: Just create what you want to create, and it’ll help you get to where you want to be. So like, I really want to be in the like history, still the educational sphere, but like history content, stuff like that for video. And so I would just like was like, let me just start making it for myself and for my portfolios, at least is going somewhere and I have something to like show. But it helps you kind of like channel your like creative ideas and stuff, and just  help you focus on where you want to be headed. But also, I think it’s totally okay not to know because in the beginning, I didn’t know I just knew I wanted to do video, but I was like, how the heck am I going to figure out like what path I wanted to go? And it wasn’t until I went to the Athenaeum Press and work there that I was like, I love history and local stories and like stories that really matter (or not that others don’t matter) but like really are like just important and like underrepresented and stuff. And so by just trying out a bunch of things, it’s just kind of how you find out like the lane you want to go. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Yeah, that makes sense. Perfect.

  • Lex Stress

    Lex Stress

    “Once you’re in tech, there’s room to grow.” 

    Lex Stress is the Principal Graphic Designer at Ellucian, a tech company specializing in software for higher education. From Charleston, SC, Stress brings creativity and strategy to every project whether for clients, internal teams, or freelance ventures. 

    Interview

    Transcript

    Lex Stress   

    My name is Lex Stress. I’m originally from outside of Philadelphia. But I’ve been in the Charleston area for almost 10 years now. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Nice. And so what do you do for work? And what’s your official job title? 

    Lex Stress   

    My official title is a senior graphic designer, I work at a company called Ellucian, and they are a higher education software company. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Cool, and how long have you been working there? 

    Lex Stress   

    It’s been probably about two and a half years now. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Nice. And that’s in Charleston. 

    Lex Stress   

    So it, so I work remotely, so like 100% remote. So I am in Charleston. The actual company is headquartered out of D.C., but they have it’s like a global company. So they have offices all over the world. And I work with people all over the world too. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Cool. How did you end up in this field? How did you hear about it? How did you know that this was an actual path that you could take? 

    Lex Stress   

    Um, that’s a great question. So, when I first graduated from Coastal, I actually started at a candle packaging company, and was like a designer for candles, their whole world marketing everything. And I actually only worked there for about six months. And, every day on my commute, I always passed Blackbaud, which is, like, a pretty big tech company here in Charleston. And they actually had a graphic design position open up. Somehow, they like, really believed in me. And I got that position. And that really opened my world to the tech industry, working in software and being like a more in-house designer for those kinds of companies. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

     So cool. So what, what did you study at Coastal? What was your background that kind of led you into this role? 

    Lex Stress   

     Yeah, so. I was a transfer student at Coastal. So, I studied graphic design, I came in as a junior. And so, I did two years at Coastal, and prior to that, I was also I got my Associate’s in design as well. So, I just, I, wanted to get my Bachelor’s, and so I kind of finished everything out at Coastal. So, yeah, graphic design. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Cool. And so, now of day’s, what does a typical workday look like for you? What are your responsibilities? What are you expected to make in a day? And what does that look like? 

    Lex Stress   

    It can be kind of crazy. But basically, like I will spend my day, there, there’s a lot of variety in my role. So it really just depends on the day and the project. Like, it could be making social media graphics. It could be email banners. Right now, the biggest project we’re working on is event identities for our annual conference. So, that includes so many things like on-site graphics. I just created the registration website, just like kind of anything that goes into that conference we’ve been working on. We also have a lot of Zoom meetings since we are remote. So that’s kind of where the collaboration comes in, is through having those meetings. But really, it just. It can be anything. Which I do like. I like having the variety. And, I think it’s it’s good to cue; it helps keep me creative too, like, being able to do something a little bit different every day. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Yeah. So do you have any challenges with staying creative? Or is it like, what are your main challenges that you face on a day-to-day basis? 

    Lex Stress   

    I would definitely say it is hard, especially because, like, working as an in-house designer, that, has its own specific challenge because you are like 100% working on that brand. And so, it’s kind of unique, where it’s not like you’re jumping from different projects. I think that can be, like, the biggest creative challenge because you’re taking the same thing every day and seeing where you can push it and how it can evolve. And, that’s kind of where the creativity comes in. Versus, like, one day,  you’re working on, like, a coffee shop logo. And the next day, you’re working for, like, a shoe brand or something like that. So, I found that that’s probably the biggest creative challenge, is just kind of working with that one brand. And probably the biggest thing that helps me is I actually freelance outside of my roles. So, I’ll take on those like full branding projects. And that’s kind of like where I feel like I can keep my, like, creative muscles going, basically.  

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Yeah, that makes sense. So, was it challenging to get into this career? You mentioned that you kind of got lucky someone had faith in you. Do you think it’s hard to, do you need a little bit of luck to get into careers like this? Or how, like, what challenges are there to get into the field? 

    Lex Stress   

    Yeah, so I feel like with tech, it is kind of a difficult field in general, because it changes so fast. It’s also notorious for, like, layoffs and things like that, like you always hear like all these tech companies that’s happening with them. And I think, it is really difficult in the beginning. I think it worked out for me because, like, this was pre-COVID when I joined Blackbaud, and so I think it helped because I was living in Charleston. Their headquarters was in Charleston. I was able to interview in person like all of those things. And now, with so many tech jobs being fully remote, like, your competition is anywhere in the world versus like just in your one city. And I think that’s, like, one of the biggest challenges. But definitely, like just having, knowing certain people, like the networking skill, is so important too, because, the reason why I got my job at Ellucian is also because one of my co-workers from Blackbaud started here, and like, put in a referral for me. So, definitely, I think like, the networking piece is huge for just trying to overcome how hard it is to get your foot in the door. But, once you are there, I feel like if you have that experience, there’s so many companies that value that. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Yeah, and for networking to establish the connections. Are there, like, events or organizations, clubs, or anything within South Carolina that you can think of to go to to make those connections? 

    Lex Stress   

    I don’t know, even like, even my old professors from coastal have really looked out for me as well. Like, I’ve been able to hear about certain opportunities just through them. Because I’ve, I felt like I built a strong relationship with them when I was at school, and then they kind of keep me in mind going forward. So, definitely, I would say like, they’re a great resource. I think there are also, like, a couple of Facebook groups like an alumni network, and also specific, specific for design as well that sometimes, like, there will be postings about jobs, or just certain opportunities in there. And then, I guess the last one would just be the AIGA [American Institute of Graphic Arts] organization. And that’s national, but there is like a South Carolina chapter. And that’s just for, design. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    And what does, what does that stand for? 

    Lex Stress   

    It is the American Institute of Graphic Arts. So, it’s like a huge professional network for design in general. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Perfect. And so, throughout your journey, it could be at the job that you are at now or in the past, have you had one project that stands out in your mind as just having like a significant impact on you, or it’s kind of like the capstone of your career, so far? 

    Lex Stress   

    Honestly, I feel like the conference that I mentioned prior is probably that for me, right now, that event is happening in about three and a half weeks. So, we’re like in the final push right now. But, we started with the creative development back in the summer for it and really just built it up from scratch. It’s an annual conference that happens every year, but we do specific branding for it. And this year, it’s pretty cool because it’s hosted in San Antonio, Texas, but during the event, the, like, full total solar eclipse is happening. So, we use the Eclipse as the inspiration for the branding. That has just been really cool for us. Because it’s like I said, like, working on it in-house brand is a little bit different. But, with this specific conference, we get to be super creative. And it’s just been me and one other designer pulling off, like, the entire thing. So, it’s definitely going to be, probably, like the main piece of my portfolio after, after it happens, like I can’t wait to get the photography on site, just have all of our signage and have even the mainstage like we’re working on the presentations and everything. So, that has so many different elements that it’s been really cool to work on. And I know that that’s going to be like a huge portfolio piece for me. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Yeah, that’ll be so cool. And so you said networking is really important for, like, increasing your chances within the job pool. But, are there any specific skills that applicants should have or showcase to kind of increase their chances of landing a job in a field like yours? 

    Lex Stress   

    Yeah, I would say probably one of the biggest ones is just problem-solving. Because as, as you get into your career, like, I remember being in school, being surrounded by so many creative people that it never really like clicked for me that once I got into the real world, like, I would be one of the only creative type people. And so, so many other people that are not, that, don’t consider themselves creative. Really come to you, to help them, like, think through different problems. And especially like really complex things, like, that’s been a huge skill for me is just, being, really like problem solving, oriented, and really trying to help other people see it in a different way. Because they always think like, oh, you’re the creative person, like you have a brain that can like do all this. That’s like something that they really lean on us for, so showing that you can be, like, a really good problem solver and, like, very solution-oriented is definitely helpful. And then, honestly, I think like even just being, like, having a good attitude, like being somebody that somebody wants to work with, can really take you far and then just having like a good work ethic. I think, like, between those three, that’s probably been, like, the most important aspects just that I’ve seen, like throughout my career, like no matter where I am. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

     Yeah, that’s great. And so, just like as we wrap up. Is there any advice that you would give somebody who is trying to get into this field above, like skills that they should have, or any other just generic advice? 

    Lex Stress   

    Um. Definitely, one thing is always like be on the lookout for ways that you can add skills, like as, as you kind of go throughout your career journey, it can be really easy to get into like a very specific niche. But, if you can always be adding on skills, like, I’m trying right now; I’m more like a just traditional, like graphic design. But, knowing how to do UI [User Interface] and UX [User Experiece], or knowing how to do motion graphics, like, if you can add on those kinds of skills, it just makes you so much more marketable, honestly, like, being able to do different things. Even, like, video is a really big one, just like trying to always expand your skills so that way, like no matter where you go, or what you’re doing, you can say, like, I have experience doing that, that’s something I can jump in on like right away. So, definitely just just that, like the continuous learning aspect is really important. And even just because, like,, technology changes so fast, like Figma is a really big skill for us. And that’s that was like not even really a thing when I was in school. So, I’ve had to, like, kind of teach myself just being, like, adaptable like that is really helpful. Like as you go throughout your career, for sure. Yeah, just like always, find ways to stay creative because sometimes it can be hard, but it’s definitely important to prioritize. 

    Emma Plutnicki   

    Perfect. Is there anything else you’d like to add about your profession or anything? 

    Lex Stress   

    I would say it’s definitely, a, like, it’s a, it’s a cool career to have. I love being a designer. I don’t really, it’s hard to imagine doing anything else. And I think since it is such a, like, specific field, I’ve always found that other designers are so willing to help anybody, like, if there’s ever someone who needs mentorship, or even if you’re asking for mentorship, like, people are always there and available to help you. And, same for this, like, I’m definitely a resource if anybody ever has, like, questions or needs advice, like, can definitely ask me.  

    Lex Stress   

    Yeah, perfect. Well, thank you so much.