Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Hawkins
Madison, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It all started when I was in tenth grade and got my first job. I started working at Indigo in the Short Hills Mall as a customer experience representative and then took on the responsibility as the social media manager! I found my passion for creating content for businesses and brands! After realizing how I could take something I’m passionate about and make it into a side hustle or even a career I became fascinated by doing what you love! I started asking everyone around me about their career paths and how they got to where they are today! My junior year I created my podcast, The Jersey Girl Podcast where I interviewed people on their careers and side hustles! I got to learn about all these amazing opportunities people had to turn what they love into a career and post them for others to hear! My goal is to inspire others to take risks and create a career they love! A year after I started the podcast I launched my social media marketing agency! I signed two clients in the first month and got to learn how I wanted to run and manage my small business! Still to this day I’m working out how I want everything to operate and learning day by day how to be my own boss! I am so grateful to have a space where I get to create content and help others maximize their presence on social media! Currently, I am working on creating a smoothly operating social media marketing agency and building out my podcast brand to help reach more people! I am also starting up my clothing brand “Gone Coastal”! Back in November, I created the concept for a brand that designs coastal-inspired loungewear and it has been so much fun creating the designs and selling to people who are just as excited as me! I am so excited about what the future will hold!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say for the most part it’s been pretty smooth! I’ve had a ton of support from not only my family but friends! Everyone around me has poured into helping me learn how to do this all! Also I’ve been able to network a lot and get advice from people who are already ahead of the game! The hardest part for me is being consistent. I am a college student so balancing a social life, school life and businesses is not always easy but it’s something I am so passionate about!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Throughout my journey of creating the brands I have today, I discovered my ability to use my creativity as an outlet for coming up with content ideas for businesses! I would say I am relatively good at knowing what the trends are and how to make scroll-stopping content! My business, Social Lite Marketing has a fresh and young perspective on how to manage social media. As someone who has grown up on social media, I know the ins and outs of what it takes to maximize your potential on these platforms. I am most proud of my work at Rumble Boxing Livingston because of the recognition the content got from other branches and headquarters. My podcast, The Jersey Girl podcast, is about turning what you love into a career. My podcast specializes in conversations that inspire others to take the risks necessary to achieve their dream career or side hustles using their passions. I am proud of all the people I have been able to network with and get on my podcast! They all have a different perspective on what it takes to not always follow the traditional path and do what you love. I try to mix up the type of guests I have on to reach a wider audience. Not everyone needs to have taken a big risk to get the career they have but are just simply doing what they love. For my clothing brand, Gone Coastal I love using my creativity to create clothing people want to wear! Everything I make is inspired by my happy place, the beach. People know when they are buying from me that they are getting comfortable loungewear that will remind them of their happy place too!
How do you define success?
Success is knowing you are creating a difference in other’s lives. I love hearing all the stories about how my podcast has inspired others to take a leap of faith and use their passions for more than just a hobby. When I am helping someone show off their brand on social media and seeing how excited they get because it is coming to life makes me so happy and shows that I am using my talents to make a difference. Seeing my goals come to life is another way I would define success because you can see your dreams turn into a reality and know you hit a checkpoint. One moment when I felt I had hit that checkpoint was when I was doing a pop-up for Gone Coastal down at 506 Boutique in Surf City, LBI, and someone recognized me from my podcast because she was a listener! It was so cool to meet someone who had found my podcast and had been following my journey, she also bought a hoodie which made my day! Every sale I get just shows me all the effort I put in is so worth it in the end!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejerseygirlpod/?img_index=1
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/2uDursUIAphNjIdrJifpMu
