I reserve Mondays to recognize jet-setting women who are making great strides in their communities. I call these features "Madam Mondays!"
I must add that after conducting this interview, I, myself, felt motivated to turn my work ethic and optimism up a notch.
This Monday we ask,
Who is Janna Hall?
Catch what Janna Hall is up to here at www.mybeautifulcatharsis.tumblr.com
Learning. Loving. Fighting.
Those three words sum up the passions of this social media strategist, "Friends" TV show fanatic, and hula-hoop enthusiast. Janna Hall was born in Florida, raised in Virginia, and for the past 3 years has been making awesome strides in New York City.
"You'll never change the world, if you're trying to live just like it." This is Ms. Hall's personal mantra that motivates her throughout her day. Although Ms. Hall enjoys spontaneity on the weekends, she finds comfort in her weekday routine. She wakes up to Good Day New York, makes her coffee, and starts her morning commute. She catches the train with thousands of other New Yorkers and with her nose in Meg Jay's "The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter" or Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat Pray Love." Reading is balance for this media expert. Ms. Hall then reports to her place of employment - the Girl Scouts of America.
Now, if you're anything like me, you're more than slightly impressed and intrigued as to what she does (and if she gets free cookies). However, after interviewing Ms. Hall, I've come to find that while she loves her job, it takes a great deal of discipline, skill, and perseverance.
Ms. Hall wears multiple hats: researcher, media manager, and creative executive. Her job is to scan news sites and current events that pertain to the Girl Scouts' mission, girls in leadership, the STEM program, and educational efforts. Ms. Hall and her team keep the 102 year old organization relevant and current by using social media platforms to promote the Girl Scouts' objectives.
"Part of my job consists of being a fighter. We even call my office at work the War Room because we're always fighting battles, defending our organization against internet crazies. At work, my teammate jokes about sending me to law school because I'm always following court cases and trials or reading the comments on every controversial article, ready to fight injustices and have my voice heard. I believe in justice, and I believe that you fight for what you believe in, whether it's in love or life in general."
For more about Janna Hall's work with Girl Scouts of America, visit https://www.girlscouts.org/
Her quest to finding a career she loved was not an easy one. After being laid off from a digital marketing agency, she took a job working as a PR agent for her mother.
"I actually got a job at a digital marketing agency as the editor, editing all press releases, social media posts, and writing articles for various clients... After getting laid off from that job, I devised a plan and approached my mom with what would soon become my next career move: social media manager for her medical practice. Her business was booming, but I knew that if she had a strong social media presence, it’d take her practice to the next level. She hired me on, and I built her web presence from the ground up, used all PR and social media knowledge from my past job, and she quickly saw results from my hard work. After a year of working from home in New York, I realized I’d acquired 3 years of social media experience, and went out for the job at Girl Scouts. The rest is history!"
Her level of resilience and optimism is something we could all add to our "To-Do" List.
Ms. Hall's first month in her new position at Girl Scouts of America definitely tested her tenacity, drive, and sanity. After being informed that her team leader was leaving, Ms. Hall found herself running the social media for the largest non-profit in the world, all on her own.
"To say I was terrified is an understatement. To make matters more intense, the Marketing and Communications team was also running wild, planning the first ever National Girl Scout Cookie Day (February 8th, 2013, exactly one month after I got the job). I asked the current team lead to do a complete brain dump before she left, and I literally sat for 4 hours each day at her desk with a notebook, writing down EVERYTHING she learned in her 4 years at Girl Scouts... I worked my butt off, and come National Girl Scout Cookie Day, I ran the event. I monitored social media, posted, and even got my tweets picked up by Katie Couric, the Gothamist, MTV, and other major media outlets... It was that moment that I realized how smart, how capable, and how powerful I am. My confidence shot through the roof, not because of what anyone else said to me, but because I saw first-hand what I can achieve when I apply myself."
For more about Janna Hall's work with Girl Scouts of America, visit https://www.girlscouts.org/
Ms. Hall loves her work at Girl Scouts of America. She especially enjoys the opportunity to grow and gain more knowledge.
"There's so much knowledge out there, so many ways to perfect my craft, and so many complex people in this world that you'll never reach a point where you're done learning. I welcome each new opportunity to know more than I do now. I think everyone should."
Catch what Janna Hall is up to here at www.mybeautifulcatharsis.tumblr.com
She encourages women, who want to get their foot in the public relations/media management door, to first understand that there is a lot of hard work and research. Ms. Hall spends a large portion of her day coming up with strategies, researching trends, and using metrics reports to inform strategy. "Behind any great social media page is a team that works around the clock to make it happen. It's not all fun and games, but if you do it right, it's the best job in the world."
If Ms. Hall could describe her work ethic in ONE song, it would have to be Pharrell's "Happy" BUT Beyonce's new, self-titled album is what helps to keep Ms. Hall and the Girl Scouts team motivated.
For more about the #BanBossy campaign, visit http://banbossy.com/