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Freelance Friday: How to Balance Freelance Writing When You Have a Day Job
This blog is part of our Freelance Friday series, where we discuss everything and anything related to freelancing. If you are a freelance writer and are looking for additional work, consider applying at Search Influence.

The “gig economy” has arrived, and it is booming. According to a study conducted by Intuit, 40% of American workers will be independent contractors by 2020.

Thanks to technology, many workers are no longer tied to a specific location, much less a traditional office setting. This means freelancers can select contract jobs from anywhere, and employers can pick the best people from a larger pool of applicants for specific projects.

It’s happening everywhere and it’s easy to get started—even if you already have a full-time job.

You may ask yourself, why would you want to freelance on the side if you already have a full-time job? Well, I am glad you asked because there are several terrific reasons why:
- You Can Make More Money
  - Who doesn’t need a little extra cash these days? Freelancing gigs pay on a wide spectrum depending on numerous factors (experience, skill, time, etc.), but they always pay. You should never freelance for free! The extra money also gives you a bit more security should you lose your day job or find yourself in between jobs.
- Test out Self-employment
  - Thinking about making a career change? Or just want more freedom when it comes to your work schedule? Freelancing on the side offers you a trial run before committing to a major life change.
- Build Your Skills
  - As mentioned earlier, pay can vary based on your skill. Freelancing on the side offers you a chance to develop and expand your skills, which will put you on firmer ground should you decide to switch it up and try freelancing as your full-time job–it can even help increase your skills in your current job!
- Develop Valuable Connections
  - Like most jobs, freelancing is all about who you know. Connecting yourself with the right people will lead to more/better opportunities and the chance to expand your skills. This too can help with your full-time job.
- Discover Your Passion
  - If you are looking to freelance, it might mean you are not happy in your current job. Freelancing may help guide you down the right path towards a more fulfilling career and a happier you. Find what you love to do and make it work for you!
If you decide to freelance while you still have a full-time job, there are also a few things you can do to ensure a balance that works for you and doesn’t cause friction.
- Be Honest and Transparent
  - Don’t hide your freelancing gig from people, including your boss. This will only arouse suspicion and harbor mistrust if discovered. Check your current employment agreement or contract first to make sure freelancing won’t ruffle any feathers.
- Keep Freelancing on Your Own Time and Your Own Dime
  - This is incredibly important to keeping the peace in your double life—don’t cross the streams!
Keeping your dual work lives separate will go a long way in avoiding problems and keeping you focused solely on one job at a time, which will ultimately produce the best results. Give 100% to each during their given times.
- Focus on Time Management
  - Time management is key. You essentially have two jobs, and there are only so many hours in the day to get all that work done. Because of this, it is crucial that you do not take on more work than you can handle, especially on the freelance side.
- Do Work in the Evening and on Weekends
  - In order to fulfill the previous two points, working in the evenings after work and on the weekends (or whatever days you have off) is unavoidable. Remember, freelancing is your side gig, therefore it has to be done on your time off.
- Build a Support Network
  - Most freelancing work is a solitary endeavor, but it doesn’t mean you have to always be alone. Like any job, having support from those you trust and can bounce ideas off of will only benefit you. This can even include current co-workers, especially if your freelancing work falls in the same field.
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December 2, 2016
Search Influence Reviews the 8 MOST Fun Jobs in New Orleans!

We all know it’s great to work at Search Influence, but some NOLA professionals are headed a little farther off the beaten path. Check out the eight most interesting jobs in the Crescent City.

1: Ghost Tour Guide

Source: www.flickr.com/photos/the-o/

New Orleans is one of America’s most haunted cities—if not THE most haunted. With moss-draped oak trees and cobblestone alleys providing ambiance and a history including pirate battles, voodoo queens, and over 27 yellow fever epidemics, the city is perfect for supernatural lore. Ghost tour guides love sharing their knowledge with travelers from all over the world, and who knows—they might just spot a few ghosts of their own! (Try New Orleans Ghost Tours, Haunted History Tours or Ghost City Tours.)

2: Roman Candy Man

Roman Candy, sold from a hand-painted, mule-drawn wagon, has been a New Orleans tradition since 1915. The Italian taffy is made fresh in the wagon each week, and the recipe has been passed down through the same family for generations. The best part of the job? “It’s fun!” said current owner Ron Kotteman in an interview with Thrillist. “I love making the kids happy—that’s why I got into the business in the first place.”

3: Mardi Gras Parade Designer

Most people participate in Mardi Gras for fun, but a few lucky New Orleanians have made Carnival into a career. The most coveted positions are at Kern Studios, the self-proclaimed “world’s best float builders.” These include niche jobs like parade float lettering specialists. However, another option is to start your own krewe! A prime example is Ryan S. Ballard, who turned a realization about Mardi Gras’ lack of sci-fi cosplay into a career as the designer/creator of the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus.

4: Craft Brewer

Craft breweries are taking off! According to Brewer’s Association, 2015 saw the most craft breweries in US history, and “one of the fastest growing regions was the South.” New Orleans boasts five breweries within the city, including NOLA Brewing Company, and the acclaimed Abita Brewery on the Northshore. The job’s main perk is obviously the delicious beer, but brewers also report loving the math and science involved, as well as the status of having a “cool” job.

5: Calliope Player

The age of steam gave New Orleans some of its most classic attractions: the steamboat and the calliope. The instrument is similar to a pipe organ, but powered by steam or compressed air. Debbie Fagnano plays the calliope three times a day on the Steamboat Natchez, one of the last operational, fully steam-powered paddlewheel boats in America. In an interview with New Orleans Magazine, she said her favorite part of the job is “watching passengers from all over the world thoroughly enjoy what they’re experiencing.”

6: Penguin Breeder

Source: www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/

His official title is Aviculturist at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas’ Husbandry Department, but Darwin Long breeds penguins for a living. He also develops and runs the Backstage Penguin Pass program, raises penguin chicks, and cares for the aquarium’s other birds, like the free-flying Amazonian bird collection. According to New Orleans Magazine, Long’s favorite part of the job is “being able to share with and excite kids and adults about penguins and other birds, while educating them about penguin biology and their natural environment.”

7: Jazz Fest Organizer

If helping to run Jazz Fest is your dream job, you just might be in luck! Wikipedia lists over 65 positions on the Board of Directors alone. In case you need a reminder of why Jazz Fest is awesome, performers have ranged from Mahalia Jackson to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and food vendors offer delicious Louisiana classics from fried green tomatoes to Crawfish Monica. Large spaces are also dedicated to celebrating cultural and historical practices, from Cajuns to Mardi Gras Indians. Who wouldn’t want to organize this great event?

8: French Quarter Buggy Driver

New Orleans buggy drivers love their job! As Jake Jones wrote for myNewOrleans.com, “How cool—to be in the middle of the French Quarter, where all the fun and action take place?” Similarly, Jim Farrell told Nola.com, “It is a lot of fun. You entertain people.” In addition to meeting visitors from around the world and serving as ambassadors for the city, drivers also mention bonding with their mules as a great part of the job. They’re a little jealous of the vacation time though—mules get three months off every year to unwind in green pastures.

Of course, these are only eight of the many interesting jobs New Orleans has to offer. With a growing film industry, some of the nation’s best restaurants and bars, a thriving arts scene, and more, there’s an occupation for almost every form of creativity.

November 17, 2016
A Day in the Life of an Account Manager at Search Influence

With all of the great positions available at Search Influence, it’s easy to wonder what each department or each position does every day. Earlier this week, I took to Search Influence’s Twitter to break down what my day-to-day as an Account Manager looks like. Though each day is different, they all share a common theme: client communication, meetings, and managing my team.

Responding to Client Questions

Mornings always consist of answering emails. Each person on the Account Management team has clients from across all industries and locations, all of which communicate with us primarily through email and phone. I like to take the mornings to open up all emails, check for emergencies, and answer any questions our clients may have. It’s great to know that our clients are getting reliable customer service, as we strive to answer all requests within a 24-hour span.

One of my favorite aspects of being an Account Manager is getting to work with clients from all industries. On a daily basis, I talk to everyone from a plastic surgeon to a mortuary cooler provider! Our client rapport is incredibly diverse.

Our Morning Whiteboard Meetings

Every morning at 9:30, the entire Account Management Team meets by our whiteboard to go over metrics and tasks for the day. We also use this time for giving other members of the team “kudos” for being CHARGED.

Paid Search Meeting

On Tuesdays, members from all departments meet to talk about our paid search, or PPC, clients. This meeting is a great way to discuss successes as well as potential roadblocks in our campaigns.

Managing Your Team: Weekly 1-on-1 Meetings

The biggest difference when you are promoted from an only client-facing position to a management position is managing your team. One of the best things about being in a management position at Search Influence is being able to work closely with my team and watch their careers grow.

In order to stay up-to-date with my team, their clients and any questions they have, we have weekly 1-on-1 meetings. This hour-long meeting is a dedicated time for my team to ask any client or career-related questions, as well as a time for me to follow up with any projects that are pending or in progress. This time isn’t specific to the Account Management position either—all departments at Search Influence have these dedicated 1-on-1 times!

Other management duties consist of leading employee reviews at the 6-month and annual mark and reviewing my team’s tasks/projects.

Wrapping Up Big Projects

After lunch, I typically dedicate my time to working on big projects. These can be client-related, internal, or team-related. I’m most productive in the afternoon, so this is the time that works best for me, but it’s different for all members of the Account Management team.

The project that I am most recently working on consists of revamping the presentation deck that we use when we kick off a new client. It was a great opportunity, and I’m so excited to see this project through!

My Account Management Career

Search Influence has been a great career experience so far within my almost three years here. Because I was hired fresh out of college (Geaux LSU!), I’ve worked my way up from Junior Account Associate to the management position I hold now. I’m thankful for the opportunity I’ve been given and would encourage anyone looking for a client-facing role to apply!

October 18, 2016
Search Influence Jobs: What Does an Internet Marketing Associate Do?

As Search Influence continues to grow, we often get asked by job applicants, “What exactly does an Internet Marketing Associate do?” So last week, I took over the Search Influence Twitter and shared my day with all of our followers. In short, being an Internet Marketing Associate on Content Team consists of a whole lot of reading, a fair amount of writing, and lots of laughter. Here’s a recap.

Our Morning Meeting

The meeting starts off sedately enough, with a breakdown of the number of tasks due for the week and for the day, as well as yesterday’s achievements. After announcements, and an overview of current projects if it’s “Tuesday Touch-Day,” it’s time for Word of the Day. Each team member takes turns presenting an interesting word to the team, and we have until the next morning meeting to submit a sentence containing that word. The word’s presenter chooses their favorite sentence, and that sentence-writer is the daily winner. The person who wins the most sentences during the month gets to wear a sparkly gold Word Wizard cape for the next month. (And yes, I won for Monday’s word and am now in the lead for the cape.)

My Annual Review

Monday was a particularly interesting day for me, since it was my work-iversary! I had completed one year at Search Influence, and after my star ceremony, when a star is added to our name banner to mark another year, it was time for my annual review. I’ve heard rumors that at other companies this is a super scary thing. But not at Search Influence. That’s because once a week, every team member meets with their manager and talks about their workload and performance. By the time reviews roll around, there are no surprises.

The Workload

Once my review was over, it was time to begin my daily workload. Content Team works with all the words that are part of an SEO or Social Media campaign. We edit website content, blogs, and social media posts all day, and write video scripts, sponsored articles, and paid ads. I work a lot on what we call ‘high-touch’ deliverables—things that require a bit more knowledge and time to complete. This includes product descriptions, LinkedIn social media campaigns, PPC ad copy, image optimizations, and site audits. My favorite, by far, is the site audit.

Site audits are the most technically oriented pieces of content we edit. A member of the Tech Team (our IMA cousins) goes through every aspect of a website and checks for things like canonicalization errors, coding issues that could confuse search engine crawlers, and site load speed. They then make recommendations on how issues can be fixed. It’s my job to go through these recommendations and clean them up, taking care of any grammatical errors, as well as reworking some sentences so they’re more clear to someone who has no idea what ‘canonicalization’ means. Site audits can be 40 pages long, so it takes a good bit of focus, but I absolutely love learning about the techy underbelly of SEO.

Our Afternoon Check-In

After my site audit was all sorted out, it was time for my favorite part of the day—the afternoon check-in! When 2:30 strikes, it’s time to take a break, chat with the team, and just get re-pumped for content. We discuss how many tasks we have left for the day, but we also discuss anything weird or interesting people learned over the course of their editing. One time, we started talking about a pig that was a witness during a witch trial, and our manager started crying she was laughing so hard. We also do some group stretching, since one of our fun facts that wasn’t so fun was about how sitting around at a desk all day can kill you. Doing a bit of office yoga makes us all feel more relaxed and less likely to have our muscles solidify in a sitting position.

Winding Down

With a pretty hectic morning, I was glad for a “more of the same” kind of afternoon. I edited some tasks, which helped to clear out the team bucket (the list of all the tasks on the team for the day). When you’ve got a robust workload, it’s surprising how fast the day goes by.

Before I knew it, it was 5 o’clock. If it was Friday, it would have ended with “This is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan blasting from someone’s computer. Since it was only Monday though, the denouement was more casual, with a chorus of “bye, y’all’s” echoing around the office. Friendly place, New Orleans. Speaking of, if you live in New Orleans or want an excuse to move here (and who doesn’t?), and you read and write English (or French or Spanish), you really should apply to join Content Team. With every day being as fun as this one, it’s sure to be a career, you won’t forget.

September 29, 2016
Search Influence Adds 3 New Hires in August

August is traditionally the hottest month in New Orleans each year. This past month, the City and Search Influence were sizzling. Not only were we ranked as one of America’s fastest-growing private companies by Inc. magazine (for the 6th straight year I might add), but we also hired three new Influencers to our growing staff of online experts. Meet Matthew Bains, Moneca Macaluso, and Radhika Mathur.

Matthew Bains

Matthew is excited to join Search Influence as a Junior Editorial Internet Marketing Associate. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, he graduated from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, with a degree in English and creative writing. Prior to Search Influence, he worked as a researcher for a national publication before moving to New Orleans in 2009 to pursue his MFA in creative writing. He has most recently worked with a local writing collective as well as in a screen-printing shop. (He is thankful he longer prints T-shirts.) In his spare time, he likes to read, watch gritty crime dramas with his wife, and train for an upcoming marathon.

Moneca Macaluso

Moneca joins our team as an Account Associate. Though New Orleans homegrown, she took a long hiatus in Texas after Hurricane Katrina. She was in Houston to attend UH for business, then in Dallas growing as a professional in the hospitality world, where she honed her client management and marketing skills. After finally returning to NOLA, Moneca realized marketing and advertising is her niche. Her free time involves doing anything creative, cycling to new parks or lakes, mastering savory vegan cooking, taking random road trips, occasionally doing freelance makeup artistry, and bringing her Pomeranian, Aubry, wherever she goes.

Radhika Mathur

Radhika is delighted to join the Production Team as a Technical Internet Marketing Associate. Born and raised in New Delhi, India, she moved to New Orleans last year. She brings five years of prior work experience as a marketing manager with an international business consulting firm in India and lots of energy and enthusiasm. Radhika holds an MBA degree in International Business, she enjoys traveling, watching movies, cooking, and listening to music from way before she was born. She loves to dance to peppy Bollywood songs and aspires to be a dancer someday.

Do you know someone who is CHARGED (find out more on that here) and wants to work for a growing tech firm in New Orleans? We’re hiring. Go to townsend.bunksite.com/jobs for more information.

September 8, 2016
Top 5 Most Read Search Influence Blogs of August

It’s back to school time, and you know what that means—time to catch up on your reading! Here are the top five most read Search Influence blog posts of August. Study up!

1: What Happened to Facebook’s 20% Text Grid Tool?

Ranking in the top five for yet another month, this updated blog post gives the ins and outs of Facebook’s latest text grid update. Peruse this popular post to learn what this update means for your advertising.

2: Search Influence Jobs: What Does an Account Associate Do?

Get a sneak peak into daily life at Search Influence! This upbeat post talks about three great aspects of working as an Account Associate: personal growth, great team members, and helping businesses.

3: Local SEO: How to Clean up Citations for Better SERP Visibility

If the image above makes zero sense, then you should probably read this post. Learn all about how consistent citations can increase your website’s visibility to search engines.

4: 5 Ways Technology Has Changed the Olympic Games

There’s no better remedy for Olympic withdrawal. Instead of mourning the sudden lack of Michael Phelps and Simone Biles in your life, learn about technology’s impact on the Olympics.

5: Two New Hires Join Search Influence

Welcome Kayla and Mildred! Get to know the two newest members of the Search Influence team, complete with fun facts about cars, Google Android, and Wolverine 3.

Image 1 Credit

September 6, 2016
Search Influence Jobs: What Does an Account Associate Do?

I joined the Search Influence team as a Junior Account Associate a little over a year ago. After working closely with my manager and completing the training program, I was then promoted to Account Associate. By that time, I felt like I had learned so much and was excited to start managing clients on my own and become more independent at work.

Being an Account Associate at Search Influence is a great experience for so many reasons. Here are three of my favorites:

1: Opportunity for Growth

If you’re like me, you get bored when you feel like you aren’t being challenged, and it’s safe to say my job is never boring. We’re in an ever-changing industry, and that alone can be a challenge to keep up with. On top of that, we’re presented with many challenges on a daily basis, like answering difficult client questions, building custom strategies, or revamping internal processes. There were countless times when I felt stumped, and every time, there was someone ready to help me, whether it was just to answer a simple question or jump on a call for extra support.

2: The Team

This brings me to my next reason: the team! Account Associates are part of the Account Management department. We may all work with different clients in many different industries, but our day-to-day is pretty similar. We have a department meeting every morning to talk about where the team stands as far as our task list numbers, set team wide goals, give each other kudos, and talk about any projects or new problems that pop up. After that, we’re ready to get to work. A typical day for me includes speaking with clients about their campaigns, reviewing and editing content, attending meetings, creating custom strategies, analyzing website data, and monitoring campaigns to make sure deliverables are completed when scheduled.

3: Helping Businesses Reach Their Goals

We truly help businesses achieve their goals. All departments in the company work on every account at some point, but account managers get to be the face of the company by directly interacting with our clients. Because of that, we are the ones who really get to know our clients and their businesses inside and out. We learn about their goals going into the campaign and do everything we can within the scope of the campaign to get there. With that said, it’s one of the best feelings to not only see the work we’re doing result in positive increases online, but to also hear from your client that their business has grown so much that they are opening a new office or location. That really adds meaning to my job.

Now, I’m a Senior Account Associate and that means I get to take on bigger projects and mentor junior team members, which I really enjoy. Like I said, my job is never boring!

August 24, 2016
Two New Hires Join Search Influence

Kayla Fletcher and Mildred Padilla recently joined our team at Search Influence.

Kayla Fletcher

Kayla is our newest Junior Internet Marketing Assistant. Born and raised in New Orleans, she is currently a senior at the University of New Orleans, studying English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Prior to Search Influence, she worked at Barnes and Noble and spent most of her time in the children’s department. Kayla enjoys running, reading novels and comic books, watching movies until she falls asleep, and listening to Prince really loud when she’s home alone. Kayla is also into cars, and she wants to learn how to drift someday.

Mildred Padilla

Mildred is delighted to join the Operations Team as the new Search Influence Product Manager. After graduating from Loyola University New Orleans, she went on to work as a Product Manager at Warner Brothers in the United Kingdom and then at Google Android in Silicon Valley. She is also an avid film fan. Upon her return to New Orleans last year, she worked on over a dozen TV shows and movies filmed locally as a featured background actor. Her last role this summer was as a nurse on the upcoming Wolverine 3 film.

Welcome aboard, Kayla and Mildred.

August 12, 2016
Search Influence Reviews: Here Are 5 of the Best Bars We Visit After a Long Day at Work

Sometimes it takes having a drink in hand to start the weekend off right, but it helps to know the best places first. Luckily, we have a few pretty good ideas on where to go to eat, cut loose, and relax after a long week at work.

Erin Rose

There’s an Irish pub near a corner of Bourbon Street where you can get a decent poboy for cheap, or a surprisingly tempting grilled cheese sandwich instead. Top off one of these treats with a frozen Irish coffee to get you through the night or a Bloody Mary to help you recover in the morning, and you’re ready to have some fun! Erin Rose also has the benefit of getting you into the French Quarter without having to deal with the brunt of ‘enthusiastic’ tourists that perpetually travel down the road.

Cajun Mike’s Pub & Grill

Cajun Mike’s is that hole-in-the-wall perfect for the end of a Friday, especially when you can trust the bartender to take your order and remember you when you come by again. There’s nothing like good old-fashioned bar food and drinks at a price that you won’t hate yourself for in the morning. Well, you won’t hate yourself as much anyways.

Spitfire

If you tend to haunt New Orleans bars regularly, but the name doesn’t sound familiar, it might be because you knew the place by a different name and under different owners. But whether it was the Whirling Dervish, or the Blue Crystal, nothing can stop Spitfire from being a great place for a good time close to the heart of the French Quarter. Feel free to stop by on Wednesdays for free burlesque dancing!

Moxy

Associated with the Marriott, hotel bars like Moxy have been popping up across the nation to offer people quality food, drink, and a hotel room right above the bar. The hangout itself has board games, inspirational and trivia books, and an array of unique and interesting foods (ever heard of a pizza on pita bread?). Now, that being said, everything from the food and drink to the hotel rooms are on the pricey side, so it’s not really a place to go check out more than once every so often.

Carrollton Station

And, of course, there’s Carrollton Station. This place isn’t really as convenient to get to anymore, but we still make our way to this truly awesome place to eat, drink, and be merry (or Pippin). Some nights, they have live music or an open mic night, though the quiet patio in the back is always open to those just looking to relax.

No matter where you tend to hang out at after the workweek comes to an end, it’s all about how the place appeals to each person that matters most. As always, when enjoying yourself, stay safe and don’t drink and drive.

Instagram Image Credit

July 21, 2016
13 Things We Wish We Could Tell Our Younger Selves: A Guide for Graduating Seniors

Life is hard, and the realization that hindsight is 20/20 truly resonates the older we get. From lighthearted life lessons to heavy-hitting hardships, 13 Influencers share the raw, real, honest, and wholehearted advice that they would give to their younger selves.

1. “My mother died when I was 17. It was about three weeks after Hurricane Katrina uprooted me from my freshman year down here at Loyola, and the combination one-two punch really traumatized me. The entire trajectory of the rest of my younger years definitely hinged on those two incidents. I’d love to be able to tell my younger self that it’s okay to get help when you need it, and that bottling up all of my anxiety just to release it as anger, while natural, isn’t healthy. Being stuck in a mental rut isn’t a weakness. It’s a chance for strength.” — Mattie, Web Developer

2. “I’d tell my younger self that she’s on the right path. Right after college, it felt like I dropped off into a pit of nothingness. I had planned out my whole life, and then when I got to taking the next step, it wasn’t what I wanted anymore. I took some time to reflect, took a big leap of faith, and it all worked out. So, I’d tell myself to keep passionately following whatever has caught her interest most recently. As long as you are moving forward, it’s all going to be okay!” — Shaye, Internet Marketing Team Lead

3. “Just go with the flow. Once I stopped trying to fit myself into a particular life path, I started to actually find out what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be.” — Sarah Jane, Senior Internet Marketing Associate

4. “Don’t waste your time with people that don’t deserve it! Keep your goals in mind.” — Anthony, Senior Account Associate

5. “I once got some great advice from a teacher, even though I’m still working on following it: Don’t forget that the only person you’re really competing with in life is yourself. So your goal should be to grow stronger every day than you were the day before, and to make yourself proud!” — Aubrey, Internet Marketing Team Lead

6. “To my kid former-self: Never bully someone, and don’t sit idly by when you see it happening to someone else. To my teenage former-self: Don’t get hung up on the dumb stuff that happens in high school. It won’t matter in five years. To my college former-self: Prepare yourself better for adulthood. Loans are bad. Experience is imperative. And finally, just in general: Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone when you are young. You’ll be glad you did later.” — Chris, Senior Internet Marketing Associate

7. “Don’t be pressured by all those cute pictures on Instagram. I have found that women (especially) tend to negatively compare themselves against where their friends are in life — ‘If she is engaged, married, having a baby, etc. then I need to be doing that stuff, too.’ I implore you — DON’T RUSH THROUGH THOSE LIFE EVENTS JUST SO YOU CAN CHECK THEM OFF OF YOUR TO-DO LIST. People progress at different times. Fall in love at different times. It is ok to be a bridesmaid 10 times and an aunt two times. Wait for the right one and the right time for you. And, yes, it will come.” — Melissa, Marketing and PR Manager

8. “I would tell my younger self not to worry so much. Everything is going to work out. Just keep focusing on the goal. Let all the noise fade. #KeepCalmAndCarryOn” — Candice, Junior Internet Marketing Associate

9. “Always do your best to live in the moment and appreciate what you have!” — Erica, Production Manager

10. “If I could tell myself one thing, it would be DON’T devalue yourself! Whether that relates to relationships, jobs, or even smaller aspects of life, don’t forget that you are worth something. Look at your accomplishments, how far you’ve come since high school, and don’t discount your potential. Some people seem to be born with confidence, and others have to work at it. If I could go back to my younger self, I would tell her that she doesn’t have to stay in a dying relationship; she doesn’t have to accept a minimum wage job with a master’s degree, and she has the merits to go farther than she thinks possible. I’d also tell myself that you don’t have to compare yourself to others so much, which is a dangerous road to devaluing yourself.

That being said, it’s important to know your limits and stay humble, but if your lack of confidence means you’re shying away from opportunities that can only build you up, you’ve got to be reminded that you DO have what it takes to pursue your goals! These reminders are things I still have to tell myself, but I think it’s very important to worry about being the best YOU can be, not being who someone else already is. You’ve got this!” — Laura, Account Associate

11. “I would have been more patient upon graduating—taken some time for myself to truly figure out what I want to do and what my passions are. If that meant taking on a smaller intern role to figure things out, then I should have done that. I should have gotten my ducks in a line before entering the workforce. For example, I had various internships: event planning, internal marketing, etc., and I never took the time to evaluate which was the best fit for me.” — Caroline, Account Associate

12. “One piece of advice I would give my younger self is that life is not over after college. College may be the golden years that you will remember fondly, but there is so much to look forward to after college. While one chapter of your life is drawing to a close, it is really exciting to see what the next chapters will have in store (new job, grad school, meeting new people, moving across the country, etc.). There is plenty to look forward to!” — Jensen, Account Associate

13. “Make the choices that make the best stories.” — Josh, Senior Internet Marketing Associate

Life is messy, and oftentimes unexpected events throw unwanted curveballs when we couldn’t possibly be more unprepared. A particular song that I absolutely love by the band known as Bright Eyes comes to mind when I think about advice that I’d give to my former self. The lyrics to this song titled, “Cleanse Song,” go as follows: ‘Don’t forget what you learned; all you give is returned, and if life seems absurd, what you need is some laughter.’

May 10, 2016