Daily Inspiration: Meet Julian McGhee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julian McGhee.

Julian, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Julian McGhee, I was born and raised in Kansas City, MO.

I attended University Academy, graduated as a Kauffman scholar back in 2015. For college, I went to Missouri State University, where I studied Communication Studies and a minor in mass media. While I was in college, I was a part of many councils in college and held my presidency in the Rho Chi chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. for 2 years.

While I was in school, I realized that I had a knack for learning more about human behavior, how we communicate, why we say certain things, etc. I was exposed to the marketing/advertising industry when I was 16 and fell in love with the creativity that goes behind making advertisements.

My philosophy about this industry is to understand the holistic perspective of consumers, and how brands can improve their marketing strategies on buying behaviors.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No. Absolutely not. This road has had many bumps in the road.

One of the biggest challenges was the misinformation/education I had going into this industry. I practically went in blind, although I could have taken marketing/advertising classes, those classes I found out DO NOT teach you the ins and outs of this industry. So in reality, a student would be “sort of” prepared but they would come out of college being lost and not knowing where to start.

Another struggle was trying to land a good job. It is ideal that your first job would be to work in an advertising agency, but as Covid started to come down, there began to be a higher need for jobs to be filled on the client-side. This was obviously going to be a bit more challenging because client-side jobs expect you to have a lot of knowledge and hands-on experience.

One of the things that I have started to do over the last 3 years has been to distill the education/information I have to young marketers who are learning about this industry and would like to know how they can be a part of this experience. I have hosted training classes, facilitated internship programs, and set up coffee dates to meet new people.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a Social Media Manager, I specialize in content strategy, community engagement, and content development.

I am most proud of the work I do on TikTok and Linkedin currently. What sets me apart is my ability to adapt and find new creative ways to interact with audiences through community engagement.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Aaron Fulk- Introduced me to the power of Linkedin, which made me overhaul my entire Linkedin strategy. Thus leading me to get connected with many others, and gain leads for my business.

Kyle Rohde- My mentor, friend, and big brother introduced me to the Marketing/Advertising industry and I will forever thank him for his support, guidance, love, and understanding of my journey to this point.

Alyssa Murfey- I was introduced to her by Kyle and she has been such a HUGE player in getting me connected with other businesses, gaining some organic business leads just through conversations she’s gotten me in front of. She has been one of the biggest supporters of my journey and I couldn’t thank her enough.

Alicia Lee- She is my current supervisor… and man there is so much I could say. From her classy swearing to loving dexterity with her management skills. She has by far been one of my biggest inspirations for what life has in store for me. Whenever I have a question, concern, or simply want to vent, she is there. She has never judged me or made me feel bad about anything I have done. Alicia has constantly been working to open up new doors for me to explore and I can’t say enough how much the work she does means to me.

Erika Hartfield- Worked with her on some work at the agency, and she has been my guiding light in paving the way for a successful life in this industry. Always picking me up when I am down, encouraging me, and being always available when needed. Literally, I am her professional child in this industry haha

Jewel Mensah- He was my direct supervisor at the agency before leaving. He was one of my biggest advocates, which led me a chance to work on another client that has garnered me much success in my career. He has been my biggest advocate then and still is to this day. I can’t thank him enough for all of his support and guidance.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julian_mcghee/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Julian_Mcghee4

Image Credits
Alicia Lee, Candice McField, The Level Vodcast presented by VMLY&R, and MOSourcelink