I had those dreams of being that cool girl in
the cool office and all this stuff. And here
I am in this like small company. But little did
I know that I was going to have some of the best
mentors in my entire life. One of my bosses had
actually been in the New York City advertising
agency circuit her whole career. So she took
me and introduced me to so many people in those
places. She took me to tour those offices. I
made so many connections, networking. And then
also the benefit of working at a small company
that I think is kind of underrated is that you
have to, you get to do so much. So a lot of my
colleagues, we'd come to class and talk about
what we were doing in our internships. And a
lot of them were doing like Intuin projects,
which were just kind of like glorified. homework
assignments in a way and I was actually like
creating a blog for the company running their
social media like they needed they really did
they didn't have you know someone to do all of
their marketing and then of course also being
in luxury real estate I got to go to these amazing
New York City apartments that I will never be
able to afford. In today's episode of Life's
Next Lesson Plan I sit down with Brittany Ement.
a former student whose journey took her from
aspiring magazine journalist to a thriving career
in employer branding. Brittany's story is one
of ambition, adaptability, and learning to trust
the process. She shares the lessons she's learned
about career pivots, the value of small companies,
negotiating your worth, and why sometimes the
hardest decisions lead to the biggest growth.
If you've ever had to let go of an old dream
to embrace a new opportunity, this episode is
for you. I'm so excited for you to hear her story.
Thank you for joining me for another episode
of Life's Next Lesson Plan. I'm Rachel and I
started this podcast during my 29th and last
year as a high school teacher. The goal of my
work with Life's Next Lesson Plan as well as
my Live and Learn Patreon is to create a connection
where we are all teachers. We all have lessons
and stories to share that can help others. I'm
so fortunate to be able to extend the four walls
of my previous classroom to an unlimited audience.
where we can all learn from each other. And my
guests are some of the most inspirational people
with the best stories and lessons I know, which
is why I want to share them with you. Their words
are something everyone should hear. It is my
hope that you are able to take away something
from each episode to apply to your own life,
whether that be a career search, path to a more
fulfilling life, or new ideas on current topics.
Today I'm bringing to you a much anticipated
episode. I've been having this person's name
on my list since I started podcasting because
as I was telling her I repeat her job to so many
people I can't even count now how many people
I have told her career journey to it's it's really
Hopefully you'll find it as fascinating as I
do. And Brittany and I were just talking about
the fact that she, I get to see the journeys
of all of these former students from their beginning
in high school to now years and years later.
And I'm so privileged today to bring to you Brittany
Eamon, who is a former journalism student of
mine. We have many, many great stories from the
pubs lab and beyond, but I'll let Brittany give.
a little bit of introduction of herself, and
then we'll start to talk about our connection
and our time together in the pub's lab. Yeah,
absolutely. Well, thank you for the amazing intro.
I'm super happy to be here. I've been listening
to the podcast and Excited to share my career
journey and share some hopefully good lessons
and tidbits from along the way Yeah, so as I
want to call you mrs. Ralph. Yeah, you can say
Rachel. It's okay I, yes, I, my name is Brittany
Eamon. I am a senior manager of employer brand
and recruitment marketing at Sephora. So literally
a dream job. I also had no idea what employer
brand and recruitment marketing it was before
I started this. It kind of fell into my lap.
So I will, I will be. discussing kind of that
whole journey. But essentially, my job is to
position Sephora as an employer of choice for
prospective candidates. And I work on a lot of
recruitment marketing campaigns. So we I own
our Sephora life Instagram, our Sephora LinkedIn
channel, our career website, lots of fun things.
So yeah, like my my job kind of expands to all
of marketing within the HR organization. But
yeah, it's really, really fun. And of course,
I love Sephora. So that definitely helps working
for a company that you love. Yeah, you definitely
have the dream job of many girls I know in my
life. And I've brought home that black and white
striped bag into my house many times. So if you're
wondering, yes, we do get up. We do get a lot
of free products. The discount is also amazing.
So my daughter tells me, yeah. So she's like,
you know, mom, they get all of this product.
And I'm like, yes, I'm aware this is a goal for
you. Then you could do this. Absolutely. So our
roots began, as I said, in the pubs lab when
it was just a tiny little back room. I remember
because now I have this large classroom and it
was kind of nice, though, because you couldn't
escape each other. You had to sort of be forced
to bond. We had a close staff and we had so much
fun. So I know that you have thought a little
bit about your most memorable pubs moment that
you spent in high school. Do you want to share
that? I love the story. Yeah, no, I remember.
Yeah, I mean, like I remember signing up for
journalism pubs class back back in high school
and just being so interested and then like falling
in love with it so fast because I quit orchestra
actually to open up my schedule to do stuff that
I was more passionate about and I remember everyone
was like you need to have your fine arts credits
and whatever and I was like I just want to do
this and so I did and I loved it and we were
so passionate that um it was like Katie Manderski
and Sydney Benson and I and we were like so so
passionate about um the newspaper and everything
and um you had introduced going to this conference
in San Francisco and we it was actually the same
weekend or week as prom And I didn't have a boyfriend
in high school and I didn't have anyone that
I really wanted to go with. And I was just like,
well, it's junior prom. I can go senior prom.
And I actually was a huge fan of the show, The
Hills. And this moment in that show kept ringing
in my head where she refuses to go to Paris so
that she can spend. through her Teen Vogue internship,
she was supposed to go to Paris and she was like,
I'm not doing that. I'm going to spend the summer
with my boyfriend in Malibu. And then they end
up breaking up. And I was like, I have to choose
San Francisco over prom. I just knew it. I was
like, I have to do this for my career. Like,
I want to get out of Wisconsin. I want to I have
big dreams. And that was such a big moment for
me, like going to a big city for the first time
and like really feeling like my career. could
take off and like that anything was possible.
So yeah, that's all thanks to you and really
driving that. That was such a big moment for
me in high school. That was, I think, the first
time, the first trip we took as a pub staff ever.
There were four of you guys and seeing, I think,
all the other journalism schools and what they
were doing. And they had like flags and they
had matching sweatshirts, right? And you were
like, whoa, this is like the Super Bowl. or girls
with a dream. Exactly, but it really just paved
the way for future travel and then kind of seeing
what was out there and what was possible. In
fact, today I had out because the kids in journalism
right now do not know that we had a newspaper,
they don't know that we had a news magazine,
they don't know that we used to do the booster
magazines, and I had them all out today, and
I mentioned the three of you, Katie and Sydney,
because you had done, I held up the double, the
spread that you did, the drug spread we called
it, where you guys... planned all of that, and
it was so juicy and controversial. And I haven't
had journalists recently who want to really dig
for those sort of juicy, controversial stories.
And when they look at the work that you guys
did, they're like, whoa. And I was like, yeah.
I remember people were talking about it in the
hallways. And I was just like, yeah, I was career
over. reputation at that point. I was like, I
don't care. Like this story is going to get me
awards. And I think it did. I think we did win
an award for that story. So I was like, you know
what? Like, yeah. And I was so into it. So it
was, it was rewarding. Yeah, it's fun to go back
and to have all of that to look at as well. So
you started out, I recognized you almost immediately
as someone who had a passion and a talent for
pubs. And I think I gave you the nudge to apply
for editor. And you know, once you did that,
and once you traveled, it was like no turning
back for you. It was like you immersed yourself
and you had goals and you just wanted to continually
improve. So can Can you share a little bit with
us then how that kind of influenced, you know,
what you did in high school and then college
and then, of course, we'll get into the post
-college stuff, but where it kind of started?
Yeah, no, I think definitely, like, as you can
tell, the passion was, like, just so deep within
me. And I think a lot of it had to do with, like,
the media I was consuming at the time. So, like,
I grew up on, like, sex in the city and how to
lose a guy in 10 days and like all these things
were the are like 13 going on 30 where the main
character woman was this like bad badass I don't
know if yes you can okay okay like badass magazine
editor woman and like I just saw myself so much
in those women and I think it was like And I
loved writing so much and I love design. Like
I just loved all of those things. So that was
kind of like where that passion like drove me
to like continue doing that. And like I really
saw high school was just like a blip in my journey.
It wasn't like everything to me. So that was
like really where. When I started looking for
colleges I was really looking for ones with really
good journalism programs and especially magazine
journalism programs because that was really like
the big thing it was like with all those shows
and everything like I loved Cosmo, I loved Teen
Vogue. Vanity Fair, Glamour, like all of those
magazines were like what I grew up on and like
what I still consumed at that time. It was still
kind of that weird in between where like social
media was becoming huge, but then also print
still had a place. So it was. interesting, but
it was like still driving me in that direction
because I was like, Oh, I want to be here for
this industry shift and everything. So when I
was looking for colleges, University of Missouri
has a really, really great journalism program.
I did tour Mizzou as well as Wisconsin's journalism
program specifically, because I was so sure of
my major that like the general school tour didn't
really matter to me. I was just like, what is
this program going to look like? Is it going
to get me to where I need to be and all that
stuff? And looking back, maybe this is just like
a Midwestern thing. But I think Kelly also said
this on hers, but it's like I never even thought
to go to like New York City where all the magazines
were. I was just like, I want a big like. big
school experience and everything and I have no
regrets from that like I loved my experience
at Mizzou. So yeah that's where I ended up deciding
to go and they actually had like a sub major
that was for magazine journalism specifically
so that was like exactly what I wanted to do.
And I think that was what really led me once
I got there to joining the magazine club and
learning more about magazines, becoming president
of the magazine club, similar journey also to
Kelly's. And we were able to do this. I remember
it was my freshman year and freshmen didn't usually
get to go on the New York trip, but I got to
go on the New York trip and we got to visit Mizzou
alumni from all of these giant magazines and
like BuzzFeed too, which was like huge at the
time as well. And I remember getting there and
just being like so in awe by these offices. And
I think it just like furthered that like drive
and that passion that I had that I know not not
everyone like has that drive and that passion
but like I think that's really what motivated
me and then like seeing the offices and seeing
New York I was like okay yes like this is exactly
what I want to do this is everything um but I
also had this like kind of conflicting feeling
of like okay every time we went because I went
freshman year sophomore year junior year every
year we went another magazine was getting cut
the print edition was getting cut And it was
kind of up in the air. I started like talking
to these journalists about like, um, like what
their day to day looked like and exactly what
they were doing. And it was like in that era
of like clickbait articles that were really,
really popular. And they were like, we write
20 stories a day and they're all like seven things
you need to know. I was just like, ah, and I
just got like really overwhelmed by it. The more
I thought about where I wanted to be, it was
like, do I really want to be a journalist or
do I want to be in these big fancy offices in
a big city? And so I made this like kind of like
really tough decision, like midway through my
college career where I was like, do I want to
stick with the magazine journalism track? They
have like 35 tracks at Mizzou. So like this doesn't
seem like a huge like earth shattering moment,
but for me at like 20 years old, I was like,
oh my gosh, like everything I've worked for up
until this moment is for nothing. I just felt
like it was like, oh, if I don't stay with magazine,
like I'm betraying my dream. I'm betraying like
what 16 year old me was so passionate about.
So that was like a really like. That was a really
trying moment for me where I was just really
like kind of going back and forth. And then I,
you know, I talked to my parents about it. I
talked to like some mentors at the school about
it and everything and decided to change. I was
still in the journalism school, but I changed
from magazine to strategic communication. And
the more I learned about like strategic communication,
like advertising essentially was what the major
was. the more I just learned about like the creativity
and marketing and copywriting and things like
that. And I was like, okay, this is literally
what I liked from the beginning. It's not any
different. It's just not the traditional journalism.
So I think like just one of my main takeaways,
and I tell this to young people all the time
is like, if you have a dream, changing your path
a little bit or change your path completely is
not like betraying your dream. It's not like
nothing you've done up until that point is meaningless,
you know, and I think at that point, that's all
I could think about was like, oh, like, I went
to San Francisco on a journalism convention.
How dare I not do journalism for the rest of
my life, you know. And I think, yeah, it's easy
to see things as like the biggest deal ever at
that age, too. And with more perspective, I'm
just like every little moment led me to where
I am now. And I don't regret a second of that.
So, yeah, I think that's a big piece of advice
I have when it comes to like the college era
and changing your major and figuring out what
you want to do like don't be discouraged by like
your brain kind of telling you maybe this isn't
right for me or maybe I want to like change directions
a little bit like that's that's an okay feeling
to have and that's also a very normal feeling
to have as you learn more information. Exactly
yeah I've been hearing this um I don't know how
long it's been around, but the strategic communications
major. And I don't know, there's like the straight
journalism major. And then like you said, a really
specific journalism school is gonna have all
of these small niches, but it's more like of
an umbrella than under the umbrella. Am I understanding
right? There's like different skills. It was
like. journalism was the umbrella and then strategic
communication was another umbrella and then under
that umbrella you could do like PR or art direction
and graphic design or you could do copywriting
or account management so there were so many like
niches within it and I think this is also kind
of specific to Mizzou like that journalism school
is so built out and that was actually something
I struggled with too because I was like I don't
want to pigeonhole myself like I don't want to
feel so pigeonholed like I even in pubs like
I was like I like doing the design stuff and
I also like doing the writing stuff and I felt
like some of my professors were trying to like
pigeonhole me just because that's how the advertising
industry is so you're either a copywriter or
a graphic designer um and I never actually Had
a career in the advertising industry have always
worked on the brand side of things And I will
say I have never Like I never not appreciated
my graphic design background, even though I'm
not a graphic designer full time. Like that is
something that like they, I feel like they tried
to be like, you're focusing too much on this.
You need to focus on that. You know, like, and
I was like, I can't be pigeonholed. I like being
a Jagger ball trades. And I will say if you are
someone who's like, I just can't figure out,
you know, what area to like really focus and
hone in on that can be your area is the fact
that you are really strategic and you can see
things from like a bird's eye view and you have
experience in all areas. I'm a very visual person
so like even today at work I had an idea and
I'm not going to create the final creative but
I can mock up the creative and say this is what
I'm trying to communicate so you know like I
can pass that off to a designer and be like here's
like my general idea and they can take it and
make it beautiful and use their skills and things
like that. So yeah, there's a lot of different
majors available now and it's hard to navigate
and I would say even if you choose a major and
you're not like 100 % confident in it, you can
always use the skills that you've learned in
college and like take them with you into different
careers. Yeah, I think that's such an important
point and this is something that I still tell
my journalists because for their exam, they build
a portfolio of all their work and my message
is always be as well rounded in that portfolio
as possible, right? Because first of all, I want
you to try everything because unless you try
it, you don't really know. Like most kids used
to sign up for journalism because they like to
write and then they end up falling in love with
design, like you said, or photography, right?
Or now I have vloggers and then this week they
said a couple of them want to start a podcast
this trimester. did that last year so I want
them to try everything and like you said you
never know down the road where you might rely
on some of those skills. Right? And yes, if some
kids want to specialize in something, they can.
I make them do two assignments a week now. One
of their assignments can be their specialty,
but then their second assignment, I kind of want
them to play around with as much as possible
to have that background. And whether they go
into journalism or not, I would argue, especially
the soft skills that they learn in a journalism
class, time management, collaboration, communication,
right, like deadlines. That's all so important,
but all of the skills, interviewing and writing
and being able to visually communicate something,
they're going to help you in some facet. 100
% yeah I remember at Mizzou you have to do even
if you're going into like broadcasts journalism
like we had every type of journalism but everyone
had to take news writing and that class was so
hard and they made you like write like you were
an actual newspaper environment it was so hard
and everyone's like this isn't even what I wanted
to do I just wanted to do marketing and I wanted
to design pretty things but everyone had to do
it. And I will say, I learned, I learned so much
in that course that like I still use to this
day. And so I agree. It's like that well -rounded
nature. And then also like when you're in high
school and college, like that's your learn time.
So like, learn as much as you can while you're
there. And like, you're going to continue learning
once you're in the real world too. And you're
going to bring those experiences with you, like
everywhere you go through your whole career.
Absolutely. So you were finding kind of your
journey and being reflective you knew that maybe
you know you wanted to change your path a little
bit and You were learning how to dabble into
new areas that interested you I know you did
an internship or more than one internship Do
you want to talk a little bit about how you see
the importance of that how that played a role
for you as well? Yeah, so I think internships
were an incredible supplement to my college experience
because you actually get to actually like apply
the things that you're learning in the classroom
setting and the Mizzou way of learning was really
like hands -on already but just being in a company
and then understanding like how to work with
clients and understanding like the larger business
model and like how your department works with
other departments. um was super important to
me so um going into it was my junior year going
into senior year and I was in a graphic design
class I thought that was kind of where I wanted
my niche to be within strategic communications
but I wasn't really sure um but I really wanted
to study abroad um but I settled for a study
away program which was um in New York City but
you had to get your own internship so it was
like an internship program with Mizzou classes
and you had like a small I think it was like
25 of us cohort so it was a really cool program
it was all through the journalism school and
everyone interned and things from like agencies
to, we had a few people at CNN, like really,
really cool internships, but you all had to find
them yourselves. So I remember asking my professor,
like, how can I find a graphic design internship
in New York City? And he was like, oh, you're
not ready for that. And I was like, what? So
it was like this shocking moment of him being
like, yeah, you're not gonna, you're not good
enough for that. And I was just like, I was.
shocked honestly, but also I feel like that feedback
also drove me to look in other areas where I
might have been wasting my time in graphic design
because I wasn't a graphic designer at the end
of the day that what like I had graphic design
skills, but it wasn't what was right for me.
So there's hard feedback to get but then the
more I thought about it the more I was really
thinking about what what do I like in this strategic
communication area and what internships am I
seeing and social media was really taking off
at that point like from a business perspective
so I was like you know social media it feels
like I can be strategic I can be creative and
do maybe some graphic design but then also be
like analytical and I can do copywriting so it
really felt like this like combination of all
the different things within the strategic communication
major that I really wanted to explore. So I started
looking into social media internships. I ended
up getting an internship at a small real estate
luxury real estate company. And I felt kind of
imposter syndrome a little bit or maybe imposter
syndrome is not the right word. I felt a little
bit like a black sheep in the in the program
because everyone else had these internships at
these huge agencies and these huge news companies
and I think someone had an internship at the
New York Times and I just felt kind of like what
am I doing here at this luxury real estate company
and you know I had that like I was a little embarrassed
to be honest and I wanted to be you know like
I had those dreams of being that cool girl in
the cool office and all this stuff and here I
am in this like small company but little did
I know that I was going to have some of the best
mentors in my entire life. One of my bosses had
actually been in the New York City advertising
agency circuit her whole career. So she took
me and introduced me to so many people in those
places. She took me to tour those offices. I
made so many connections, networking, and then
also the benefit of working at a small company
that I think It's kind of underrated is that
you have to, you get to do so much. So a lot
of my colleagues, we'd come to class and talk
about what we were doing in our internships.
And a lot of them were doing like intern projects,
which were just kind of like glorified homework
assignments in a way. And I was actually like
creating a blog for the company running their
social media. Like they needed me. They really
did. They didn't have, you know, someone to do
all of their marketing. And then of course, also
being in luxury real estate, I got to go to these
amazing New York City apartments that I will
never be able to afford. So that was like a huge
perk of it as well. And it was just like a really
fun introduction to like, yeah, like working
in a huge city and having that like fun, you
know. badass powerful woman type of job and having
those like female leaders was really really important
for me at that point in my career because they
were just the company was opened by a woman and
she started it all on her own and she was just
amazing so yeah I think that was like a huge
piece that helped me like gain the confidence.
for my post -grad that I had so much to add to
my portfolio. Like I had so much that I had done
that was still live and so many other people
were like, here's this PowerPoint deck that I
did as part of an internship project. And not
to say that those things aren't valuable because
they totally are, but I just felt really by the
end of the summer, I felt so confident in the
experience I gained from that small business
that I definitely wouldn't have gotten had I
been at a larger agency or firm. Yeah, that's
so great that you remained open minded. You know,
of course, you were frustrated or disappointed
in the beginning. How long was it before you
started to see that you were a valuable asset
to the company and you're going to be able to
add to your skill set? I think I think it was
like probably two weeks in, honestly, I was like
two weeks in and they were giving me assignments,
especially, you know, I hate comparison is the
thief of joy, I believe. I believe that fully
but you know at that time we're going back to
these classes and I'm like what is everyone else
working on and was really quickly learning that
I was working on really really important stuff
for the company and not just like I don't think
anyone was doing coffee runs per se maybe some
of those like lesser like work that nobody else
wants to do. So I immediately kind of changed
my attitude and really thought, okay, this is
a huge opportunity for me to build my portfolio,
to really exercise my skills and learn a ton.
I'm glad that you brought up. the idea of comparison,
right? Because that happens a lot, especially
now with social media, but especially when you're
in school, you're comparing everybody's experience
and then it starts to become like stressful because
you're going to be competing for jobs, right?
And actually the episode that I just did before
yours is on comparison. That's funny that you
should bring that up. It hasn't aired yet. It
comes out tomorrow. But yes, that's so difficult
unless, like I said, thankfully it was only two
weeks before you started to see like, oh, this
might actually be a valuable experience. And
then looking back, you probably had one of the
most valuable experiences, which it didn't appear
to be at first, which is great. That's a great
lesson also. Okay, so you had what ended up being
a very meaningful internship experience and then
you are on your way to senior year of college,
which I know can be really stressful. So let's
get into what that looked like for you a little
bit. So I definitely want to hear about how you
approached the senior year stress and then we
can talk about post college, because that's where
it really gets exciting. Yes, absolutely. Yeah.
So I was coming off of like the best summer of
my life, living in New York City, like having
my Carrie Bradshaw moment. That's what I call
it, my Carrie Bradshaw moment. Yes. And just
an amazing internship. And I was coming back
and I had my capstone class. If you don't know
what a capstone is, it's kind of like your final
project for your college experience. Um, and
for that at Mizzou, it was to be part of like
an agency project team. So, um, you could apply
to be the account manager, the graphic designer.
And as you know, I was already really struggling
to figure out like, where's my niche. So at one
point I was like, well, maybe I'm going to do
video. That's what I want to do. So I applied
to be a video producer, somehow got that. And
that was my capstone. class project I was the
video producer and I barely knew how to work
a camera but I knew how to edit it really well
so I was like as long as I can get things into
an editing software and I have the vision but
I was like I really don't know what I was thinking
and and that's that's just me being honest is
like sometimes you are in this like craze of
college and You're trying to figure out your
journey and there's so many emotions. There's
so much going on. So I was in my capstone and
applying to internships like crazy. I had my
portfolio. I'm sending my resume every everywhere.
I used everything from that summer internship
to put in my portfolio. I was researching different
cities that I wanted to live in because I loved
New York, but I didn't know if like the little
closet that I department was for me, but, you
know, I was looking there. I was looking really
everywhere. Um, and just hearing nothing. So
it was, that was also really, really challenging.
You know, I was like, Oh, it's because I don't
have CNN on my resume, which is not true. I get
there, but, um, so at the end of the first semester,
I remember we had like your, your meeting with
your professor, um, to talk through all your
group feedback on your capstone project. And,
um, I go into this meeting, and I think I had
gotten a C in the class, which was devastating
for me. I was a straight A student all through
college, and I really think a lot of it had to
do with me just being in the wrong role. I was
in a video producer role. I didn't have the skills
for it. I thought I could pull it off. but I
really couldn't. And they were reading some of
the feedback I had gotten from my peers. And
it wasn't that great. And it was heartbreaking,
honestly. It was heartbreaking. I cried in the
meeting with my professor, actually. So that
was a huge low point for me. And I felt like
a failure. I felt like I can't do anything right.
I have no direction in life. I don't know what
I'm doing. Um, and I actually walked out of that
meeting and my phone was ringing and it was a
call from Lake Buena Vista, Florida. So if anyone
know that Lake Buena Vista is the small city
where Disney is located in Orlando. And I answer
the phone like you know like trying to brush
away my tears from like one of the heaviest meetings
I've ever had in my college career feeling the
lowest I've ever felt and They, you know, it
was a recruiter at Disney saying, Hey, we received
your resume and we want to set up an interview
with you. Um, do you have your schedule available?
And I'm like, anytime, any day is good for me.
I was so, it was like going from the lowest of
low to the highest of high and just feeling like
when I didn't even believe in my own self, someone
out there believed in me. That was such a impactful
moment for me. And. Yeah, it's it's it was huge
lesson because I think you know, I think me being
in the wrong role I took it personally as like
a reflection of me and my skills and Felt like
that meant that I was a failure, but it really
just meant that I wasn't in the right role and
I wasn't doing the right thing. But that actually
drove me so much closer to doing the right thing,
you know? So it is a full circle moment and I
think people don't always talk about their failures
and it is kind of feels a little bit embarrassing
to be like, yeah, I got a C in my capstone in
college class, but you know, look at me now.
So like you can get. scene you can have low moments
and you can get really bad feedback from your
peers on a group project which had never been
the case for me because I was always you know
the leader of the group project and doing all
the things but it was just it was a rough year
for me and senior year can be really really challenging
and really confusing and where do I want to be
with my life and what do I want to do with my
life so kind of having that moment and then it
turning around to getting that Disney interview
and then of course nailing those interviews and
and then getting the role was just such a full
circle moment really. Yeah that's such an important
lesson too that you just said like just because
this one Placement was not right for you doesn't
mean the whole you know everything is thrown
out It's not all or nothing and rather learn
it then then like in your career as well and
how to navigate that and how to take Criticism
and move on and and then know that it's temporary
And literally within the next minutes, you could
have one of the highest moments of your life.
It's always darkest before the dawn, right? Like,
that's such an important lesson, I think, too.
Yeah, and knowing that feedback is not always
personal. I think I took that so personally at
the time. And it was, again, it was so much a
product of the environment I was in and what
I was going through at the time. And that had
no... reflection of me as a person or my skills.
It was just the wrong time and the wrong job
and the wrong goal. But that didn't mean that
like my career was over. It was a great lesson
to learn very early in college. And then kind
of something that I brought with me into my first
intern or not my first internship, my first job
post grad, which was it happened to be an internship.
So before Brittany gets into her post college
life, the exciting stuff, we're going to take
a quick little break and then we'll be right
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to start making some healthy swaps on the way
to non -toxic livid. So we're back from break
and we're ready to hear all the exciting details
of what happened after the calls from Disney
and how that played out and where it led her
today. Yeah. So when Disney calls, you answer.
And I had just been so excited for the opportunity.
I had some other interviews for different internships
at other companies. I was interviewing with a
agency in Nashville, but I just really, really
wanted to focus on this Disney opportunity. I
felt like it was, you know, I grew up a Disney
kid. I went to the parks all the time. So, you
know, Orlando was not on my short list of cities
that I wanted to move to, but I just felt like
this was the right opportunity for me. So I packed
up all my stuff. I moved across the country to
Orlando, Florida, not knowing a single soul.
Went from you know a student sleeping until noon
every day to a nine to five and that was a jarring
moment I'm sure other people who've graduated
college can also attest it is jarring to go from
you know the student life to the real life But
the internship was amazing. I have to really
credit my leader Kayla because she was Just she
saw my talent and really like let me thrive and
like helped pave opportunities for me within
the internships um that that just made me stronger
in in all of my skills so um one of the things
so when i when i got the internship it was a
social media i think it was social media and
communications coordinator um internship and
i just thought oh i'm gonna go down down there
and take pictures of the castle all day i'm gonna
be in the parks i'm gonna be you know doing all
this um fun fairy pixie dust stuff. And I got
there and they were like, you're going to be
in the talent acquisition marketing department.
And I was like, what the heck is talent acquisition
marketing? So instead of my job being attracting
customers to come spend their money at Disney,
it was attracting job candidates to apply for
a job at Disney. And on top of that, I was not
in the, you know, parks vertical. I was in the
technology verticals, but I was specifically
working on campaigns to help attract technologists
to join Disney. So it wasn't that fairy pixie
dust magic that I thought I was getting myself
into. So it felt kind of like, what did I get
myself into at first? And you know, there was
a lot of fears then of like, was this the right
choice for me? But also, it was a huge opportunity
to learn a business that I didn't know a lot
about and I felt you know, my leader Kayla was
so supportive and so knowledgeable and I just
knew I wanted to learn from her and she really
let me grow in so many ways. So I knew that I
had to turn this internship into a full -time
job. It was kind of a risk, you know, moving
across the country and that was kind of like,
it was Orlando or bus set up. And I do have a
competitive side, as you probably know, Rachel.
Yeah. At my former gymnast. Yeah. I had these
six months of this internship to really prove
myself and get this role. And there were eight
of us interns. And I knew that it wasn't everyone's
just going to get a job handed to them. So I
did my assigned work. And I did it quickly. And
what I then tried to do in that internship was
really look for gaps in what needed to be done
with the department or, you know, things that
that the people that things that they weren't
doing that I could fill with my passion and my
expertise. So this time during this time, aesthetics
were a huge thing on Instagram. Like everyone
wanted their grid to look a certain way and use
the same filters and things like that. So I went
to my boss, Kayla, and asked, is there anyone
looking at our Instagram, you know, as a full
grid and being plan for about it? Are we planning
it? Or is it just kind of whenever a photo that
looks nice comes in, we post it and I gave her
so many ideas of how I would handle it if I was
handling the grid. And I had already mocked up
a few slides. I had edited some photos that we
already had in our photo library. And she really
loved my ideas and then was willing to help me
get presentations with some of the higher ups.
And eventually, I got approval to manage the
Disney Careers Instagram on my own, which was
not something that interns got to do, so that
was a huge responsibility and it helped make
me kind of, it kind of made me, what's the word,
oh my gosh, indispensable. It made me more indispensable
as an intern and it really drove that need to
solidify my spot as a full -time employee. So
if you're an intern, I think the biggest lesson
here is, to look beyond the scope of what you're
doing and look at what the company needs, look
at some gaps that aren't being filled, and think
about how you can use your expertise and your
skills to fill those gaps. Because that really
makes you more indispensable, and that makes
the team go, oh, I didn't even know we needed
this, but now we definitely need this, and we
cannot lose this person. So another thing, too,
is that when you're an intern, people are really
blind to things that are happening in their department.
So you're kind of this new voice coming in and
things that maybe no one even saw before, you're
coming in and being like, oh, why do you do things
like this? And ask those questions because there's
usually not a good reason for the way that people
are doing things. So I would say any internship,
people have always welcomed me and I, as an intern
manager, I'm always welcoming new ideas, new
ways of doing things. which can really help make
you more of a solid spot on the team and make
people see you as not just an intern, but actually
a member of the team and someone that we can't
lose and let go of. So I'm guessing because I
know you and I know your journey that you did
launch this into a full -time job. Correct, yes.
So I went from the social media communications
coordinator to a communications coordinator role.
I got a 30 -minute meeting on my calendar that
said quick connect and it was for the next day
and I spent just so much time freaking out about
that because I had no idea what it was about
but it was with my boss and my boss's boss. So
I was a little bit nervous but I got into the
the call the next day or it was in person at
that time. So I walked into the office and they
said, we want to offer you the full -time role
as a communications coordinator. And I think
I blacked out because I was so excited. I was
like, dream job, dream company at Disney. oh
my gosh and I said yes on the spot I was like
yes yes yes it was like a proposal to be honest
like that's how I felt in the moment I was like
someone got down on a knee and I blacked out
and just said yes and the next day and you know
I'm telling my parents and I'm like I'm so excited
and they're like oh well how much are you getting
paid now and that's really when I was like ooh
well they said it's it's two dollars an hour
more than what i was getting paid before and
my parents were kind of like don't you think
you're worth a little bit more than that and
i was like you know you could be right about
that so i had not even thought about the money
at that point um but you know of course my parents
like I did have student loans that I needed to
start paying off. And that was something to be
considered. I mean, it's your career. You should
be earning what you're worth. So I went in the
next day, and I talked to my leader. And I said,
hey, I'd like to negotiate the salary for this
new role, or the hourly rate at that point, because
I was still hourly. And they basically said,
well, you already verbally accepted. So that's
all we can do. So I look back on that. I still
have, I don't have, I mean, I regret. not negotiating
at that time, but I didn't know better. And I
think this is another lesson that I wanna give
to young people is to never feel like you're
put into a situation where you need to accept
something on the spot. I was just so happy with
that internship and so happy with how things
were going. I didn't see really the bigger picture.
And of course, like, you know, I stayed with
the company for another two years after this
all happened. So it wasn't like a make or break
with my career. But when I look back on it now
with more perspective, I definitely feel like
it's important to look at the fine print of things
and not just accept anything on the spot. Even
if it is your dream job and it feels like everything
is perfect. Receiving an offer, that's really
your opportunity to negotiate and I think that
women especially struggle with this because they
feel like maybe they're less deserving of more
money or whatever it might be. you know, I always
say the worst thing that they can say is no.
And at least you can say that you tried then.
So I think at that moment, it was it was tough
for me, but it was it was a lesson learned the
hard way of, you know, receiving that offer and
being disappointed or being so excited on the
spot. I didn't even have a chance to be disappointed
about the pay. And yeah, I just I think it's
important to talk about pay transparency when
it comes to career, especially when you're early
and starting out. Yeah, how would you know? This
is really your first opportunity to negotiate.
You were an intern. That's your first full -time
job. You don't even know to say, could I take
24 hours? Because you just wanted to say yes.
Because of course, you're like, don't give it
to anybody else, right? Right. But to just say
like, It's okay. It's such a great lesson. Can
I have 24 hours to think it over? I will get
back to you. But you don't know when you're brand
new and you're just so excited. Like you said,
you had had a good experience. That's a really
good thing to share. So thank you for being honest
about that and sharing that. So you stayed there
for two and a half years? Yes, correct. I stayed
there for two and a half years. and then the
pandemic hit. I think everyone my age probably
has a story or your career journey always has
the story that says, and then the pandemic. And
I was furloughed for a while and I was called
back on my skeleton team. I felt at that point
that I was due for a promotion. I was working
outside of my scope, but it was also this time
where it was like How dare you ask? They didn't
say it like that. But you know, it just kind
of was like, it didn't feel like the right time
to be asking for things because we were just
lucky to be alive. And, you know, so it was hard
for me as someone who, as you can tell from this
career journey, I've always been so driven. I
want the next step. I want to climb the ladder.
I want to get there. And then this pandemic felt
like it was really slowing things down. So. I
really didn't want to leave Disney. That was
never my goal. I really wanted to like, when
I first joined, I was like, I'm staying here
forever. This is it. But again, like I said in
the beginning, let yourself change as you go
on and let yourself make different decisions
for yourself. So I saw an opening at another
company now called Travel and Leisure Company,
which was formerly Wyndham Destinations. and
it was for an employer brand specialist role.
And so I was in that talent acquisition marketing
role, which is similar to employer brand. It
was all like marketing within HR. So I knew I
had this kind of like niche expertise that like
I could definitely do this role. I read the job
description. I was like, I could do this with
my eyes closed. Like this is the job for me,
but do I want to leave Disney was really the
big question. So I had my interviews at that
company and made the probably what felt like
the hardest decision in my career that thus far
to leave my dream company to You know go for
a higher role a higher paying role I think that
was a piece of it too at that time I when I got
that offer I didn't even know I was worth that
much and that was a really eye -opening moment
for me So I took that role. I cried on the call
with my manager, Kayla, who I had mentioned.
She was such a great mentor to me. And that was
one of the hardest part was leaving the people
because I still am in touch with all of my friends
from Disney. It was truly one of the best experiences
working there and for a company so large. But
then, yeah, so I moved over to Travel and Leisure
Co. And I went from a team of 50 people doing
recruitment marketing to a team of two. And that
was a jarring experience. So that was a huge
shift. But in that role, I really got so much
exposure to leadership because there was only
so many people doing my role. So I had to be
the one to talk to our chief people officer,
our chief human resources officer. Hire ups within
the company and I was able to travel a bunch
during that role too because we had You know
our resorts all across the country. So I had
such good opportunities there I got to be my
little jack -of -all -trades there as well because
there wasn't so many people on the team So I
was doing a lot more strategy work And that gave
me Kind of such a varied experience from Disney
because Disney is a really traditional company
very hierarchical and then I went to travel leisure
where I'm getting phone calls from like You know
higher -ups that I never even got the chance
to talk to at Disney. So it was definitely a
very contrasting experience, but I feel like
it it led me to where I am now 100 % because
if I didn't have two drastically different experiences
and I wasn't able to, you know, gain that experience
from each one and see how different companies
operate differently and like, you know, pull
things where I'm like, oh, we were doing it really
well at this one and we were doing it really
not well at this one and like vice versa because
like, you know, every team does things differently.
Yeah, that was invaluable to where I am now if
I if I hadn't had that opportunity I wouldn't
have learned half the things that I that I know
now so That was a that was a great step another
one of those situations where it's like you're
learning as you go and you don't know what you
don't know and Everything in your career has
been a stepping stone. It feels like right with
a lesson learned. Definitely. So how long were
you there? So there I was at travel leisure for
about two years. And again, I think I was ready
for that next step. I was ready for manager title.
So I felt like I was doing the role of a manager,
but I just really wanted that title. And I saw
a job opening at Sephora and it was for employer
brand manager. I could not not apply to that.
I was like, this is what I've been working for.
I really liked the company. I really liked what
I was working with. But once I did the interviews
at Sephora and met my now leader and everything,
it just felt like everything was falling into
place. I met my now leader, Claire, and she and
I just, I felt like our interview was just a
conversation. It was just like, we were... jumping
off of one another, pitching ideas, talking,
talking shop, if you will. And it just felt like,
oh, this is where I'm meant to be. And that was
just such a amazing experience. And when I got
the offer, again, it was like, it was like when
I got the Disney offer, I was like, oh my gosh,
dream job, the dream company. I can't believe
this is actually happening. And when I got there,
it was actually one of those moments where I,
this is when I really had imposter syndrome because
I got, to my first calls with Sephora and everyone
on the calls were smarter than me and I think
that was like the first time not the first time
in my career that sounds so bad but it was like
one of the first times in a long time that I
felt like I was sitting in a room and I was not
the smartest I wasn't even close to the smartest
person in the room and I was like did I just
talk myself into something that I can't do or
you know so I was having all this imposter syndrome
where I was like I don't know if I'm qualified
for this even though I knew in my heart I was
it was just you know a lot getting in the way
and my one of my first assignments and my new
role was to pace out a budget and I was like
I've never even worked on a budget before so
that was like a whole thing and you know I wanted
to appear like I knew what I was doing to my
boss but at the same time in my head I'm like
what the heck am I doing? And so yeah, so I had
some tears for sure in the beginning just just
with the nerves of just am I gonna be able to
perform am I gonna be able to show them that
I really am the great hire that They made like
I really wanted them to know like I'm really
good at what I do Just give me a second to do
it like give me a second to prove it to you so
I learned a lot about budgets I met with my like
accountant, finance person separately. And I
was like, teach me everything. Tell me everything.
And he did. And he was great. And he walked me
through it. And that's one thing I'll say about
Sephora is that you can email or ping or anything,
anyone in any department. And they will spend
30 minutes with you and tell you anything you
need to know. And they are so helpful. And I
immediately knew that that culture was something
I wanted to be a part of and something I wanted
to stay part of. And yeah, I've been there ever
since. And I'm super proud to say that I just
two weeks ago during my annual review was promoted
from manager to senior manager. So I'm here to
stay. I love my company. I love where I am. And
I am, I'm super proud of myself for, you know,
even just going through it now on the podcast
and looking back on so many like really low moments.
It really all drove me to where I am now. And
that's something to keep in mind for anyone listening.
If you have had those little moments recently
or going through one right now, rejection is
redirection. It's all leading you to a better,
brighter future. Oh, I love that quote. Yeah.
And not only are you feeling like you're in the
right spot with your career, but you are back
in the Midwest. Yes, yes. So when I got hired
for Sephora, our corporate offices are actually
in San Francisco, which is funny because that
kind of also feels full circle from that moment.
And so I get to go to the offices four to five
times a year. So I'm in San Francisco a bunch,
seeing the team that's hybrid there. So I'm...
personally fully remote, some other of our team
members are fully remote, but many of them are
hybrid in San Francisco and I was started at
Sephora, I was still in Orlando and I talked
to my boss and I said, I think I'm gonna make
a personal decision for myself and I really feel
like the Midwest is calling me back, it's calling
me home. I had a really good run in Orlando and
it just felt like... it's time for me to do something
for me and so I visited some of my friends here
in Chicago and I was I was I just fell in love
with the city again and I yeah I made the decision
to move and um I was and with full support from
my um from my company from Sephora so I feel
very very lucky that I'm able to do this job
remotely and live in the city that I love um
and and yeah it's a pursuit my dreams. That is
so amazing. So really, you could work from anywhere.
Yes, yes. And actually, for our hybrid employees,
now I'm going to just sound like a Sephora mouthpiece.
But for our hybrid employees, we do have a program
called Work From Anywhere July. So the whole
month of July, you can work truly from anywhere.
So it's actually an opportunity where people
will work from, you know, like countries abroad.
So actually last summer I worked from London
and I was able to go to the Sephora London office
and work from there and meet people there. So
yeah Sephora has some really great like work
-life balance programs. So they encourage like
they want people to get out and have those cultural
experiences. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, we
have no meeting Fridays as much as you can, of
course. And then summer Fridays in the summer.
That means you log off at 1 p .m., which is great,
as long as you get your work done, of course.
And then, yeah, that whole month of July, it's
all work from anywhere as long as you, you know,
confirm with your leader timing and like what
times you're going to be online and everything.
Yeah, it's a great, great opportunity. Wow. A
lot of my coworkers take advantage of it and
it's really exciting. It's really fun. Sounds
like an excellent workplace culture for sure.
Which makes it very easy for me to promote. Yeah,
exactly. Makes my job very easy because we have
such a great culture to promote. Yeah, that's
awesome. Brittany has sprinkled a ton of really
valuable lessons throughout this episode, so
we're going to wrap it up. She has an assignment,
a little bit of homework, and some takeaways
based on all of the lessons that she has here.
I think... They can apply to any age. We were
talking about how as you age, you know, your
values shift and what you once thought was important
is no longer a high priority for you. And I think,
you know, I can definitely attest to that and
why I decided to make such a huge decision at
this point in my life because things that were
once important or were once a passion changed.
And in Brittany's story, you can tell also that
she has had those same experiences. So what do
you have for us to take with us based on all
of your wisdom, Brittany? Yeah, absolutely. I
think the biggest thing that's kind of been a
theme throughout my career journey is like really
checking in with yourself and asking yourself,
am I happy with where I'm at? What would make
me happier? And that always that doesn't always
have to be career driven. So, you know, like
with my move to Chicago, that was really personally
driven. That was me knowing that I'd be feeling
more at home back in the Midwest and knowing
that that was the next step for me. But yeah,
just your whole career journey. I think it's
really important to ask yourself as you're going
through things Like is this still suiting me?
Is this still? Something that's giving me joy
bringing you joy Do I still feel that drive,
that passion? And if you're starting to lose
it, ask yourself why and where, where you want
to spend more energy and where you want to take
your next step. And it could be something that's
unexpected and something that maybe, um, your
16 year old self that was watching 13 going on
30 and wanting to work at a magazine did not
expect for yourself. But I think, um, employer
brand manager at Sephora is a great backup to
magazine editor at Huge Magazine in New York.
So don't ever underestimate, don't overestimate
how hard it is to change your life. You have
the power to change your career path, change
your life, change the direction you're going.
So take the risk and yeah. Yeah, that could have
been the exact words that I said at the beginning
of this podcasting journey for myself, right?
It's like, how many more years are you going
to say, I wish I would have done that, or I really
need to make a change? And I talked about this,
I think, in Blake's episode two, where it's like,
you're never going to be younger than you are
today. you know time is going to continue to
pass you're never going to get this chance again
and I think it's hard you know your comfort zone
is your comfort zone for a reason and it's difficult
to you know take risks especially you know I
usually play things quite safe but I really think
if you have a pull and it goes along with those
values changing, like what do I want my life,
my whole life, not just my job, but my whole
life, what do I want that to look like? And I
think so many times, and this happened to me
just because if you have kids or you're in a
marriage and it's like, well, don't you feel
like you don't have a lot of wiggle room you're
kind of stuck in a situation but now that my
daughter is going off to college and I have a
little bit more freedom with what I can do with
my life it's like well if not now when I'm 51
and you know I had thought about doing a podcast
for like two years and I guess you know you can
continue to delay and delay and delay and I always
am that person though and maybe you're like this
too where it's like I want the crystal ball or
I can see 10 years from now and am I going to
be where my 16 year old self thought I was going
to be? but you don't know. Um, I even had a guest
who, a few episodes ago, Michael Hernandez, who
changed the, I stopped asking the question, you
know, like, what's your next goal? Because he's
so accomplished and he's like, I don't set goals.
I just follow my curiosity and I follow my passion.
And I was like, boom. That's amazing. Anything
too, because I think as we're talking about this,
the more I'm thinking like, You know, sometimes
you don't always know what is next. You know,
you don't know, like you can check in yourself
and say, okay, I know I'm not happy and I know
that this isn't suiting me, but I don't know
what's next. Just try something, you know, like
get yourself out of where you are that feels
unhappy, but try something new. And that might
not be the right thing. Like I was talking about
the video producer thing did not work out for
me. Graphic design did not work out for me. But
those things that I did that weren't the right
thing led me to where I am now. So, um, do the
wrong thing, you know, do the wrong thing sometimes
and try something. Um, I even tell people like
trying to get into corporate America, they're
like, I don't know what department or whatever.
It's like, just get a job in corporate America
and then have company or company have, then have
coffee with everyone, you know, just meet people,
talk to people, ask them what their job is. See
what. really attracts you and what's you know,
oh that sounds interesting and then have that
curiosity. I love that line about curiosity.
I think that's so important to have when you're
thinking about your next step. Yeah, he really,
it almost, now that I look at that question,
I'm like, oh, I'm regretting ever asking that
question because it's almost like having a goal,
you're pigeonholing yourself because you don't
know what you don't know, right? And until you
have the next experience, you learn from that
experience or it. introduces you to experience
you didn't even realize was out there and if
you say well I can't follow that path because
I'm working on this goal it can maybe even hold
you back and so I kind of reframed how I think
about that like yes of course there are all things
there are things that we want as far as our values
and ways we want to live aligned to our values,
but it doesn't have to be a goal. It can be,
I think I'm going to follow this passion, or
I think I'm going to, you know, I really want
to learn more about this. So that's kind of changed
my perspective, which is why these conversations
are so fun. So I really appreciate all your time,
Brittany. I'm just so, so, so proud of you. And
I love following your journey. I've been following
it ever since you left high school. So I really
appreciate you being here today. Yeah, absolutely.
This has been so much fun. I love talking to
people starting out in their career and giving
them this really honest, the ups, the downs,
the good, the bad, the ugly vision of what it
looks like when you're trying to build a career.
Even if you do have a clear vision, it can still
look kind of like a roller coaster. So yeah,
I'm also totally open if any younger people or
anyone really wants to reach out and talk to
me about my career journey or learn a little
bit more or have any questions about what I do
at Sephora, I'm totally happy to talk with anyone.
That's awesome. I will make sure to drop your
contact information into the show notes and I'll
be promoting you on my social media and I can
tag you there so people can find you there as
well. Brittany's journey is such a great reminder
that dreams don't have to stay the same to be
meaningful. Her story shows that it's okay to
pivot, take risks, and embrace new opportunities,
even when they weren't part of the original plan.
Whether it's stepping away from an industry you
once loved, learning to negotiate your worth,
or choosing growth over comfort, every career
move teaches us something valuable. I'd love
to hear from you. Have you ever had to let go
of a childhood dream? to pursue something even
better? Share your thoughts with us on social
media at Life's Next Lesson Plan or drop a comment
wherever you're listening. And if you enjoyed
this episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave
us a rating and review, and share it with a friend
who might need to hear this message today. You
can also find all the episodes we referenced
today as well as many journalism resources to
use in the classroom at Life's Next Lesson Plan
on YouTube. Thanks for tuning in and I'll see
you next time for another inspiring conversation.