Meet Megan Hodgkiss | Wordsmith & Storyteller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Megan Hodgkiss and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
One of the most important lessons that I’ve learned in my career is that “non-traditional” is not a dirty word. If you truly want to be happy in your professional life, you must figure out what inspires and challenges you — and make that your career. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, that position already exists. Other times, you have to create your own path. But it’s important to develop a keen awareness about your professional interests and be ready when the opportunity presents itself.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
If I could pick two words to describe my early career, those would be “trial” and “error.” I always knew that I wanted to work in the communications field, but I wasn’t sure what job was the right fit for me. So I tried a little bit of everything! I’ve worked as a journalist, in radio promotions, as a television news producer, a freelance writer, an attorney, a business owner, and most recently, in content marketing and public relations. I’m the first one in my family to graduate from college or pursue a career in this field, so I was kind of on my own when it came to my education and professional development. I chased down opportunities, learned the industry, and then asked the gut-check questions, “Is this a fulfilling job? Am I happy doing what I’m doing right now? Is there anything else that I want to try?”

When it comes down to it, I’m my happiest when I’m at my computer, writing about the experiences I’ve had and sharing stories. I hope my career always revolves around this. I carved my own non-traditional path and it’s been a rewarding journey!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been working my way through two Atlanta books: 111 Places in Atlanta That You Must Not Miss and Secret Atlanta: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. I’ve been visiting every site mentioned in these books — researching the locations, taking photos, and posting about them online. I would take my best friend on a Hidden Atlanta adventure to some of my favorite spots from these books, and a couple of locations that I haven’t explored yet.

We’ll definitely be visiting my favorite museum (Carlos Museum at Emory University), favorite historical site (Oakland Cemetery), favorite restaurant / community gathering spot (Manuel’s Tavern), and favorite historical home (Grant Mansion). We’d also need to visit some greenspaces, so I’d add the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Arabia Mountain, and the Olmstead Linear Park to that list.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
One piece of advice that I’d wish I’d heard sooner is to FIND A BUSINESS COACH. If you’re just beginning your career or you don’t have the extra funds, you can start small. Grab some coaching books from the library. Find some coaches online and follow their free newsletters and social accounts. Subscribe to business advice podcasts. There are so many options for those with limited budgets. As you progress in your career, however, make the investment in yourself and your business and hire a coach. Figure out what you want to work on, where you want to go, and ask the coach for the tools to get there. I’ve worked with several coaches over the past few years (shoutout to Jen, Briar, and Diana!) and they helped me bolster my career from amateur to award-winning.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganhodgkiss/