We recently connected with Hilary Young and have shared our conversation below.

Hilary, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.

I worked in different versions of creative corporate America for about 12 years. The first part of my career was in television production, working for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and CollegeHumor, among others. After working long hours consistently and burning out, I made the shift over to the marketing world, working for both nonprofit and for profit companies. I thought I would have more balance when I made the leap to a more traditional corporate environment, but the expectations were unrealistic and relentless. Having work/life balance and flexibility are essential to being a creative person – without taking breaks, it becomes nearly impossible to create.

Too many organizations are using the wrong metrics of success to judge their marketing teams. Instead of focusing solely on productivity and crossing items off a list, creatives should be judged on the impact of their ideas and creative concepts. In the last corporate role that I worked in, I had such an uphill battle trying to validate the work that I was doing for them because it was hard to tie it back to direct sales. As a result, I felt like I had to work harder and had less of a payoff in the end, which contributed to me ultimately starting my own business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My career began in New York City in television production. In college, I worked for ABC News, Curious Pictures, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. After I graduated, I was hired to be Stephen Colbert’s assistant for a new show called The Colbert Report. Having the opportunity to not only work on launching a new show, but to also be in the room where things were happening was a once in a lifetime experience. Although I didn’t know it at the time, watching The Colbert Report come to life was my first experience with successful brand building.

After several years with the Report, I went on to work for a variety of comedy specials and music shows including HBO’s Ricky Gervais: Out of England, VH1’s Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Inductions, and the LOGO Network’s Now Next New Awards. Eventually I was hired as a producer on MTV’s The CollegeHumor Show. After the show wrapped, CollegeHumor kept me on as their Senior Producer of Branded Content, where I helped brands like Nestea, Axe, Geico, Stride Gum, and others integrate their products into CollegeHumor videos. After leaving CollegeHumor in 2010, I went on to serve as the Producer for Beyond the Boardroom, a talk show that aired on Bloomberg TV.

After nearly a decade of building a career in television, I decided to build a life. I moved to Philadelphia to be with my husband and started working in the marketing department for a nonprofit. In 2013, I was hired to serve as the Communications Manager for Medical Guardian, a medical alert device company based in Center City. I learned a great deal about the senior market in that role, and became a subject matter expert on aging. I also produced Medical Guardian’s first video spots with an official spokeswoman, Florence Henderson.

In 2015, when I was pregnant with my oldest child, there was an ice storm in Philadelphia and my request to work from home was denied, despite the years of loyalty and great work for the company. I ended up using the rage I felt that day to fuel my drive to build my own business; one that valued people and honored work life balance in a more significant way than I had experienced in the past. It was that day that Hilary Young Creative was born.

I now serve as a brand strategist and consultant with clients big and small. The work that I do today has connected all the dots of my past experiences, allowing me to continue to tell compelling stories through a variety of mediums. I do this by providing my clients with compelling brand storytelling, smart goals-driven content strategy, and strategic marketing campaigns.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I was ready for a life change in my late 20’s. At that point, I had been working in television for nearly a decade and the lack of work/life balance was really burning me out. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do, or what my skills as a television producer would even translate to out in the “real” world. Around the same time, my now-husband came back into my life. We had been good friends in college but never dated, and went our separate ways after graduation — me to NYC to work in television, and him to Philadelphia to work as an engineer.

I fell in love with my husband and the city of Philadelphia at the same time; there was such an amazing creative pulse to the city, and much more personal space to bolster creative thought than NYC. I didn’t really have a plan, but I knew that my life would take me to Philadelphia.

I moved here in 2011 and it was remarkably challenging to find work. I started working for a tech startup in March 2011 as their Director of Content, but they lost funding within 6 months and it was back to the (unemployed) drawing board. Instead of giving up, I decided to start pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. I gave myself mini-challenges each week in order to try something new, and it eventually led me to working with a variety of nonprofits. I pretty quickly realized that they all needed help with their marketing efforts, and storytelling came naturally to me. I was hired part-time to work in the marketing department for a non-profit and I loved it. Eventually, I was hired by a growing medical device startup as their Communications Manager, and that’s when I really hit my stride. I had successfully pivoted from television into the world of marketing.

I ended up pivoting again when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter and felt like I was being pushed out by (the mostly male) leadership at the company. The final straw was having them deny a work from home day for me during an ice storm while 7 months pregnant. I used my day off to rage-build a business and never looked back. I had 3 clients agree to work with me before I went out on maternity leave, and was able to secure another 2 after my daughter was born. Even though it seemed like a career pivot, it was also a serious life pivot, as motherhood really changes the way you see the world and how you prioritize. Having the ability to work for myself provided me with the flexibility and freedom I needed to be present as a mom and also pursue my passion.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My answer is actually the same advice that I give to my clients about how to successfully grow a business and foster community: authenticity. Without it, no one will buy what you’re selling. I approach my business the same way I approach my life: looking to make genuine connections with people, showing up to help people when I can, listening intently, and relying on humor whenever possible. All of this resonates with people because so much we experience in life is purely transactional and I’m always looking to go deeper.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hilaryyoungcreative.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hilaryyoungcreative/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarysiegelyoung/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hilaryyoungcreative

Image Credits
Nichole Howard Photography Bethany Rees, DOLA Photography