We recently connected with Dani Dudek and have shared our conversation below.

Dani, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I worked in television for over two decades. Working in promotion and marketing at TV stations around the country was a dream come true. For years, I loved every minute of it. But after many years and many moves, my passion started to wane. I had done everything I set out to do: 12 Emmy nominations, four wins, a stint at the Fox Network in Los Angeles and a Director position at a #1 station. But I wasn’t driven to do this work any longer and, quite frankly, I was unhappy. After much soul searching and financial planning, I made the decision to change careers. Now, I work for myself as an influencer, content creator, writer and marketing and media consultant. Taking a leap like I did and dealing with both personal and professional struggle was no easy task. But I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

Like most creatives, I am a wearer of many hats. I currently help a handful of small businesses build their brand through new media opportunities. This includes social media strategy, content creation, advertising, public relations and website management. Many of these things I also handle for a local talent. Additionally, I serve as Publisher, Editor-in-Chief and Marketing Manager for a lifestyle media brand called Austin.com. But my real passion has always been sharing my adventures online. Long before there was Instagram or TikTok, I was telling my stories on a personal blog. Now, I do that across platforms through my personal brand: Spill the ATX. Whether it’s a story about Matthew McConaughey buying me a drink, sharing the first class cabin with Willie Nelson or face planting in front of the entire Southern Charm cast (yep, that really happened), you can always count on me to bring the fun!

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

You never know who or what could lead to your next big thing. Five years ago, I was at a television conference and the gal seated next to me recognized me from my social media posts. We started chatting and ended up spending the remainder of the conference palling around. Throughout the next year, Lola and I kept in touch and she started writing for my website from time to time just for fun. The following year, I hired an intern for the summer who accompanied me to that same festival. When she bailed on her assignment, Lola stepped in and stepped up! She took over the intern position and worked her way up to Managing Editor. The moral of the story is, put yourself out there, prove you’re worthy and it will pay off!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I decided to step away from my career and try something new I moved back home and lived with my parents – at the age of 40! It was hard, it was frustrating, it was even embarrassing at times. But it was also necessary. If you want to be successful, you have to do all the things, even the hard ones. It’s cliche for a reason – never give up! If you can dream it, you can do it.

Contact Info:

• Website: spilltheatx.com and atxperiences.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spilltheatx/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielledudek/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/spilltheATX
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@spilltheatx