Carlyn Grocholski Brand Story
My interest in media began with a reel-to-reel audio recorder that my Dad had brought home from Germany while serving in the Army. I soon moved on to cassette recorders, and video cameras. In high school, I got involved in a class called TV systems where I delivered audio and visual equipment to classrooms and ran video. As a high school senior I completed a Radio Broadcasting occupational training program and learned audio production, recording, voice-over, narration, and produced my own radio show. From those experiences I discovered that I loved media and communications.
Throughout my career I have pursued projects that allowed me to expand on these skills. I wrote newsletters, public service announcements, and articles promoting my organizations for local newspapers. I created PowerPoint presentations and presented at conventions and community meetings. I created brochures and flyers promoting community classes. I also worked with community leaders and organizations and planned events. When our local WIC program was struggling to increase breastfeeding rates through support groups, they were not getting the participation that they hoped for. The community served by the program is rural and meeting at a location is not always possible. I suggested doing a peer-to-peer video where mentors could share their experiences using video available on YouTube. The project included reaching out to successful breastfeeding families in four communities and bringing them together to share their stories. I worked with the WIC clinics to come up with questions to spark discussion and then we did face to face interviews on camera. The result was overwhelming. In just a few short months the total views for all four videos was close to 20,000.
A few years ago I realized that I needed a degree and further training to go any further in my career. For a while I took classes at the local community college and was working towards a degree in social work. Then late is 2015, I realized that although social work was interesting and I could go further in my career, it really was not what I wanted to do. After some introspective deliberation I began to explore bachelor degree programs with an emphasis on media and communications. I considered journalism, but then I discovered the Media Communications program at Full Sail University.
I am now in my senior year at Full Sail and have learned a great deal. One of the classes I attended really sparked my interest in content marketing. The idea of using storytelling to build interest and brand awareness was relatively new to me. As I have moved through the program I believe that I can use my experience and education to go further than I thought possible, in a career direction I had not previously considered. Using media to tell stories for a targeted audience can do much to propel a business or non-profit organization farther than they could with traditional media sources like print, radio, and television. I have always sought to use my creativity and innovation to solve problems. The expanding technology of mobile devices and social media has made reaching targeted audiences the new way of doing business. Creating content that appeals to that audience and moves them to action is what motivates me. That is why I came up with my brand statement, “Innovative media creation. Moving your message beyond current horizons.” By using my education and experience to create compelling content, my customers can reach their targeted audience and take their business or organization to the next level.
Although I still need to further explore career options, the skills and education I have developed as a student at Full Sail University have really built on my professional experience. With my degree my career can move beyond my current horizons as well.
