Vanessa Rao shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Vanessa, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I enjoy gardening, and my late summer vegetables and flowers are really thriving so it’s been awesome to harvest tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and zinnias & cosmos to bring into my house and share with friends.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Social Kansas City is a boutique digital marketing agency with an emphases on photography and social media management. There is a strong focus on partnering with value-aligned clients and utilizing authentic & genuine engagement in superior brand stewardship. Digital Storytelling is about guiding your audience towards a purpose, and with almost 15 years of experience in Kansas City, I have a deep understanding of social media trends and proven practices that assist in finding the best market fit for each brand. I provide analytic-driven content creation and scheduling, original photography, and social media video creation with a foundation in hospitality and education, and no inflated influencer pricing.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
In terms of the earliest moments of feeling powerful, those probably came from my experience as a Girl Scout; building fires, learning knife skills, archery, cooking and baking, and being a counselor in the outdoors. The clearest memory of feeling powerful though came later during my first day of teaching. I was incredibly anxious, working at a small district with very little set curriculum to work from at only 22 years old. But as the day progressed, I really realized I could absolutely succeed at that career. I realized that I had cultivated the skills and knowledge necessary to help guide and mold my students towards success. The irony being of course, I don’t work in public education anymore, but that rush of recognizing I could and would succeed has been a foundation for my confidence and has allowed me to branch out into my own business with the knowledge I have the skills and tools to be successful.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I grew up with a pretty strong desire to live up to expectations and be successful in a very traditional sense, as I think is common in my generation. When life and work didn’t quite go in the way I had laid out, it required me to rethink what success meant and what I really wanted my life to look like and to search out authentic happiness and contentment. If I hadn’t failed in varying degrees of severity along the way, I’d may never have questioned the outline for my life or been able to discover the path I’m on now. I think generally, failing isn’t as dire as we are made to think as children, it really does enrich your experience and allow you to learn and grow and as a whole, I think we should be less afraid of failure.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Where to start. Social Media is a whole beast of an industry with new facets and avenues popping up every day. I think the biggest lie in terms of small business social media marketing is that you measure success with ‘likes’. At the end of the day, while engagement is an important piece of the puzzle, what’s really important is that the content is being viewed by your target audience. A million likes from folks all over the world doesn’t necessarily bring business in your front door if no one in your neighborhood saw the video or post, and you definitely don’t want to ostracize your customers or brand voice just for likes and views. I believe in authenticity and staying true to the brand voice and tone, rather than just chasing a viral moment.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Absolutely – I work behind the scenes to create digital stories for my clients and the success comes when they see a positive return on their investment, whether that be an increase in guest experiences or even a sense that their online presence matches the experience of guests with their business. At the end of the day, I am a caretaker and a curator, and I’m honored to help my clients put their best foot forward online. Oftentimes, no one knows I’m the one behind the screen, and that’s okay with me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.social-kc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialkansascity
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socialkansascityllc
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@socialkansascity
Image Credits
Headshot by Jenny Wheat. All other photos by Vanessa Rao
