Meet Andre Ellington

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andre Ellington a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Andre, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Honestly, my purpose is something that was derived in my spirit as a child. I didn’t grow up playing sports, which is the typical route that most little boys, especially where I’m from, are pushed toward. I grew up drawing pictures, memorizing songs, playing piano by ear, and crafting my mentality toward knowing that I was different, and being able to figure out a pathway toward executing on this same creativity.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My name is Andre J. Ellington from Detroit, MI, and I’m an international reporter. Since 2011, I’ve worked in the world of Journalism and Media for companies such as VIBE, Rolling Out, Newsweek, and HuffPost, to name a few.

I’m the author of two books titled, The Art of Online Journalism (2019), and The Art of Covering Breaking News (2020). I’ve also aided over 15 people to become first-time authors through their projects.

I am also the proprietor of WAEDS Branding and Marketing, which is a writing business that helps people, brands, and companies, tell their stories cohesively. I started my writing business in 2017 because I felt as if I needed to exercise my media talents outside of corporate America.

Many every-day people want access to journalists, publicists, reporters, etc. but they have no clue how to go about doing so. The same goes for wanting to get an interview curated about themselves, a biography done, or a book written.

People need a place to get those types of nuanced services, so I provide that for them.

I’ve worked in the digital space for the majority of my career and have been to the top of the mountain. I’ve made good money, won awards, received recognition, and my work has been read across the world. I’m now looking to get into the podcasting space and showcase my musical talents.

Before I became a writer, I was a music producer and a DJ from 2007-2012.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I can name several components that have helped me throughout my life but presently, confidence, patience, and faith are the driving forces on my journey right now. I was an obsessive, young man when I started my path into media and now I’m a seasoned man with a family of my own to look after and protect, which is another component that gives me energy.

For those who are early in their journalism career, the two recommendations I have right now are to practice your skillset and build up your LinkedIn. Young journalists must build up their skills because this will allow them to grasp certain fundamentals of media, such as the five W’s and one H rule for example — Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How — and use these same fundamentals in each opportunity they will receive.

This leads to my next recommendation of Linkedin. LinkedIn is like Facebook, except replace the friends and family lists with college friends, co-workers, job connections, and potential employers. I would tell them to spend the majority of their time researching and applying for various positions — even if they feel as though they don’t qualify for them. Also, if they can, pay for a month of LinkedIn Premium because this is where most of the recruiters and significant connections are located.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The challenge I’m currently facing right now is deciding how much I should (and want to) share on social media, as my profile continues to grow. I’m a notoriously private person who has lived in the space of sharing funny quotes about myself, informative memes, my career work, and sprinkles of my life for the most part but now, people are starting to want me to share more of myself. I’m currently working on figuring out a way to do it, without compromising my own comfort level.

Another challenge I’m facing is measuring how much I can push myself from all human aspects. I had a stroke in April that nearly killed me, so I’m always paying extra attention to myself when I’m in the gym, or spending long hours at my computer.

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