Meet Macy Burkett

We were lucky to catch up with Macy Burkett recently and have shared our conversation below.

Macy, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

While imposter syndrome is an ongoing battle, I’m always working on being confident in my own skills as a writer and a researcher. In my field of academia, it is difficult to avoid comparing myself to my colleagues who are conducting cutting-edge research in various fields. However, I must acknowledge that my research is also very important. I study social media content creators’ persuasive communication online and how the creators’ gender, racial, and sexual identities influence their persuasive messaging. In the wake of the 2024 US Presidential election, I feel that my work is more important than ever. I hope that my research will continue to shine a light on the gender, racial, and sexual inequities that exist in the digital space so that social media can become a more inclusive space for everyone. This drive to continue my research for good helps me avoid imposter syndrome. Despite sometimes feeling like my research isn’t as cutting-edge as others’ research, it is still important and will, hopefully, produce positive change in the world.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I was born and raised in Olathe, KS, and I’m a Kansas City girl through and through! I’ve always loved fashion, and I started working in the bridal fashion industry when I was 15-years-old. My passion for the fashion industry inspired me to pursue a fashion marketing degree at Kansas State University. Along with that degree, I also majored in Vocal Performance to continue my love for piano and classical voice. While I was in high school and college, social media influencers started popping up on Instagram, and brands started working with them to promote their businesses. I found this fascinating and wanted to work in the social media side of fashion marketing. To explore this career path, I worked as a social media intern for the Kansas City-based fashion nonprofit Rightfully Sewn, and I was eventually hired as the marketing manager at a local bridal shop after graduation. Alongside my job at the bridal shop, I pursued an online master’s degree from the University of Kansas (KU) in Digital Content Strategy. This degree taught me the ins and outs of social media marketing, including social media strategy and data interpretation and communication.

After working in marketing at the bridal store (but still pursuing my master’s degree), I worked as a social media associate at a marketing agency in Overland Park, followed by a marketing coordinator position at KU. While working in higher education was not in my fashion wheelhouse, that position sparked a fire in me to continue my education and pursue my PhD in Journalism and Mass Communications at KU. I never lost my interest in fashion and lifestyle social media creators, and I wanted to find a career path that would allow me to research these creators and teach their strategies to university students. In 2021 I applied and was accepted into the PhD program. However, there was one small timing issue–I was pregnant with my first son, and he was expected to arrive just days before the fall semester.

I’m not one to shy away from a challenge, so I decided that I would have my baby and then start my PhD–and that’s exactly what I did. My son, Eli, was born just 12 days before my first day of graduate school. I was able to start my program online, and I have somehow managed to stay on track to graduate within three years (I’ll be graduating in August 2025!). Despite navigating new motherhood and graduate school in my first year of the program, my second year was actually the hardest. Even though my pregnancy with Eli was perfectly healthy and uncomplicated, I suddenly had two consecutive miscarriages–the first in October 2023 and the second in April 2024. While this was the most difficult time in my life, I learned that more women go through this horrible journey than we even know about. Through my discussions of my miscarriages on social media, I gained a new community of support from other amazing, strong, and courageous mothers.

I’m currently pregnant with my second son, Mace (named after me because, if Lorelai Gilmore can do it, why can’t I?), and I’m starting my dissertation research. In my dissertation, I’ll be studying conservative evangelical Christian content creators who use their platforms to advocate for purity culture. I am interested in understanding these creators’ motivations behind posting this content. My graduate certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (which I just earned in May 2024!) has inspired the feminist framework that I will use in my dissertation research. I argue that purity culture is harmful to women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people of color. Additionally, using social media to spread this harmful message to a mainstream audience is unique to the evangelical Christian church and has its own set of motivations and expectations.

I hope that my dissertation research and future career as a scholar and academic will make my boys and angel babies proud. My journey has felt a bit scattered at times, but I am satisfied in feeling that I’ve finally found my purpose and have found meaning through my research.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three qualities that helped get me to where I am today are my persistence, my passion for social justice, and my resilience. I’m not one to back down from a challenge, especially if it’s a challenge that I have a strong desire to overcome. My passion for social justice is one challenge that I’m persistent in facing head on through my research and my advocacy. Finally, resilience became an important quality in the past few years as I’ve overcome having children and miscarriages while navigating graduate school. While it’s important to take time to grieve and care for yourself, resilience can help you use that grief to build your confidence and guide you toward your goals.

My advice for those looking to improve in these areas is to find what you’re passionate about. I’ve learned that finding something I love and something that feels important and impactful has made me work even harder to achieve my goals. I am willing to work harder than I ever have before in order to get complete my PhD because I truly love my research and believe it is important.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My parents are my best friends and biggest supporters (along with my husband!). They have always told me that I can achieve anything I put my mind to. They were also in the front row of every choir concert, musical, and piano recital, showing me their support from a young age. My parents are also both hard workers and showed me the importance of working hard in a field that is important to me. Their support and love has not only gotten me to where I am today, but it continues to motivate me in my current career goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kmacyburkett.com/
• Instagram: @macybinkc
• Facebook: Macy Norlen Burkett
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macy-burkett
• Twitter: @macy_burkett

Image Credits

Jessica Chieu, Renata Zimmer