We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Olivia Shannon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Olivia below.

Hi Olivia , thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

For some, the word “success” is defined by the amount of money you have, how well known you are, or what title you have. For me, success is defined by non-monetary things —the amount of hearts you touch, your ability to find yourself and be confident in who you are, being disciplined, overcoming storms, surrounding yourself with good people, and being a person of service.

In order to achieve my definition of success, I believe you need to be a person filled with grace and selflessness. This world is full of people chasing a status, especially on social media which coincidently is the industry I work in. To be successful, you need to detach yourself from the belief that the way you look to others defines you. I think if you’re confident in who you are when no one is looking, that’s the most important. And when you do things for others without the need for recognition. You need to be a person who values growth, is able to have boundaries with yourself and others, and is always doing something each day to become better.

I’m not gonna lie and say that I don’t care about money at all —of course I want to make enough to enjoy the finer things in life, feel financially independent, and live comfortably. But that’s not ALL that success is to me.

Olivia , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

What makes a brand memorable to you? What makes them stand out? Do they have a social platform/website you constantly check up on? Do you feel a part of a community? My passion is making that happen- leaving a mark on people through the social media marketing of products and services they love. The best thing about the advertising industry is that you have complete control over your brand voice and image. In a world where having control is typically not the case, I find the creativity behind this process to be so mesmerizing. So whether the mark you leave on your consumer is that you made them laugh, encouraged them to try something new, included them in a community… you get to choose what you want them to feel and know.

From capturing/editing photos and videos, graphic design, copywriting, branding, and everything in-between, social media management is truly something that keeps every day exciting to me. My mind never turns off when it comes to thinking of new creative ideas. Finding a career that you are whole-heartedly passionate about is so hard and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to say that I have.

I am an account manager at Small Batch Social Co., where our mission is to help small business owners thrive on social media. We know that when they started their business, they didn’t sign up for another full time job where they need to handle content creation. That is where we come in. Our bread and butter is organic social media management on Instagram. We believe that it’s a platform with endless potential for every user. It’s not a question on whether or not you need an active account as a business – it is VITAL. As digital marketing changes, so do we. We value continuous education when it comes to our industry. Our clients know this and trust us.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I definitely find it challenging to explain my job to non-creatives. The title “Social Media Manager” is very misunderstood. People think it’s as easy as taking a selfie and posting it on a personal profile. They don’t understand the strategy that goes into it, the communication with clients, the meetings, keeping up with 10 businesses and their happenings, how long video editing and graphic design actually take, what goes into copywriting… the list could go on.

The services that a social media manager provides for their clients is not a simple “take a picture and post it”. They get monthly stories decks, analytics reports, content days that we pre-plan with a spreadsheet, 30 page strategy decks, etc. it is a REAL job and being creative every day can be hard. You can lose that creativity, get burnt out, and stare at the same page on your computer for an hour because you just can’t seem to get a graphic to look the way you want. It’s time consuming and takes a lot of energy. We’re editing and designing post after post after post. It doesn’t stop and it can be a challenge! BUT, it is very rewarding and we love it with everything we have.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the ability to positively impact your clients and their consumers.

Being with an agency that works with small business owners is so inspiring. They can relate to having big dreams and going after them. We also can see their pain points, what makes them overwhelmed, and what challenges they face in this world as a small business. Being able to take content creation off their plate is so rewarding —getting those sweet responses to content calendars and messages of how much we’ve helped will never get old.

It’s also amazing to watch their consumers enjoy the content, to make them feel seen, to solve their problems, and help them feel a part of a community. When comments, likes, and DMs roll in, it is the most rewarding feeling!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.smallbatchsocialco.com/
• Instagram: @smallbatchsocialco and @oliviaa_shannonn_
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-shannon-91b8bb230?trk=people-guest_people_search-card

Image Credits
Melissa Douglas