I have been a part of the Kingston community now for over 10 years.
As an entrepreneur all my working life I was excited for the possibilities!
Breaking into any new community takes work (hard but fun work).
I knew I needed to meet people, number one.
A little background. I first graduated from Humber College in what they then called Creative Photography in 1984!
Since then I have returned to school 4 times to upgrade my skills: Photojournalism, Public Relations and Digital Marketing.
All of these was a way of growing and adding to my skills. As an entrepreneur, I believe you can never stop learning and growing and oh yah, pivoting!
Now back to immersing myself in the Kingston Community.
My first gig was taking over a popular blog, “Humans of Kingston.”
For a year I walked the streets of Kingston snapping pics of people and telling their stories. It really gave me a sense of community and I had a blast!
My second and I believe most transformative was staring a media company called Your Kingston.
Your Kingston was to me the answer to a lack of local media coverage. We covered community events, featured local businesses and started a Facebook & Instagram page that quickly grew in followers. We began to get invited to prestigious events and start charging for our coverage. But more than money, Your Kingston became my connection to so many important people in my life that I now not only call colleagues but friends. It was my lifeline.
Fast forward to today, where I am busy! As an entrepreneur I wear a variety of hats (so many).
Even though Your Kingston is still a page on FB and Instagram, the pandemic put an immediate stop to community engagement and consequently a stop to that side of the business. To me it served its purpose well. There are even times I see the need for the resurrection of this local media platform, but I am not sure where I would find the time. Maybe someday?
During the pandemic my talents turned to helping businesses gain a better understanding of social media and telling their stories virtually. Let’s face it that is all we could do. I produced several videos, launched magazines and helped businesses get the word out the only way we could!
Today, I am a content producer for WPBS, a social media content creator for several businesses, a designer of several online publications and an Outreach/Fundraising Coordinator for Ryandale Transitional Housing.
My story of entrepreneurship is an evolution of 40 years. When I first put that camera in my hands I knew I wanted to tell stories: stories of people. In those years photography has changed! Platforms have changed and technology HAS changed. But the way we communicate on a personal level hasn’t. We still love a good story. And that is what I do through photos, video and the written word.
How lucky am I?
