Blog #12: Reasons to Swipe Right for this Content Marketer
Who are you? What do you want? What’s your passion? What motivates you? What drives you?
Three to four word questions. So short and succinct I can fit all five on one line of a DOC. But when you provide the answers to them, one page might not suffice to answer even one thoroughly enough. Especially, when your answer can impact your chances of moving forward to the next chapter of your career.
My job search over the last few months has been a lot like dating—a whiplash of emotions, occasional tears, good conversations that lead to nowhere or heartbreak, gifts (company swag bags), vibing or not so much, sent messages from my end describing why I think we wouldn’t be the best fit, received emails detailing how this was an extremely difficult decision and that they just want to be friends...I mean...they wish me all the best in my future endeavors, but they’re just not that into me (not exactly, but you get the gist), and of course question after question getting to know each other and figuring out if this is a mutual connection.
With all that in mind, you may be now wondering, so, Lovelie, who are you? What do you want? What’s your passion? What motivates you? What drives you?
Now, I can take the route of who I actually am. My name is Lovelie, it’s lovely to meet you, too. I was born on Valentine’s Day (hence the name). I’m originally from San Diego, and have been a Bay Area resident for 10 years. I’m a Filipina-American, late twenties, Catholic, a lover of red wine, especially bold Spanish flavors. I’m a rom-com expert and have a vast knowledge in reality TV, let's talk about the new Bachelorette and this season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. I’m a makeup enthusiast, and spend a lot of free time watching YouTube tutorials, because I find them both relaxing and it helps me decide which items I’ll splurge on next.
I’m married to my husband, Sam, who I met on the school paper. He contributed to the misspelling of my name in my first printed byline, and the rest is herstory. We have a rescue Border Collie, Kona, who is a big ball of fun, anxious, but loving energy. I’m an Aquarius and my moon sign is Aquarius, too. Astrology lovers, feel free to share more insight with me about that. I am addicted to coffee, I have an appreciation for beer and the brewers who craft it, actually, I’m inspired by specialists in their field, their stories and how they got there, and the passions that motivate them. I originally became a writer because I love to write, listen to talented people share their life narratives, and spotlight those who don’t have a platform to share their voice or humbly hide in the background, but deserve applause.
Oh wait, did you want to get to know me professionally? I knew that. But, fair warning, I’m going to dive as thorough as I can without being a total snoozefest of words (for my skim-centric, TLDR readers - I got you)!
Who is Lovelie, the Content Marketer?
Who am I? I’m a journalist, a writer, a content creator, a marketer, a wordsmith, a creative, an editor, and a lover of written words.
I love all things creative. I got my start in high school, helping my parents and family draft copy, lead graphic design, and publish programs for a nonprofit that helps sponsor youth in the Philippines with tuition to attend university or provide medical missions to those who seek medical attention, but lack the resources to do so.
I’m culture, community, and humanity driven. In addition to my nonprofit work with my family, I was an editorial intern for AsianWeek Foundation for two years. I brought stories and news about Asian Americans to life, as well as providing information on important causes like mayoral candidate voting and the Hep B city-wide testing initiative for Asian Americans.
Then, I dedicated four years to Kularts, writing content to help garner fiscal funding to make Filipino arts and programming accessible to the Bay Area, manage projects that showcased the untold stories of the San Francisco South of Market (SOMA) unsung leaders, activists, and educators. To this day, my proudest accomplishments in my career stem from the impact the organization and I made by developing comic books and artwork that have been proudly distributed across San Francisco, that transform these local heroes into superheroes. As well as, being a part of compiling the grant that recognized South of Market, SOMA Pilipinas – Filipino Cultural Heritage District, as one of the first state-designated California Cultural Districts. My heart still smiles when I see the yellow banners with faces of friends and old colleagues, including my previous mentor and boss as I walk down the streets of the SOMA. I can’t forget another career highlight, bringing a digital publication baby to life, with my favorite collaborator.
Storytelling fuels me. I wholeheartedly love to absorb stories. Human narratives fascinate me to my core. Each person carries a lifetime of insight, extremely different from the person beside them. To be honest, a pet peeve of mine, is when people say I’m a generalist. That my passion can’t just be writing, there has to be a specific topic that I want to pursue. I love to tell stories and shed light on human experiences. Uncover what it is that makes people special. I’d hate to stifle or store my voice into a box. That’s one of the most thrilling components of drafting a piece, getting to take a subject matter that challenges you and turning it into an engaging piece that readers want to read. What’s the fun of focusing on one subject matter your whole life? Why not continuously grow, and stretch your writing abilities to new topics, narratives, and taking calculated risks to package them up in new and inventive ways? That’s what gives me momentum as a writer, pushing my own boundaries and producing work that I’d want to consume and repost.
What do you want, professionally?
A community I can take pride in. I’m no newbie to being scrappy and giving my all, but in my career, where I’ve come from work-wise has shaped me in ways where I owe it to my previous employers for who I am as a content creator. I want to find a place that I can be proud to work for day in and day out. If I’m a team player to my maximum ability, it’s going to be for a company where there’s mutual respect, helps me foster growth as a content creator/project management professional, encourages my creativity while teaching me new techniques, and I stand by their mission and who they are as a company. (And if I’m able to fulfill the bullet point above RE: culture, community, and humanity driven, in the work sense, it’d be an ideal situation).
A role that enables me to do what I love and embraces/encourages my talents. Writing. It’s the core of all the work that I do. But I can do more. I want to be able to lend my skills in ways that I’m confident in. I’m a creative. I can also design graphics, contribute to social media efforts, all the while, project manage all the important projects, timelines, and deadlines simultaneously. Did you know, I am also an event coordinator? I’ve managed festivals with upward to 1,000 attendees, theatrical productions, galleries, workshops, and panels. I’ve even spoken to classrooms of students, led volunteer efforts and created the decks and digital assets to help my team stay organized and reduce that overwhelmed feeling that comes with the territory. I’m a team player and love to help the team succeed.
An inspiring and valuable mentor, coach. Someone I interviewed with recently said something that continuously rings true, “People don’t leave companies, they leave managers.” A manager can make or break anyone’s experience. The job description can be word for word exactly what you’re looking for, the company can be a mission that speaks to your passions, but the manager (and team members) can be a deciding factor. I always want to be able to learn from my manager, be able to critically collaborate, where your word and work are valued, and even when things might trip or falter, there’s room for improvement and consistent respect throughout the process.
Fair compensation and benefits. Can’t forget it, it’s essential to your livelihood.
What’s your passion?
Creativity and making an impact. I’m built from my passions. Whether it’s writing, storytelling, graphic designing, highlighting underrepresented stories, listening and learning from narratives, my culture, my community, humanity. Being a part of a bigger picture, observing the world around me and making a difference through my words, actions, and work.
What motivates you?
Life! Excuse my casual nature but, life is short AF. There’s a finite time in this world, and you only have this one chance to make the most of it.
Humanity. There’s injustice, racism, sexism, discrimination, intolerance, and ignorance throughout the world that puts people at a disadvantage, or just in a horrible spot in general. Where people are overlooked, belittled, and mistreated based off of facets of who they are and what makes them beautiful. If I could help offset that, and as corny as it sounds, improve the world and community around me through my work, it’d bring a lot of internal joy and pride to my life that I’m searching for.
Family, friends, and loved ones. I’m always inspired by the accomplishments of those close to me, and as the great Lizzo says, “If I'm Shinin' Everybody Gonna Shine.”
What drives you?
My husband. He drives me all the time. Alright, dad jokes aside (sorry to the dads out there for taking your shtick). But my husband, he’s my partner in life and is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever witnessed, in addition to my mom. People who sacrifice, work hard, and are good people on top of that, give me the fuel to constantly put in the work and do my best.
My community. I’m culturally, community-wise, and humanity driven. The people I’m surrounded encourage me to keep moving. Even when I fall, lose steam, or want to give up, I remind myself to look around and be a better human for those who I love and need me. Everyone is a necessity and can make strides toward a better society. Keep swimming, calm and carry on, chuggin’, whatever saying gives you the nudge to chuckle and use your powers to empower.