Create Your Life Series

CYLS 125: How Hurricane Katrina and A New York Hustle led to a Flourishing Career in Journalism with Selena Hill

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Episode Summary

Selena found her path as a journalist when she visited New Orleans in 2006 and 2007 after Hurricane Katrina. Seeing the conditions of the Lower Ninth Ward, she wanted to become a “voice for the voiceless.” She describes having to work long, grueling hours as an intern and what she took away from the situation. She relays failing a job interview with CNN, and then going back years later and acing the interview. Selena pinpoints the defining moments in her life that helped her throughout her career. In remembering past interviews with guests on Let Your Voice Be Heard, Selena describes one experience in which she learned a valuable lesson about being a radio host and another experience that resulted in the radio program winning an award.

 

Kevin Y. Brown

Kevin Y. Brown is a National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) Center For Public Trust (CPT) “Being A Difference” award recipient, international speaker, entrepreneur, and author.  The former MTV Networks host and NYC fashion marketer has created an international following as a speaker on personal excellence, effective communication, and leadership. Kevin has been featured by Black Enterprise magazine as a “Modern Man of Distinction” and highlighted in various publications for his self-help speaking work and helping students graduate college debt-free.  Recognized for his commitment to empowering foster care youth and as a foster care system alumnus, he has also delivered the keynote address at the International Foster Care Organizations Conference in Sydney, Australia and Osaka, Japan.  Kevin is currently the creator/host of Sirius XM’s “Create Your Life” series, a fellow in the New York Chapter of the Startup Leadership Program, and an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. 

 

Selena Hill

Selena Hill is an award-winning entrepreneur-journalist with a passion for social justice and women empowerment. She currently works as the Digital Editor for Black Enterprise Magazine and she is a host of Let Your Voice Be Heard (https://lyvbh.com/), an award-winning radio program on 90.3FM, the Voice of Harlem. Her resume includes previously working at NV Magazine, being a TV Correspondent Assistant Producer for What’s Eating Harlem, serving as a Special Elections Reporter covering the 2012 U.S. Election, reporting current events for Russell Simmons’ globalgrind.com, and freelancing for New York Amsterdam News. In 2016 and 2017, Selena was honored with New York Association of Black Journalists Award for Best Blog Commentary Critic.

 

Insights From the Episode

  • Strategies for becoming an award-winning journalist.
  • Secrets to selling yourself and continuing to move forward and upward in life.
  • How to balance life obligations.
  • How to stay motivated.
  • Strategies for goal-setting and ensuring personal growth each year.
  • Strategies for standing out from others, particularly for women and people of color.
  • How to handle “nay-sayers.”

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    Quotes From the Show

    • “If you don’t sell yourself, especially in our social media era that we live in, it’s basically like you don’t exist.” – Selena Hill, Create Your Life Series, #125
    •  “Visibility means so much. And not only is it, you know, self-serving, but you can really impact and influence and inspire other people’s lives. Like by being transparent and vulnerable and talking about your own struggle and your own journey.” – Selena Hill, Create Your Life Series, #125
    •  “I think it’s important to be very cognizant and strategic about how you are branding yourself online. Because if you’re going to exist online, but you’re not putting any thought behind it, then you’re probably doing yourself a disservice by just putting up anything that you happen to be thinking.“ – Selena Hill, Create Your Life Series, #125
    •  “Every struggle comes with a purpose. Like, there’s purpose in pain.” – Selena Hill, Create Your Life Series, #125
    •  “Find a way or make one.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #125
    • “It’s your responsibility to continue to move forward. And at the end of the day, you have to create your life.” – Kevin Y. Brown, Create Your Life Series, #125

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      Resources Mentioned

      • TweetDeck
      • Hootsuite
      • Google Docs
      • Facebook Live

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        Favorite Book

        • The Bible

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          Favorite Quote

          • “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” – The Bible

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            Keys to Create Your Best Life:

            • Identify your authenticity and be your real self.
            • Stay true to who you are and don’t let anyone push you off it.
            • Be patient and humble.

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              Stay Connected

              Create Your Life Series

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              Kevin Y Brown

              www.kevinybrown.com

              www.instagram.com/kevinybrown

              www.twitter.com/kevinybrown

              www.facebook.com/kevbrown001

               

              Selena Hill

              www.instagram.com/msselenahill

              twitter.com/MsSelenaHill

              www.facebook.com/selena.hill

               

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              This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)

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              Create Your Life SeriesBy Kevin Y. Brown
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