A PIECE OF MADISEN'S STORY
Meet Madisen Theobald, a recent graduate who's doing big things! Her driven personality has led her to working at her dream job in New York City! We hope this story inspires you to work hard and never give up on your dreams!
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO RIGHT NOW?
I am currently a Department Coordinator at Condé Nast for Ad, Sales and Digital Operations and Monetization. I just moved to the city a few weeks ago. I graduated from Ole Miss Magna Cum Laude and moved out to NYC a week later. I am a part-time blogger and graphic designer. I love doing freelance work for anything fashion or magazines.
WHAT'S YOUR DAILY ROUTINE TYPICALLY LOOK LIKE ON A WEEKDAY?
I used to be busy, busy, busy! Now, I am on more of a routine. I leave my apartment in FiDi and enjoy a brief walk to 1 World Trade Center, which is Condé Headquarters. My day is 9am-6pm and it is still busy as ever. This was my dream job and I got it right out of college. I am beyond thankful for this opportunity! After work, I meet up with my roommate to grab some dinner and drinks at local watering holes in our neighborhood. But on Mondays… that is a different story because it’s “Bachelorette Mondays.”
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT NEW YORK CITY?
I love movement. I love how everyone is fast-paced and very career-oriented. I have always felt like I was very ambitious and when I came to the city and was surrounded by all these people with the same goals and personalities as me, something just clicked.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BLOG. WHAT INITIALLY INSPIRED YOU TO START IT? WAS THERE A CERTAIN EVENT/MOMENT YOU KNEW YOU WANTED TO DO IT?
I think it was freshman year after I did a semester of College Fashionista. It was a fairly new internship then so no one really knew of it. After I did the internship for 2 semesters, I decided to create a blog of my own. I always blogged here and there, but when I was in LA last summer my blog really took off. I had people reach out to me to model their jewelry, clothes and even eat their food at restaurants. It finally started to get fun for me and something I now genuinely enjoy.
WERE THERE ANY OBSTACLES THAT YOU HAVE HAD TO FACE SINCE STARTING YOUR DESIGN SERVICES? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?
I think at first trying to create a brand presence was hard. Everyone always wants to know the secret to getting followers or customers. I don’t have that answer. I do know that when you start to get good at what you love people start to notice.
The biggest learning moment was early on in my design career. I once had a client that wanted a fitness logo done for his YouTube channel. I gave him all the “rough draft” logos I designed for him via email, BEFORE HE PAID ME. And guess what, I never saw the money for my work I had done or a response from him again. So from now on, I do require a deposit for any design work I do haha.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH FASHION. WHAT LED YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I have always been interested in fashion. In high school, I would always “dress up” for school. When girls wore t-shirts and sweats, I wore a cute skirt and dressy sandals. To me, every day is fashion show. You have to dress to impress. I definitely think I had some great mentors and experiences along the way that led me to this path.
I worked NY Fashion Week, interned at BCBG MAX AZRIA in LA, became a Teen Vogue IT girl and did over 9 internships in my undergrad at Ole Miss. I always had my hands in something. I knew that my end goal was to work for a major magazine publication, so I made sure that everything I did aligned perfectly with that goal.
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO WORK FOR YOUR DREAM JOB?
One word… AMAZING! I have always been obsessed with Condé Nast. I have known since high school that I wanted to work at a fashion publication. I knew that going straight to Condé right after college would be a true challenge, but I was ready. I came down early in March to interview, while everyone was at a beach for spring break. I have invested all my time and hard work into this dream, there was no way I would let anyone take it from me. So here I am in my dream city, working my dream job in a dreamy apartment complex all because of hard work and ambition and NEVER giving up on my dream.
HOW DO YOU REPRESENT THE TRAIT DRIVEN?
I have always had this goal of working for Condé and moving to NYC. I always kept my eyes on the prize and never strayed from the path. I was driven throughout the whole process of getting here. My drive comes from a true passion of working for the world’s most famous and prestigious fashion publisher in the world.
DO YOU SEE YOUR DRIVEN PERSONALITY TRANSLATED IN THE WORK YOU ARE DOING NOW?
I think the reason I am here in NYC today is a direct representation of being driven. I knew that when I graduated college I would be on my own, so in college I always had more than one job just so I could afford to follow my dreams and move to the city.
ASIDE FROM BEING DRIVEN, WHAT ARE THREE OTHER PERSONALITY TRAITS THAT DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Ambitious, Dreamer, and Determined.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS? WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS FROM NOW?
I would love to still be at Condé moving up the editorial/digital ladder. I want to stay in the fashion sphere and hopefully still blogging, oh and with that sitting front row at fashion shows (:WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR DRIVEN GIRLS LIKE YOURSELF?
Don't quit your day dream.
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Email: Madisen.theobald@gmail.com