We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sydnee Walker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sydnee, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
Each person has their own definition of success. What I think is success may not apply to the next person. Legendary University of Alabama Football Head Coach Nick Saban recently dropped this gem in a postgame press conference – “Everybody has earned the position that they’re in by showing that they have the capability and ability to do it on a consistent basis.” Not only did that apply to his team that day, but it also applies to life in general. In order to be successful, you have to be willing to work hard, make sacrifices and surround yourself with people who are on the same mission as you.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m from Roswell, GA and I graduated from the University of Oregon in 2021 with a double major in Journalism and Public Relations. I’m the Founder and CEO of The Collaborative, a company focused on connecting the Sports and Entertainment Industry with Journalists and PR Professionals via Zoom fireside chats. Since 2020, we’ve had 40+ guests ranging from NBC’s Maria Taylor to ESPN’s Marcus Spears, Ryan Clark and Laura Rutledge, New Orleans Saints DE, Cameron Jordan and MLB HOFer, John Smoltz. At the beginning of the pandemic, I was thinking of ways to keep myself busy and thought it would be a great idea to have students and young professionals learn from some of the best talent in the industry. Our very first guest was Former Oregon Ducks LB and Executive Producer of CW’s All-American, Spencer Paysinger. From there, it took off quickly and we built a strong community of students and young professionals. People always ask how I get these household names on the show – the answer is simple, “DMs.” The worst someone can say is no, so don’t be afraid to shoot your shot. Luckily, I’ve been able to build great connections across the industry and have guests who believe in the mission of The Collaborative. We hosted our first in person event in Atlanta in September. We had a Live Q&A Panel, Speed Networking Sessions, Raffles & More. It was great to connect with everyone in person and give our attendees the opportunity to network with seasoned veterans in the industry. Moving forward, I would love to host more in person events both locally in Atlanta and nationwide. The Collaborative is open to all ages, people and occupations.You don’t have to work in sports in order to attend our events or connect with us. Whether you’re in sports, tech, real-estate or any other industry, we have a spot for you to come learn and network with others across the country. I am very proud of this business and look forward to continue giving back to others!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Sure! I actually do Social Media professionally, so I’ve had plenty of experience building accounts from the ground up and managing them. My advice to those just starting to build their social media presence would be to find your niche and stay consistent. Even if you are only working with your personal account, there should be a consistent theme so followers know what you’re about. If you like fashion, post about that. Same with sports, beauty, etc. Finding a niche helps you build a community. Another piece of advice is to not get tied up in the numbers. You could spend hours crafting the perfect post and it won’t perform well, but something you think of on the fly could perform the best. It’s important to keep posting and showing your followers what you’re about.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I think my personality has helped my reputation in this industry. I always take the time to answer DMs/texts, connect over coffee or speak to college students. It’s so easy for people to get something going and not want to help others along the way, but I think it’s important to give back. I take it very seriously and will always lend a helping hand to others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thecollaborativex.org/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecollaborativex?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/sydnee-walker
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/xcollaborative?s=21
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCEgMhBJCJYG1JaFERkvunZg?sub_confirmation=1