Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Hunt.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sarah. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
If I am being honest, I don’t know how I ended up here. Dumb luck, I guess. I can tell you I enjoy being here, and I can’t wait to see where this all takes me.
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to make people laugh. How can you write a message, boil it down to its essence, and make someone laugh? Who doesn’t love to laugh?
What we find funny is very personal. We want to share it with others and have them laugh with us.
I pursued a career in advertising. I used to email this one ad agency once a month, every month since I was 18 years old. They told me I couldn’t work there without experience — but I can’t get experience without working there. So, I made opportunities for myself to get experience. I did social media as a side hustle.
I worked at a comedy club for a while. I did their social media there. I tried stand-up comedy, a few times, but I don’t think it’s for me.
After I had some experience in social media, I finally got a chance to work at an ad agency (a different one than the one I used to email all the time).
My friend (who is now my husband) is a very funny and talented comedian and he was trying to figure out how to get his comedy out there. He said to me, “I want to start a podcast.” That’s how it all started.
Next, I got a job doing market research at a PR firm that didn’t work out – but, really, that worked out for me, in the long run, because the podcasts were doing really well and needed my help full time. They’ve really taken off and toured all over the country. (Go to a show!) But, my experience with marketing, advertising, market research, and data analysis is definitely put to good use. Except, now, I get to see all the moving parts from start to finish.
Since we have a routine and I have some downtime… I can’t sit still and not do anything – I had all these jokes written out that I never performed, and all these hard opinions about things that don’t matter. How could I turn that into something for me?
I turned it into a book of essays called Small Potatoes: Mouthwatering Musings of a Misanthrope. I had experience in the self-publishing field, so I self-published it through Amazon in October of 2018. It was supposed to be a cookbook (because I love cooking and I love food) with funny anecdotes in it – but I thought I should get people used to me and my writing style, first. (Oh, and also… How do you WRITE recipes?! I just have always read them.)
I had a captive audience that was a combination of my friends, family, and the podcasts’ listeners that were a fan of me as well as of James and Jimmie. It’s been pretty well-received. I hope some strangers read it, soon.
I am currently still helping out James and Jimmie with their podcasts as much as I can, but I am working on and focusing on writing my cookbook. (Oh, boy. I’m immortalizing that. I guess I better get to work after this.)
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been smooth. But, who cares? I’m enjoying it.
Have there been struggles? Yes. (I probably can’t curse, here. Insert your own expletive to be in front of that Yes.)
I would say it’s mostly struggles – but if you’re struggling, it means you’re learning.
Learning that:
– this is not the job or path for you (that’s careers, friends, or partners)
– this is something you want to know more about and pursue
– this is something you don’t want to know more about or pursue
– this is something you’re good at
– this is not something you’re good at
– you are allowed to be good at it and think you’re good
– there are people who are good at this and can be a great asset or resource
– people communicate their needs differently
– you should always follow your gut instinct
Advice:
– Be patient (with yourselves and others)
– Be patient with the situation
– Ask questions
– Ask more questions
– Ask for help if you need it (mentally/physically)
– Take calculated risks
– Strap in and enjoy it
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
What do I do: Emails, phone calls, designing merch, writing, make food, social media, whatever the situation calls for.
I specialize in worrying.
I am known for talking too much, talking too loud, being grumpy, being funny, being pushy, being nice, being a b-word, being annoying… who cares? I work hard. (I completely care. I just can’t worry about it.)
I am proud of myself for challenging myself and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
Doing something beats doing nothing.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
My thoughts are: if you are a woman wanting to be in leadership… do it.
You belong in every meeting, in every room, and at every table.
If someone tells you-you don’t belong there… you do.
If they try to remove you from there and are unsuccessful: keep moving forward.
If they try to remove you from there and are successful, then that’s their problem and you probably weren’t going to accomplish your goals there, anyway.
I will let you consult our lady, Tina Fey, and her advice in this area:
“So, my unsolicited advice to women is this. When faced with sexism, ageism, or even really aggressive Buddhism, ask yourself the following question: “Is this person in between me and what I want to do?” If the answer is no, ignore it and move on. Your energy is better used doing your work and outpacing people that way. Then, when you’re in charge, don’t hire the people who were jerky to you.”
Contact Info:
- Website: http://tinyurl.com/y52pjctl
- Email: sarahhuntwrotesomething@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/sarahhisfunny
- Twitter: twitter.com/sarahhisfunny
Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
