Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Miller.
Hi Tina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up in North Phoenix, I came of age in the 1980’s, and my first four jobs as a teenager were at Metro center Mall. And whether it was working at Yogurt Village or the Guess store, I learned at a very young age the importance of being sociable and supportive of others. After graduating from Moon Valley High School in 1988, my family moved to Missouri. I’ve always been a good writer and communicator, so I attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, where I received a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Advertising. For my first job out of college, I was hired to drive the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, where I traveled across the Midwest and southeast for 345 days, attending events with the Wienermobile and fielding hundreds of questions from reporters about my unique job. That experience launched my career in communications, and I never looked back. Since then, I’ve worked for almost three decades in leadership capacities in well-known companies such as JCPenney, PetSmart, Universal Technical Institute, the Arizona Office of Tourism, LifeLock, Republic Services, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix, and Plexus Worldwide. Currently, I lead the marketing and communications for Paradise Valley Community College, one of ten colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District. In March 2020, right when the pandemic hit and we were required to stay at home, I turned 50….and something clicked inside of me. I had always wanted to have a platform to discuss issues that were relevant to women in my generation – Generation X – as I had attempted to be a blogger and even a stand-up comedian. And then, a friend mentioned to me that I should start a podcast for women entering into middle age, and use it to entertain, inspire, and educate women in their 40’s and 50’s. So I thought, “If not now, when? I’m home and have the time to develop this dream.” I recruited my 16-year-old Gen Z son, Jackson, to help me edit and produce the show, and we launched our first season of the “Now What, Gen X?” podcast on September 1, 2020. Since then, our audience has grown across the country and the globe, with listeners in 12 countries and almost every state in the U.S.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been a mix. The easy part is that I have the abilities needed to host the show, such as knowing how to write, research, interview others, tell jokes, and develop relationships with my listeners. My years as a professional communicator and marketer have helped tremendously with honing these essential skills and talents. The challenge is launching the podcast and juggling it along with my other priorities – working my “day job,” teaching marketing and business college-level courses, being a single mom, exercising and maintaining the important relationships in my life. A lot of people say, “Oh, I’m going to do a podcast!” But they do not realize the sheer amount of planning, editing, and social media marketing it takes to make an impact. It’s like having another part-time job on top of everything else. At the same time, it is a labor of love – my “passion project” – and it provides an enormous sense of personal fulfillment to know I am building a community of listeners that are going through the same celebrations and struggles in mid-life that I am – and we are all in this together.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
For almost three decades, I have dedicated my professional career to communications, marketing, and public relations. At a very young age, I used to host talent shows in the neighborhood, and I would host the entire show, hoping to make it big with my impersonation of Cher. Since graduating from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, one of the nation’s most prominent schools for this field, I started working at a variety of well-known companies and worked my way up the ranks of corporate communications. I’ve experienced some really cool things, such as driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in Mardi Gras parades, working with Dateline NBC on a scandal involving TASERs, being on the floor of the NYSE when our company went public, warming up a crowd of 12,000 employees during a leadership conference and meeting several celebrities. I am known to be diplomatic, extroverted, and skilled at developing relationships. I also love to coach and mentor others, and feel it is a privilege for someone to come to me and need supportive words of encouragement. What I am most proud of is the fact that I have created a network of professionals and colleagues from all of my previous jobs and community volunteerism that I can connect others to. In addition, I started teaching college-level courses about two years ago, and it’s gratifying to share my experience and wisdom with my students. And equally important is the “Now What, Gen X?” podcast I started with my teenage son, as it has been a lifelong dream to use my voice to connect to other women in my generation. I think what sets me apart from others is that positivity is one of my core strengths and I try to infuse this into each and every interaction I have, whether it is a co-worker, employee or supervisor. I’m also a big believer in maintaining integrity in business relationships, which means if I tell someone I will do something, I do it!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
This may not be the most popular answer, but I’ve learned to only be true to myself – and that company loyalty is highly overrated. I’ve held several positions over the years, and in some circumstances, I chose to leave, and in others, I was shown the door. Through all of it, I’ve learned that organizations and jobs will come and go – it’s been a fluid process for me. I committed early on in my career to learning as much as I could with each job to increase my skills, talents, and abilities. And when it was time to move on, I did easily, because I know every situation is temporary. That is why I love the “Now What, Gen X?” podcast so much – I am totally in charge of the show, and I have no one to answer to but myself.
Contact Info:
- Email: nowwhatgenx@gmail.com
- Website: nowwhatgenx.buzzsprout.com
- Instagram: @nowwhatgenx
- Facebook: @nowwhatgenx
Image Credits:
Tina Miller
Livin In Flow Media
