Daily Inspiration: Meet Julie Burton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Burton.

Hi Julie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born on Black Friday in 1981. Although Black Friday didn’t exist back then, my life story starts the day after Thanksgiving in 1981. I am a born and raised Kansas Citian. As much as I am honored to be featured in VoyageKC Magazine, I am a divorced mom who posts a lot on social media. I have an audience of 120,000 people who follow my life. My life isn’t boring. No one’s life is boring. It’s just a matter of how much you’re willing to put out there on the Internet. I write about the funny things that happen in my life, like questioning why we, as women, hide our underwear from the gynecologist. But I also write about the tough things, like divorce and death. I show off Kansas City to the world and teach my followers that KC is (1) in two states and (2) one of the best cities in the world. Some call me an influencer, and I guess I am with that following, but I won’t sell you a perfect life. I rarely sell anything, so if you’re looking for a home with all-white furniture, a mute husband, and a closet full of trendy clothes with a discount code, I won’t have them. My social media channels are just an outlet for me to write. My social media channels are only sometimes about me. I am engaging and want to hear from my audience so I can share their experiences too.

Professionally, I am a Senior Content Writer for CommunityAmerica Credit Union. I bring my passion for storytelling to CommunityAmerica with my 10+ years of writing and content creation experience. I was voted Best Twitter and Best Instagram in KC by The Pitch in 2022-2023. I am a contributing author to the humor books “But Did You Die? Setting the Parenting Bar Low” by A Bunch of Know-It-Alls and “Will Work for Apples” by The Teacher’s Pets. And I also serve on the Executive Board of the Social Media Club of KC as President. Some say I’m one of the funniest women in Kansas City. Good Morning America, The Today Show, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, City Lifestyle magazine, and The Pitch KC say so. You can find me running around my neighborhood, Downtown Overland Park, on the weekends. For the record, my two teenage daughters do not think I’m cool.

Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Pssh – there’s not a day that goes by without challenges – wet laundry that’s been sitting in the washer for days, my daughters changing my name from “mom” to “bruh,” and wondering how I will ever recover from the IRS slamming me with a $10,000 bill last year. When you put your unperfect life on the Internet, you’re bound to have people who disagree with you. I don’t have a lot of people that challenge me, but when I do, I respect their opinion because that’s just what it is. I’ve grown to have some thick skin regarding the wild west of the Internet. Most people won’t say what they say on the Internet to your face. Speaking of talking to my face — I’m quiet and shy in person. People assume my Internet voice is the same as my in-real-life voice. I listen and keep my words in my head until I’m ready to unleash them on a keyboard. It’s one obstacle that has always bothered me regarding my personality — I admire extroverts and wish I could match who I am when I’m writing.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
You can find me on my social channels to see my writing. If you’re a book reader – I have an online book club on Facebook called “The Best Damn Book Club.” We meet once a month to discuss a voted-upon book. Each month is a different genre. I bring the questions, and you bring your very opinionated answers. You’re the Internet. You’re good at that. I am working on a weekly newsletter called “From Your Best Friend on the Internet.” Watch my social channels for its release and sign up.

Networking and finding a mentor can positively impact one’s life and career. Any advice?
Professionally, I admire my colleagues and management at CommunityAmerica Credit Union. I’m fairly “new” to the corporate world, so there’s always something to learn and grow from. My current boss at CommunityAmerica is one of the best I’ve never had. It takes a great amount of skill to manage people. To be able to highlight an employee’s successes plus lead them through challenges without making the employee feel like they’re failing is a skill I admire. The culture at CommunityAmerica is inspiring with the women-led management. They truly want the best for their employees. I want to make the company better in everything that I do.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksujulie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulieBurtonWriter/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieaburton/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ksujulie

Image Credits
SimplyKC magazine