Today we’d like to introduce you to Mollie Smith.
Hi Mollie; please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born on December 27, 1996, into a loving family with two amazing older brothers, a wonderful mother, and an incredible father. I grew up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In 2020, I graduated with a Bachelor of Communications majoring in Journalism at Mount Royal University. I love to tell and show other individuals’ stories through various mediums in journalism. As a storyteller, I created and delivered honest and thoughtful stories. I strive to give a voice to the voiceless and provide information and understanding through her stories. In 2021, I graduated with my Master’s degree in Digital Media from Ryerson University. I moved to Toronto in the middle of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic for the first time. While living in Toronto, I got to experience what it was like to live away from home. Recently, I have been a part of Venture for Canada’s (VFC) Fellowship Program 2022 cohort. This is a competitive program where selected fellows enhance their entrepreneurial training, networking, and skills to accelerate their career opportunities. VFC organized an intensive three-week in-person training Bootcamp giving you career-specific training in Marketing, Sales, Operations, and Customer Success, among other essential lifelong career advice. Currently, I started M.S. Digital Consulting, a freelance company where I am a Digital Media Consultant. Outside of being a certified B.Comm and MDM, I love entertainment, sports, cosmetic beauty, traveling, and current events. I enjoy meeting new people from all walks of life. Throughout anything I do, whether personal or professional, I love learning as it allows me to grow.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
No one’s life is obstacle-free. Everyone experiences ups and downs in their lives. I have too. When I was five years old, I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). From the age of 5 to the age of 18, I struggled academically. But I experienced severe bullying, which left me depressed and struggling with self-confidence. I doubted my ability to succeed at anything. However, changing schools and environments drastically improved my academics and personal life. I was succeeding in all areas. Whenever I am confronted with any obstacle, and if I work smart and hard, I can achieve anything life throws my way. All I need to do is take three deep breaths and go into anything with a clear and open mind.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a digital media consultant, I can assist anyone with communications, public relations, digital marketing, and social media planning and strategies. Also, I can help with branding and marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy, and website design and construction. In my journalism degree, I developed several stories and projects ranging from a profile piece on how an individual with ADHD works in an academic setting to a seven-minute documentary video on cybercrime.
The program allowed me to develop the following skills:
-Researching, developing, and writing news stories
-Producing various multimedia content such as audio, podcasts, and videos
-Creating original and intricate graphic designs
-Photography
In my Master’s degree in digital media, I learned coding, redesigning an already established website, started a theoretical start-up company through entrepreneurism, and so much more. This program enhanced the skills that I previously developed from my bachelor’s degree.
I am most proud of my contribution to an event during my graduate degree. During my Master’s degree in Digital Media at Ryerson University, our cohort created a two-day virtual event called Industry Day, where we showcased our Milestone projects to multiple companies. As liaison and representative for Branding and Marketing, I coordinated and relayed any updates, concerns, and timelines with the broader planning team. I developed a creative theme and tagline to help differentiate our industry day from previous cohorts. Following the event, I took the initiative to publish an article on the Master of Digital Media official website, sharing our event’s successes and learnings with our broader community. Being involved in this campaign makes me proud. I was directly involved in creating, delivering, and executing an event where I promoted my milestone project and everyone else’s projects in our cohort. I fully achieved an academic and personal goal during this entire process.
Something that sets me apart from others is I am always curious to learn something new and have an open mind to new and exciting opportunities. I have always been a dreamer and go-getter and am determined to put tremendous care into anything I do.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I did learn a lot during COVID. This experience has taught me innumerable professional and personal life-long lessons preparing me for the next journey and chapter ahead. I am beyond excited and eager to begin my new adventure by starting my career in the world. There was a quote that I carried with me every day before and during COVID. The quote comes from the 1994 film Forrest Gump when Tom Hanks says: “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.” Life is a beautiful and crazy adventure full of challenges and obstacles, as COVID has shown us. But it is up to you to decide what to do with the chocolates given to you.
Pricing:
- Digital Media Consulting Work: $40-45 CAD per hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://molliesmiths.com/
- Instagram: @themolliesmith87
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molliecarrollmccunnsmith/
- Twitter: @molliestake87
- Other: https://mcmsdigitalconsult.wixsite.com/msdigitalconsulting
