Johnna Nichelle Wilks
Meet Johnna Nichelle Wilks, a boutique brand btrategist, web designer, and faith-based blogger. After graduating with a degree in Psychology & Child Development, she spent the next four years developing small business brands through strategic communication efforts in various industries.
Life Hacks For Post Grads
Think about the future, but don’t be intimidated by it.
If I could go back and share a tip with bright-eyed, recently-graduated (and somewhat clueless) Johnna, this would definitely be it. Can thinking about/planning for the future feel like a vast undertaking? Yes. Does that mean it should be avoided? No. Did you know that only 27% of people end up with a career in the field of what they studied? This tells us that regardless of all of our plans, life unfolds differently for every single person. Give yourself the space to think about the future without having to have it “all figured out”. Honestly? No one does anyway.
Build your personal brand.
Okay, I know I said that the first tip is one of the biggest that I’d go back and tell my younger self, but this doesn’t come too far after. So, what exactly is a “personal brand”? According to PersonalBrand.com, “A personal brand is a widely-recognized and largely-uniform perception or impression of an individual based on their experience, expertise, competencies, actions and/or achievements within a community, industry, or the marketplace at large.” In other words, your personal brand is how you show up in the world. From your style, to your desires, to your social media outlets, your personal brand is made up of all of the things that create a perception of who you are. We all have one – now is the time to be intentional about what you do with yours.
“Always work with/surround yourself with people who help make you a better version of you. Kindly avoid those who don’t.” – Don Roff
You’ve heard the “birds of a feather flock together” saying already, I’m sure. But I cannot stress enough how crucial your circle of influence is both during, but especially after college. If I can encourage you to take any action here, its this: take an inventory of your circle. Really ask yourself if those who you surround yourself with are supporting you to be the very best version of yourself. Now is the time to reevaluate, and make sure that you have people around you that are going to elevate who you were created to be.
Beyond The Stage is important to the youth in San Antonio, to empower and inspire us to become the best versions of ourselves. This will effectively change society’s view of immature youth. It provides a platform for us to explore our leadership potentials and exercise our voices in the community. It also provides access for high students like myself who don’t have driver licenses but want to participate in TEDx events.