EP. 10 Nicole Regan

Nicole Regan is the Editor and Creative Director behind Cedar & Rush – a girl’s handbook and guide to Chicago. In addition to blogging, Nicole is a Social Media & PR Consultant; Founder of the women’s network, Garnish & Glam; and Contributor to the popular online magazine, CheekyChicago. Following Nicole’s college degree in business finance, she began her 7-year career in Corporate America. She did well, climbed the ladder, expanded her network, but she was unhappy… “I think my soul hurt” She began her blog as a passion project, on the side, as a creative outlet – something she undoubtedly kept suppressed during the workday. “There are different compartments of your life and I was very depressed in my career department” Enter: Cedar and Rush (formerly known as “Great Dates in The City”) Through her blog, networking, meeting people in PR, within companies and business owners, Nicole became exposed to the need for a Social Media consultant. She started getting experience with collaborating with other companies and getting her name out there. She leveraged her job to pay the bills while she became social media and networking savvy. “I was going to take any opportunity I could get to get out of there” Started getting great recognition through larger brands – companies reached out asking for help on social media. Gained experience setting up social media awareness and discovering which social media outlets work best for different companies. Social Media Strategy: Set the expectation up front, understand the brand and the direction the business is looking to go, then execute. “Having a definitive goal and making sure everyone is on the same page, up front.” Nicole’s Biggest Challenge: Sales! – It’s all part of falling on your face first, but getting back in the hopper. Eventually you feel good about yourself and you have your pitch down. Insider’s Tip: Utilize your network to expand your client base. “By letting people know that you’re looking for business, you immediately come to mind when something does come up for them.”