Entrepreneurship is an exciting path for anyone looking to turn #SciComm into a career. But it’s not a path we hear a lot about! I’d like to start this week by telling you a little about my journey leaving academia to start a #SciCommBiz [1/7]
I didn’t plan on starting a business. But when I finished my PhD in 2016, I couldn’t find employment as a science communicator. I looked for jobs, postdocs – literally ANY paid position doing #SciComm. What I realize now is the job I was looking for didn’t yet exist. [2/7]
Like many SciCommers, my skillset falls within the cracks of conventional employment. I’m too much scientist to be a creative (e.g. filmmaker or photographer). I’m too much creative to be a scientist (e.g. researcher or technician). I wanted to be both. [3/7]
So I decided to start my OWN business. Where I could combine my training in science with my passion for visual communication. There were all kinds of challenges to getting started - designing a brand, building a portfolio, and finding clients. [4/7]
But grad school had been full of challenges too – that wasn’t the scary part. The scary part was taking the leap. So I built a website, made a logo, ordered biz cards, and started marketing @impactmedialab as a creative agency. I found collaborators 1st and clients 2nd [5/7]
And starting out, my impostor syndrome was FIERCE! This was certainly not a path I had trained for. But I learned, showed up every day, and @impactmedialab grew. Now, 4 years later, I can say this path has allowed me to build the job I was looking for all along [6/7]
So that is how I got started down the path of #entrepreneurship…I needed a job and couldn’t find one doing what I love. How about YOU?????
Did you start a #SciCommBiz? Are you considering it? Where are you in the process?
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Did you start a #SciCommBiz? Are you considering it? Where are you in the process?
[7/7]
