When I Grow Up: Founding Soul Food

Today I'm happy to introduce Hialee Howard, the latest person to be featured in the When I Grow Up series. Hialee and I were in the same class in high school, so obviously that means we are Facebook friends! I noticed she'd been talking a lot about Soul Food online and I wondered what in the world it was and what she was up to now. So I invited her to tell me - and you - all about it!

As a child, I wanted to be a ­nurse when I grew up.

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? Even though I don't consider myself a medical professional, I do consider myself a healthcare professional. I help people eat healthy and stay fit! So to answer that question, I believe Iʼm not too far off from my childhood career choice.

What is your official job title? I am the sole owner/operator of my own small catering business called Soul Food. Aside from that I am a 200RYT yoga instructor. I would call myself a nutritionist/chef/yoga teacher!

Ok, now what does that really mean? Soul Food is intended to help people eat healthy wholesome foods without the prep time. I started out making pre prepped meals and have grown to meal plans, catering, and snack options.

What is a typical day like? Each day I teach 1-3 yoga classes. Some days that starts at 6 am, other days it starts at noon. Between teaching classes, I organize and prep food for any orders I may have that week. My job is a lot of self-discipline to work during the hours I have available for that day.

How did you end up in this career? I graduated from college in 2008 with a degree in kinesiology and had no idea where I was going in my life. I got a job, worked for a year and decided my real passion was food. I went back to college and got a second bachelors degree in dietetics. I knew I loved the field but still wasnt sure what I would do. The more I learned, the more I fell in love with helping people eat REAL food and stay healthy doing it. I started teaching yoga because of my mentor, Allison Candelaria. She is the owner of Soul Yoga and it has been such a dream working with her!

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? This career is a tough one! You have to have a strong passion for it and sometimes take some scary chances! There are so many different directions to go for someone in the nutrition field but if you want to succeed, GO TO SCHOOL! There are so many things going on in the nutrition world and if you aren’t well educated, it’s easy to get distracted and coerced into the latest trends and scams. Always back your career with a strong education.

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? My dream is to open a store front for Soul Food and be able to prep food and sell it in the same space. This is definitely a goal of mine and will hopefully happen sooner than later!

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? I think the biggest piece of encouragement I have for young people is to figure out what you want to do before you graduate. College is so expensive these days and so many kids continue to go not knowing what they will do when they graduate. I tell kids all the time to get their gen eds, and take a break if they aren’t sure. See what’s out there and where your passion lies. Then when youʼre sure, go back and get your moneyʼs worth. I also don’t think that it’s necessary to go to college right out of high school. 18 is so young to be expected to know what you want to do for the REST OF YOUR LIFE! There’s nothing wrong with taking a couple years after high school to get a job and find some independence. Whats’ the rush?

Thanks again to Hialee for sharing her story! If you are in the OKC area you may want to check out Soul Food or Soul Yoga. I've been to a few classes at Soul Yoga and I love it! Soul Yoga was voted best yoga studio by the Oklahoma Gazette this year, and your first class is free, so check it out :) 

When I Grow Up: Becoming a Freelance Copywriter

And we're back for another When I Grow Up Wednesday! This week I'm featuring Robyn Petrick, a freelance copywriter. We "met" via Twitter (she's @robynpetrik), and I was so glad to have her on the blog today! The work she does is similar to what I do in my side hustle as a freelance writer/editor, and I always love to hear from other writers :)

As a child, I wanted to be a ­______ when I grew up. Oh, that’s a long list! I went through stages of wanting to be a veterinarian, a lawyer, a marine biologist, a baker, a teacher, and a poet/author. 

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? Out of all of those careers, being a poet or an author isn’t too far from copywriting at least! Which is pretty much why I choose to start a career in copywriting, so I can still work with words.

What is your official job title? Freelance Copywriter

Ok, now what does that really mean? I write content for other entrepreneurs, freelancers, and creatives whenever they need it. I specialize in website copy and social media updates, but I also write blog posts, and, well, anything written really. I’ve even written articles to go along with guitar lesson videos!

What is a typical day like? I just transitioned from my traditional corporate job to fully self-employed a few months ago, so being able to determine my typical day is my favorite part of writing for a living right now! I usually get up at 8 or 9am, workout or go for a run, and then start working around 10am. 

First I check email and social media for anything that needs a quick response, then I’ll spend a couple of hours on my own projects which usually means writing my blog posts, working my social media, and networking online. Since my boyfriend Chris is transitioning to self-employed as well (yay!), we’ll make lunch together around 1pm and watch a bit of Ellen. 

I save my afternoons for client work, so depending on the day I could be writing a new About page for a graphic designer or writing a set of tweets for a coffee shop owner. The projects I’m working on can be totally different, and that keeps writing fun for me! 

I try to save the evenings for relaxing with Chris or going out with friends, but since my business is pretty new, I admittedly end up working through many evenings as well. It’s all about the hustle these days! 

How did you end up in this career? I always dreamed of writing books of poetry or young adult novels for a living, but honestly, I had a really hard time getting past the idea that ‘no one can make enough money doing that’. Finally about a year and ago, it finally clicked that I could earn a living by writing as a freelancer instead. I started freelancing in my spare time, often staying up late and getting up early before work to finish writing projects for clients. I still remember the exact moment where I thought, “Hey, I can actually do this! This will work!” It’s quite an exhilarating feeling. 

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? Having always loved writing, I have filled tons of notebooks over the years with poetry and short stories. Once I decided I wanted to move into freelancing copywriting, I began taking copywriting courses online and reading oodles of books and blogs about copywriting. Like many creative careers though, the best training comes from actually getting out there and writing. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? Read, read, read, write, write, write! If you’d like to step into a writing career of any kind, the most important thing is to read and write as much as you can. 

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? When I grow up, I would still love to be a published poet. I share some of my poetry on Instagram  and perhaps one day I’ll self publish a book of poetry.

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? Be you, be happy, and live what you love. Life is too short to not chase after your dreams. 

Thanks again for being part of When I Grow Up, Robyn! If you'd like to work with Robyn, you can find her at www.robynpetrik.com. 

Previously on MrsRobbinsSparkles...

When I Grow Up: An Interview with Kathleen Shannon

Y'all, I'm super pumped about today's post! This edition of When I Grow Up features Kathleen Shannon of Braid Creative! I have a bit of girlboss crush on her. I first learned about Kathleen when she was a guest on the Elise Gets Crafty podcast. That led me to Kathleen's personal blog and to her business, Braid Creative which happens to be based here in Oklahoma City! Kathleen is one of the geniuses behind the Being Boss podcast that I'm pretty much obsessed with, and I had the pleasure of having lunch with her a couple weeks ago. I tried to play it cool, but I was fangirling on the inside. (We went to Nourished Food Co, and if you haven't been there yet, please stop by! So yummy. Plus it is super healthy!)

I could go on and on about Kathleen, but you're here to hear from her. So let's do it!

 As a child, I wanted to be a ­______ when I grew up. I wanted to be a jet fighter pilot or wartime photo journalist! Then I was really into the idea of being a doctor. 

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? Well, I essentially became an artist. So my current career is the total opposite of my dreams of battle and blood. 

What is your official job title? Co-owner of Braid Creative (the best part is I get to make up my official job title from day to day – sometimes it's "writer" or "podcast host" or "designer")  

Ok, now what does that really mean?

In my job I do branding and business visioning for creative entrepreneurs. Every day is a little different. Some days I'm designing a logo. Other days I'm writing new content for our ECourse. I also do creative coaching which means I help coach creatives through the work / life blend so they can live what they love without all the anxiety that comes with being your own boss. 

What is a typical day like? I usually wake up around 6AM. I get some oats on the stove and heat a bottle and make a banana pancake for my 14 month old son. We spend a couple hours eating and getting ready for the day. My husband and baby leave the house around 8AM for work and daycare and that's when I get started. I usually have 2 meetings a day with clients or creative colleagues. I review my calendar and to-do list which usually has tasks like "Write blog post. Record podcast. Send in bio for talk. All the emails." on it. I usually take an hour or so to hit the gym everyday around lunch. My work day is over around 3 or 4PM when I go pick up my baby from daycare. We'll usually go for a long walk to decompress and come home just in time to start dinner before my husband comes home from his day job. We spend our evenings watching Netflix after the baby goes to bed. 

How did you end up in this career? I got a degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in graphic design. I worked at an advertising agency with my sister for 5 years (she was there for 13) before quitting to freelance. A year later my sister quit too and we started Braid Creative together. 

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? I always loved art as a kid and went to the University of Oklahoma for a degree in fine art. I thought I would be a painter but when I heard the design program was super competitive I decided to audition. I graduated in 4 years with a bachelors degree but I've found since then the learning never stops. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? Focus on becoming an expert in your craft for at least 10,000 hours. Love what you do so much that you nerd out about it on the weekends. Make friends with other creatives and have fun. Make it your job to make everyone else's job or life easier and better. Do the work. 

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? I just launched a podcast called Being Boss with my creative gal pal Emily Thompson. I'm obsessed with growing that brand into something BIG. I just don't quite know how it will all unfold but I love being along for the ride. 

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? Just be yourself 100% of the time – on and off the clock – and everything else – money, love, success – will show up. 

I want to say another huge thank you to Kathleen for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions! If you haven't listened to Being Boss yet, go do it now. Great stuff there, plus the Facebook group is incredible (and yours truly helps moderate it).

Also, I know Kathleen mentioned her company's e-courses above and I can't say enough about them. I've personally taken two of them, and I'm enrolled in the next course! It's called Shape Your Content, and I can't wait for it to start! If you want to join me in the e-course, follow this link and use the discount code BRAIDECOURSE50 to save $25. Plus we can be e-course buddies, how fun is that? 

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

The Braid Creative e-course link is an affiliate link.