From theater to self-employed social media 'wrangler'

#clarkclass, with @EnergyFC gifts from @justjennyg of @refreshcreative

@Okieprof

Jenny Grigsby, a 2004 UCO theater graduate, is now a self-employed social media "wrangler,"  manager and consultant for several  Oklahoma City companies. 

@JustJennyG in #clarkclass

After working in PR for the state fair, and teaching herself about digital media, she gradually did consulting until she got enough clients to go full time a little over a year ago. Now her husband has joined her in the business, @refreshcreative.

It's interesting to me that almost all the speakers in this class have been referrals by others, as Jenny was mentioned by @rcrissinger.
 Speaking to #clarkclass, she brought gifts, her sense of humor--"I’m still employee of the month, but he’s been runner up several times” and a wide range of knowledge about Oklahoma City and twitter.

While she has two laptops at home, most of her work is done on the phone, or in person dealing with clients most of our students have heard of. 
Here are some of  them, and she introduced them by saying, "I am...":  @EnergyFC, @HideawayPizza, @Oak&Ore, @RJSupperClub,

@Ludivine, @TowerTheatre, @H&8thNightMarket, plus

consulting with dental offices,  retail companies and a plastic surgeon.

It all started when having lunch with someone who asked her to help with their social media.

"Always go to lunch with people, "she quips. "Keep your options open."

Here are some of her comments, and student debriefing notes, with the help of @cassjack12:

• Learning the basics is invaluable
• Look at different brands for ideas
• Take screenshots and save them so you have ideas to pull from
• "Social media is basically me sitting on my couch giggling"
• “Social media is way to share moments--whether it is your child’s first steps or a block at a soccer game
• Most challenging thing: managing expectations - trying to be available as much as possible and communicating when you might be busy
• Recognize moments and what people talk about 

Student debriefing notes

•  Twitter is like the ears and mouth of the company  
• Very candid, open with reality of what she does and how she feels about it 
• Having skills that people wouldn’t expect 
• Uses screenshots as idea archive file 
• Facebook more for family and close friends and twitter is for networking and for close colleagues 
• Knowledgeable about each client … “I am EnergyFC, Hideaway, etc”  
• Be engaged to get engagement, making friendships 
• Speakers have ended up on different paths than they expected they would be- open to change and progress 
• Works from home-working from car 
• “Babystep it” – start with small steps that will lead to something bigger
• Always promotes clients while speaking 
• Knowing when you have enough clients, don’t look at it as more people, more money
  
  
    
  
  
  
  

From theater to twitter, managing social media, in #clarkclass

@okieprof

Jenny Grigsby talking to #clarkclass. Photo by @AdamRopp

Jenny Grigsby's @justjennyg, advice to #clarkclass was sometimes blunt, always practical, and laced with humor as she spoke about setting out on her own as a social media manager for other companies.
She graduated from UCO, @UCOBronchos, with a degree in theater, and is self taught in this business which she admits didn't exist 10 or even fewer years ago.
She worked for a while in marketing at the state fair, before starting freelancing on the side. Six months ago, she took the plunge to full time freelancing, now with six or seven clients, including @BumbershootPR. She spoke to a combined class of #clarkclass and students in Dr. Jill Lambeth's Non-Profit Organizations class. (The state fair is a non-profit--go figure.)
Here are my students' debriefing comments, as recorded by @SydOKC:

•  "Hand me your press release, not a research paper."
• "It's always about public service."
• "Twitter became a help desk."
• "State Fair--people really like bacon and you have to tell them where it is."
• "You don't abandon mediums but evolve to what people are using."
•  "An internship is the most important thing I got in college."
• "Check analytics on twitter and other social media."
• "I liked how Jenny explained Twitter. She said it's like a resume. Use properly."
• "You can't track things on Instagram. Easy to use, but not integrated. "
• "You have to find a reasonable time whenever you live in different time zones."
• "If you are in charge of social media at a business, think of it as your brand."
• "Twitter is like a resume."
• "Actually talk to people. Talk to them. You can't just follow them."
• "She started with something completely different and ended up working in PR, marketing, etc."
• "Evolve to what public is using in particular moment."
• "Businesses using Twitter must have good customer service. It makes them memorable."
• "She made something out of nothing within 6 months."
• "Don't post links to Instagram. It takes too much time. Post the photo."
•  "People want to get to links as fast as possible."
• "Being able to step in for clients is one of the things she likes most about her job."
• "Just because you have personal social media account doesn't mean you know how to use it professionally."
• "Be more concerned about the business profile rather than your own."
• "Taking on so many clients and molding to them, that takes a lot of hats and she wears them all."
• "I worked at a non-profit organization and it really hit home with me. We talk to ourselves a lot rather than talking with other people."

An energetic OKC 'go-getter' --no boxes allowed

From @Okieprof, #clarkclass

There's nothing "low key" about Sheri Guyse @MyJrny. This favorite former UCO student and friend may first seem that way when speaking to students in #clarkclass but once she starts answering questions about her multi-faceted experiences, they're intrigued by this exceptional, energetic woman.
As a foodie and a professional, she's communications director dealing with social media and more for nine restaurants for Good Egg Dining Group, a job she helped create after being laid off  elsewhere. 

She's also a blogger, Really Most Sincerely. ("I love food, music and people") She's studying to be a Life Coach. As a lover of music, she hosts house concerts, Sherry's Living Room; and she's the mother of two children. There's more, like maker of legendary toffee, founding a Rotary Club, and the list goes on. Getting to know people like Sheri make this a dream job for a professor.
She spoke to #clarkclass today. Here are students' debriefing comments.

• She was very down to earth
• Liked how the restaurants are very in tune with customer complaints
• She seemed soft spoken
• Very interesting how she made up her own job. Cool that she got to write out exactly what she wanted to do and make her own job.
• She is a go-getter and liked how she put herself out there and told her boss what his business was missing and how she could help with that
• Liked how she said to read a lot because it makes you a better writer
• She has a lot of different interests and she branches out and does what she is passionate about
• "Comparison is a thief of joy"
• Sometimes you need to take a break from social media because it can be addicting
• Likes the idea of living room concerts
• She is a very open person and you can tell that from her she is good at everything she does
• She doesn’t put herself in a box. She has a wide variety of things she loves to do.
• She acknowledged how important it is to find time for yourself.
• She is very ambitious and she is almost an entrepreneur in a way in how she sells her talents
• She made a point to say there is such thing as too much tweeting
• It was cool that she gets to be involved with the ground zero of starting restaurants and see the progression of that
• She balances her life really well
• Is very trusting letting 50+ people in her home once a month
• “Find your tribe” everyone has different tastes and there’s a “tribe” for everyone
• Talked about the techniques for social media. Such as the rush hour time and knowing how often and when to post.
• She seemed very driven and always wants to push herself
• Doesn’t go out of her way to promote herself