Prologue
Like any adventure, the only person who knows what comes next is the one who wrote it. But, in this world there’s no one to guide you through the next encounter. You choose your next move and roll the dice alone.
I wrote my character as best I could with what limited information I had about life – with what limited information my family and friends had about life. My origin story started in a small city surrounded by other small cities in LA County. None of us knew how to manage finances, choose the right career path, or really anything about making major life decisions.
The only thing I did know was that I loved to write. I filled endless amounts of notebooks with stories, poetry and thoughts. Later I began storing the same types of writing on hard drives. I kept every single piece. Not because I had any plans to publish them, but because words were so powerful and majestic.
Writing was a passion, an outlet, and lifeline for my youth. But I never thought I could make a career out of it.
Like most millennials, I was told that education was the key to success. So, without a clear direction, I pursued it. But I really only had two skills: writing and running.
My running skills led me to Cerritos College, where I joined the cross country team and track teams that gave me access to priority registration. It also meant that they arranged for all of us to meet with student counselors (other college kids like us) to help choose our first classes.
After that we were on our own. I had no roadmap, and later learned one of the classes the student counselor urged me to choose counted for nothing. It didn’t help that no one in my family had attended college. I had to find the right path on my own.
But what was the right path? I knew I loved biology. I even considered math. But for the sake of getting in and out, I chose what came naturally: English. That decision (along with my running skills) led me to San Francisco State University, where I discovered I could major in Creative Writing.
I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with it, or if there were any careers for a major like that. But I loved writing, so I went for it. Even without a clear career plan, my time studying creative writing at the university shaped my voice and sharpened my skills in ways I never expected.
I graduated quietly in three and a half years, without walking. It felt fitting considering how aimless I felt. I thrived in San Francisco – academically and personally. Returning home meant leaving behind the person I almost became and finding myself all over again.
I was unemployed and completely lost. I had this fancy piece of paper that said I was educated, but had no clue what to do with it. I didn’t have internships, industry connections, or a career plan. I was still applying to food service jobs, the only work I had ever known. I had no idea where to even begin.
And then I saw a job listing for a copywriter.
I had no clue what a copywriter actually did, but I saw the word ‘writer’ and applied anyway. No experience—just a degree, a willingness to learn, and a handful of dark poetry samples I had written in college.
The marketing manager wasn’t convinced. But my soon-to-be supervisor—a fellow Creative Writing major—saw something in me. She knew that marketing graduates could write ads, but writers could tell stories. She pushed for me, took a chance on me, and changed the trajectory of my career.
Since then, I’ve fought for every job I’ve had. I didn’t have professional connections to get my foot in the door. I had to prove myself—at Windsor when I first started my career, at Tilly’s during the heart of Covid-19, and again when I moved to Arizona at CyberMark. I built my career from scratch with no guidance, no network, just my experience and drive.
Every role, every challenge, every opportunity has been a lesson in adaptability, self-reliance, and strategy. No one handed me a roadmap, so I built my own. And that’s what led me here. To a career built on words, strategy, and storytelling.
It’s been an unforgettable experience where I’ve been able to blend creativity with data, content with analytics, and storytelling with strategy. My prologue has led me to the defining moments that shaped me into a Content Necromancer. But my story isn’t over yet.