Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Terricha Phillips. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Terricha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Ever since my childhood of moving around in various Cleveland neighborhoods and summer travels visiting relatives in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Florida, I was accustomed to picking up and moving from place to place. Moving to a new home and street was like an adventure, and I considered attending new schools and making new friends as taking a risk. After spending college in Atlanta and graduate school in Syracuse (both big, risky moves for my print journalism career), I decided to take the biggest risk of my life in 2010: moving 15 hours back south to Mississippi, a place I neither visited nor had relatives or roots. I wanted to have another adventure and return to a warm climate hundreds of miles away from Ohio, make new friends and see if I could advance in my newspaper career. A flight to Jackson for the job interview followed by a tour of the state’s capital, meeting many friendly people and eating delicious food sealed the deal. My parents were excited but cautiously optimistic; my then-boyfriend supported my dream and encouraged me to move, knowing he wouldn’t be too far behind in his own trip south to put a ring on it. I took the risk because I knew that I had the guts to make such a big move, the experience to write bigger, deeper news and features stories about the resilient people of Mississippi, and see how much personal growth would take place as I only had myself and a mutual hometown church connection. The risk paid off, because the reward was 10 and a half years of major growth in my career – shifting from award winning journalism to nonprofit public relations, community outreach and grant writing – and church music ministry work, community service in sickle cell disease awareness, and getting married and starting a family. I learned how to build a community and network of young professionals, as well as the importance of selfless giving from a place of pure love and hospitality. I also learned more about the importance of making policies related to the well being and social determinants of health in affluent and impoverished communities.
Terricha, 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?
I grew up listening to wonderful stories of my family history and I enjoyed stories told in classrooms about history, community development, and transportation, and enjoyed writing in diaries and journals as a young girl. Attending a journalism 101 class at Cleveland Heights High School piqued my interest enough to explore newspaper writing and I gave up a lofty dream of winning an Olympic gold medal in figure skating (I never even competed locally, ice skating was a longtime hobby for many years). I knew journalism would be my career when I felt gradual comfort from interviewing sources and researching topics and experienced satisfaction from writing meaningful pieces that informed readers and made them think deeper or take action. Internships at Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and The Plain Dealer gave me great insight into the print communications business and I loved the process of putting stories together about everyday people doing amazing things in the Cleveland area. I’m most proud of the impactful content I produced for newspaper audiences in several states, online and print features for Columbia Journalism Review, freelance stories for Parents & Kids Mississippi magazine, and creating communications infrastructures for small nonprofits doing great public health and education work for marginalized populations. Now, I am developing a communications consulting business that will solve problems for small businesses and nonprofits needing help with content creation, communications strategies, social media marketing, grant writing and fundraising, and other digital products to raise brand awareness.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing words come alive in multiple platforms, helping brands share their unique ideas and stories that will bring joy to audiences and greater awareness of products and services that solve unique problems. In the beginning of my career, seeing my byline in print and websites felt rewarding because I felt like my talent was being recognized and I produced content that enlightened and inspired people around the country. Over the years as my career has shifted, the motivation has become less personal and more focused on how I can use my skills to raise funds for cash-strapped businesses looking to scale their operations and help brands tell their stories that persuade job-seekers or potential partners to get on board. Being a versatile content creator helps me be flexible and adaptable to the needs of clients seeking support for their communications activities.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I built my audience on social media during my journalism career because I used various platforms to crowdsource for stories and do research on individuals or topics related to stories. I would invite my digital audiences into my daily work, posting photos of my field assignments and links to stories for reading and sharing for the best possible engagement. For those new to building social media presence, don’t be opposed to sharing slices of your life to display living authentically and why you do what you do each day. Lead with the truth, lay off the filters, and share what is most meaningful and how your content can help make someone’s day better. 
Contact Info:
- Website: http://parlezmywords.blogspot.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richatee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terricha.phillips
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terricha-phillips-5ba2aaa
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichaTee
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@MadisonCountyHerald
- Other: www.MaryKay.com/TPhillips216
Image Credits
Terricha Phillips