We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Kinsey recently and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I have always loved listening to and participating in stories. There is something both beautiful and powerful about this human experience. It is how we connect with one another and, I believe, how we build empathy.
I come from a long line of storytellers. My great grandparents were photographers in Butte, Montana at the beginning of the 20th Century. They photographed people like Thomas Edison and Mary Pickford. My grandparents were photographers for Life Magazine during its heyday. My grandfather, JR Eyerman, took some of the first published photographs of Marilyn Monroe. My mother was also a photojournalist.
From a young age, I was always curious about other people and their experiences. I was editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper and I attended Barnard College in New York City. Being at Barnard helped me to intern for major news organizations as a student including for the Today Show. I was lucky to have a job at NBC straight out of college and have always felt grateful that I found my professional purpose at the young age of 19. Not many of us can say that, but telling stories really did become my first great love.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
After more than a decade with NBC, I started Electric Yolk Media. EYM is a creative production company specializing in nonfiction content strategy for national digital, broadcast and event distribution. We work with clients such as Jim Henson Studios, VICE Digital, PBS and Common Sense Media. I direct creative teams to create impactful content, brand narratives and digital marketing campaigns. I also negotiate and advise on digital distribution of documentaries.
I entered the professional world of storytelling through the traditional lens of broadcast television. Over the span of my career, how stories are shaped, which stories are told and how we distribute this content has shifted dramatically. One essential piece, however, remains the same: our universal desire to connect.
There is a desire to connect with people and, in a sense, more and more companies are looking to build audiences rather than just customer bases. Much of this, of course, happens through social media but there is also a significant rise in events and immersive experiences often layering stories with new technology. The Sphere in Las Vegas is a good example of this offline shift. I love helping people figure out these audiences and the best way to reach them more authentically.
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?
One of my very first jobs as a teenager was working in the restaurant industry. Funny enough, a professional kitchen is very much like a professional newsroom. Everyone has a specific role. It is all moving very fast. The stakes are high and the competition is fierce. And sometimes, in the heat of the moment, people forget some of their civility.
The most important lesson I learned early on working in a restaurant, and then a newsroom, was to let the day’s drama roll off you and start tomorrow with a fresh perspective. This is easier said than done, but it really is such an important life skill. Whenever you work in a corporate environment, you are part of something larger than yourself. Understanding your role and how you can help contribute to creating a positive environment is key. Everyone has a story and you often don’t know the story of the person sitting next to you. The best thing you can always do is listen, handle yourself with grace and keep on moving forward.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
I actually just finished two brilliant books that I wish I had read years ago.
The first one is “Creativity Inc: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration” by Ed Catmull. This is the story of the creation and growth of Pixar from the perspective of one of its founders. What I found fascinating was the incredible dedication Catmull had to creating and supporting company culture and how that shaped the brand’s success story.
The second book which I love is “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” by Elizabeth Gilbert. Gilbert has this very pragmatic view of creativity that I think is so refreshing. She argues that we all have creativity in us and tapping into it is not meant to be an experience in suffering. She also has a lot of solid advice for people wishing to be professional creatives.
I listened to both as audiobooks which I also really enjoyed.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.electricyolk.com
Image Credits
Headshot credit: David Noles
