Throughout my professional life, I have learned that no job is beneath me. Every position I have held has taught me something valuable. Whether I was scrubbing toilets at a rural gas station at 3 a.m. or selling an expensive designer watch at Nordstrom, every job gave me an experience I did not have before.
I am now realizing that those experiences were building toward something bigger: a career in content creation.
From College to Twenty Years of Work Experience
I started college at 17 and originally planned to become a biologist. After about two years, my interests shifted toward Applied Indigenous Studies with an emphasis in Museum Studies. Eventually, financial circumstances forced me to put my education on hold.
At the time, I was working part-time at Target. That job eventually became the beginning of nearly 20 years of experience in retail, food service, customer service, healthcare support, and management. Along the way, I worked for:
- Speedway
- Taco Bell • Target
- Starbucks
- Chili’s
- Bashas’ Grocery
- Nordstrom
- Secure Transportation
Although these jobs were different, each one taught me something about people, communication, creativity, and problem-solving. Now that I am back in college at San Juan College studying Business Administration, I can see how these experiences are connecting in ways I never expected.
What Retail Taught Me About Leadership and Communication
Working at Target taught me that leadership is not about one person being in charge. A successful team works together, communicates, and understands that everyone has a role to play.
I saw the store manager work alongside employees rather than just delegating. Other managers and employees stepped into different roles when the store needed help. The goal was not for one person to succeed alone. The goal was for the entire team to function together.
One of the best pieces of advice I received from an upper manager was, “Frequent communication is the best form of communication.” That advice has stayed with me throughout my career.
Content creation requires the same understanding of communication. Whether creating a blog, social media post, video, or website, the creator has to understand the audience and communicate clearly.
How Starbucks and Nordstrom Introduced Me to Content Creation
My experience with Starbucks helped me discover the creative side of communication. As a manager, I created chalkboard art, arranged merchandise displays, and looked for ways to make the store feel unique. I was constantly thinking about how the visual presentation could tell a story and encourage customers to make a purchase.
I also helped build a new Starbucks kiosk in Shiprock, New Mexico. I was involved in the development of the location, hiring, and training employees. Because I was working with a younger team in a rural community, I had to adjust how I taught and communicated. Not everyone had the same background or knowledge about coffee, so I had to find creative ways to explain everything from coffee beans to the finished product.
At Nordstrom, I experienced another side of content creation. Because salespeople worked on commission, I had to find ways to promote the products I sold. I used Instagram to create a digital presence for products such as jewelry, handbags, accessories, and other merchandise. I also helped showcase the Nordstrom Café and the food being prepared by the chefs.
I was creating content before I realized I was creating content.
When Communication Became Crucial
My experience with Secure Transportation taught me the importance of communication in a completely different way. I worked as both a customer service representative and an auditor, helping patients arrange transportation to medical appointments and reviewing calls to ensure employees followed procedures.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I handled calls involving patients who needed transportation for critical medical care, including chemotherapy and dialysis. Some patients, particularly those in rural areas of the Navajo Nation, were left waiting for transportation that had been canceled or never arrived.
Communication became vital as it became more about solving problems and helping people access essential care than about selling product.
That experience taught me empathy, patience, and the importance of understanding what people truly need.
Why My Experience Prepared Me for a Career in Content Creation
A career in content creation requires creativity, communication, adaptability, and an understanding of people. Looking back, I have been developing those skills for years:
- Customer interactions taught me empathy.
- Training employees taught me patience.
- Retail displays taught me visual storytelling.
- Social media taught me how to promote products.
- Customer service taught me problem-solving.
- Management taught me teamwork and communication.
I did not follow a traditional path into a career in content creation. However, I am beginning to understand that my past experiences were lessons that helped prepare me for where I am now.
Now, through my education at San Juan College and my continued training in digital marketing, I am learning how to combine those experiences with strategy, SEO, audience research, and content creation.
My journey is about finally recognizing how everything I have already done can help me build what comes next.
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