Because the last several months have been some of the most difficult for me. I truly would describe it as surviving instead of thriving.
My main goal for 2021 isn’t to train for some brand new Ironman race or achieve some lofty professional or financial goal. While I have set some fitness and financial goals for myself, they are the top of the priority list.
To get it out there in the open my main goal and top priority next to being a husband and father: my mental health.
Right before the holidays I was officially diagnosed with depression with a side of anxiety and mounting, overwhelming life stressors.
Just how bad was it?
As we take time to reflect on this past year, with all its ups and downs, we want to thank you for continuing to support us and for showing up for your community. Because of you, we were able to fund our first ever scholarship program, and we awarded four Black Creative Students scholarships to students from all over the country. This year, we were also able to publish 26 new blog posts, had 10,400 page views, added and featured 4 new contributing editors, hired and on-boarded a super creative new social media, Greer Blount, and offered our first writing internship to Maggie Barbour who created and published 10 posts in less than 12 weeks.
It's been an eventful year for out team, and to close it all off, TNM founder Kevin O'Connell is sharing his thoughts on 2020, dealing with change and transitions as a new dad and entrepreneur, and finding new approaches for 2021. Keep reading for Kevin’s end-of-the-year message!
Working freelance may sound glamorous at first, but those who've been doing it for a while know it takes hard work. Getting your business off the ground isn't easy and sometimes it means juggling various projects all at once, but it also has it's benefits - I mean you are your own boss after all!
This week, writing intern Maggie Barbour asks The Niche Movement's Editor-in-Chief Jaylene Perez and founder Kevin O'Connell, both of whom have experience in freelancing, what it really takes to make it work.
Read on for Jaylene and Kevin's best practices when it comes to finding clients, marketing your services, settings rates, and more!
For all those in pursuit of professional development, this week we're taking a look at which skills you'll want to brush up on depending on your specific industry. Whether you're a freelancer, marketer, entrepreneur, or work in another creative role, you'll want to read up on what will make you and your work really shine.
Tap below for the full post!
Job searching is a tough task on its own, and job searching during a pandemic... well we know it's not easy. You'll have to be flexible, know how to network and market yourself, and really hone in on what it is your looking for as you search for the right fit.
To find out what can help you land your dream job, keep reading!
It's that time of year - back to school time. It's strange post-graduation when you feel the fall coming on but don't have the anticipation of new classes, won't receive a syllabus that serves as your roadmap for the next few months. But just because you're not in college, doesn't mean there aren't plenty of things to learn or engage your brain with. Here are my favorite resources for ah-ha moments!
In my former, gluten-eating life, I loved to bake. The feeling of putting ingredients together, knowing just how they'd behave, and eagerly anticipating the end result as it rose in the oven is an unforgettable and addictive feeling. (I should note: it can still be enjoyable when I do it now, when I get it right, but it's honestly more chemistry than cooking...but I digress.)
Even with the ample practice I got baking for friends and family, there would be moments where I'd miss an ingredient. A loaf would be in the oven for a few minutes before I'd realize "I forgot the salt!" or "Did I add baking powder?" or, once, "Wait, I don't remember using sugar..." The end result never felt quite right, no matter how gracious those who tasted the failed product tried to be.
Meet Robyn Park, one of The Niche Movement’s summer interns! Robyn is a junior at the George Washington University in Washington, DC majoring in marketing and journalism. She was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea but recently moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. Among her interests are social entrepreneurship and design, and she also has a weakness for puppies - perfect since our office at WeWork allows dogs. Robyn likes Mexican food and long walks on the beach…just kidding. She actually is a sucker for Thai food and hiking in the Superstition Mountains.
When she isn’t working with Kevin, The Niche Movement and their clients, Robyn likes to hang out at a variety of museums around DC. Among her favorites are the National Portrait Gallery, the American Art Museum and the Hirshhorn. If that wasn’t enough, Robyn is also a passionate advocate for mental health awareness. She furthers the effort through a blog she plans to launch this summer.
This summer, she will work with Kevin and the Niche Movement to hone her social media marketing skills and gain greater experience in creating a digital voice and marketing strategy. In the future, Robyn hopes to use marketing and advertising to make a positive impact on the world (think social good). Another one of her aspirations is to travel the globe, visiting countries such as Italy, Iceland and Morocco.
We are so excited to welcome such a passionate and creative person to the Niche Movement family and can’t wait to see what she accomplishes! Want to learn more about Robyn? Connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter. You can also contact her directly at Robyn@thenichemovement.com.
