I’ve had an entrepreneurial mindset since my early post-college years. It was the Great Recession, and jobs were scarce. I started trying to carve my own path. The truth is, even if the job market was better, I envisioned a career that crossed industries and boundaries. As someone with deep-seated interests in theatre, science, and society, I yearned for an opportunity that would be my “dream job.” When I didn’t see that, I decided to forge my own.
Since then, my career has taken some interesting turns, from a couple of jobs in government communications to a stint as a landscaper’s assistant. And while my dream of running a socially conscious theatre/arts production agency still lives, I’ve shifted gears into story-driven marketing and integrated communications. It’s the perfect way to combine my passion for writing and storytelling with my diverse background in science and journalism. I’ve realized that marketing is the opportunity I was looking for — and it’s survived the latest economic downturn.
That’s why I decided to turn my freelance communications work into two companies:
Free Ring Circus: a creative services and personal branding agency for artists, educators, entrepreneurs, coaches, and other changemakers.
Lyra Creative Studios: an integrated communications agency for nonprofits, health organizations, and changemaking companies.
Since lockdown began, I’ve devoted myself to growing these enterprises to form two-thirds of my full-time enterprise (with the third portion being my writing endeavours). It’s been an adventure to build sales funnels, lead magnets, content pipelines, and all the exciting aspects of a full-fledged business. I can’t wait to move away from frustrating job boards and step out on my own. I look forward to connecting with changemakers who need their stories told. At the end of the day, that’s my true calling.