Hometown
Uxbridge, MA
What is your job at CampusLIVE?
I am the Digital Media Manager at CampusLIVE. I handle all of the social channels, the help desk, and prizing. I've been called a lot of names, a couple to my face, but most notably community manager, maven, sleepless.
What brought you to CampusLIVE?
In 2008, I met the Durkin's (took a class with Brad) and then later that summer was their neighbor. That Fall through a class, I reached out to Ryan about interning. I interned with CampusLIVE for my last two years of college and came onboard full-time a week after graduating!
Do you have any favorite stories from your work life?
There are a lot of really great stories and memories from my time at CampusLIVE, but the one that I enjoy the best ones came this Fall from a winner. We had a user win a challenge from Rent the Runway and she was so incredibly happy because she was able to use the prize to get an amazing dress for her boyfriend's Military Ball when he returned from duty overseas. Getting that email, and hearing her story really made my day.
What does the typical day look like for you?
First alarm is at 6:45, after hitting the snooze button, I check emails/tweets/Facebook for any overnight developments. After that I get ready and head out to catch the bus. On my ride in I tweet what I call, "The Morning Pick-me-Up" and send some positive vibes to our users. Get into work, respond to emails, work on prizing logistics/shipping, drink water, more emails, Facebook posts, follow up with users, tweet to every user who tweets about us, chat with the Sharketing Team! Then lunch (generally the whole office eats together which is great) back to work, more water, more tweets, more emails. I usually head home around 7-7:30, and tweet a bunch more. Make some dinner, and relax a bit. I check Twitter/Facebook/Email one more time before bed... then do it all over again.
Why do you come to work in the morning?
I love being at work. I love the people I work with. I love my job. I love talking with our users every day and helping to be a positive part of their days.
What lessons has your work life taught you?
No one is going to hand you a single thing, unless you're willing to work for it. Sounds a little harsh, but it's brutal honesty. Sleepless nights, long hours, and doing some stuff you don't like wont only make you a better person, but it shows that if you want something bad enough that you're willing to work for it. Thats a great characteristic to have.
What advice would you give someone who is interested in pursuing similar line of work?
Read, read, read. One of the fascinating things about digital media and user experience, is that its new and now. There isn't a ton of academic literature written about it, but there are a TON of thought leaders. Read these people, meet them if you can, and implement their practices when/where you can.
What is the best part of working at CampusLIVE?
The people. Both the people who work here and the people who use the site. I love spending time at work because I'm around my friends and I whole heartedly enjoy talking to our users and helping them.
What's the coolest thing you've accomplished thus far working at CampusLIVE?
As of right now, I think the coolest thing that I've accomplished is creating the digital media strategy for the company. I'm only 8 months out of school, and I was responsible for creating a strategy that would be the action plan behind some really crucial parts of the business. It was a big undertaking, but I enjoyed the challenge, learned a lot doing it, and grateful to have been given the opportunity.