During the month of March, which is Women’s History Month, #DawsonWritesAmerica will be placing a spotlight on WOMEN MAKING HISTORY, a series acknowledging the very best of us.
Danyelle Little is a mother, an author, a blogger, podcaster, and social media powerhouse. She is also the creator of The Cubicle Chick, an award-winning blog and platform where she shares tips, tools, and resources for busy working moms on the move. Her goal is to both empower and inspire women to excel, personally and professionally.
Little spent many years as a human resources director, resolving workplace issues daily. What she didn’t see was a vehicle to help women in the workplace navigate all that comes with having a 9 to 5 and being a mother. Thus, in 2010, after leaving her full-time job, The Cubicle Chick was born. The site became a virtual oasis where professional mothers could go for resources. “I’ve developed quite a following of loyal mama moguls who want to get the most out of their personal and professional lives,” says the 40+ mom of two, a son who is 24 and a daughter who is 14.
The St. Louis resident is also social media strategist, working with businesses across all platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to help reach their target consumers. “It’s important for these brands to be able to reach people who are interested in what they have to say and I don’t think that any business can compete these days without social media.” Because of her online presence, brands have partnered with Little to create synergies with potential customers. “There’s no cookie-cutter way to do it,” she admits, acknowledging that social media is still a somewhat new media. “I get to know the brand as much as possible, so I will do research. Often times I spend a day or two at corporate headquarters to get a feel for what it is they’re doing. Being there on the ground helps me see the corporate culture and then create a plan based on that.”
HOW ARE YOU MAKING HISTORY?
“I REALLY WORK HARD TO BE SOMEONE THAT MY KIDS CAN BE PROUD OF AND SOMEONE THAT MY KIDS CAN EMULATE. MY GOAL IS TO CREATE GENERATIONAL WEALTH AND I THINK I’LL BE THE FIRST IN MY FAMILY TO DO THAT.” –DANYELLE LITTLE
#WomenMakingHistory
Even though Facebook is where she finds that most working moms spend their time, it was on Twitter where Little realized that social media had taken her content to another level. “I think it happened when I got a call from CNN,” she recalls with a laugh. “Actually, it wasn’t even a call at first, it was a direct message on Twitter and I thought it was a joke. A producer from CNN said they’d seen a tweet of mine and wanted to know if I could go on a television segment to talk about what I was sharing. It was a real request, and that’s when I realized that when you’re broadcasting on social media, you’re broadcasting to the world.”
All of these jobs are important because it stresses the need to have multiple streams of income. “I don’t think that people today can be successful without having multiple streams because the society that we live in, the culture that we live in, and most importantly, because of the financial times that we live in, you don’t want to be dependent on one thing. That’s one of the things I was able to do early on, build different streams. I’ve been able to write books (she is the author of three books, her most recent being 10 Positive Things You Can Do Every Day, available on Amazon), consult, conduct several workshops every year, and I also have a 9-to-5 as a social media strategist for a radio station (The Big 550 KTRS Radio in St. Louis).”
Up next for the award-winning entrepreneur is a project that is near and dear to her heart: a subscription box for creative professionals, appropriately named Creative Box. “It’s going to be a quarterly subscription box and it will have 5 to 6 items that are carefully curated and selected for people who are in the creative space: writers, bloggers, YouTubers, producers, musicians, artists, thespians… if you are a creative professional, I have a box for you this spring.”
When asked how she’s making history, Little made it clear that it’s all about the future. “Being an entrepreneur and a mom of two,” she started, “I really work hard to be someone that my kids can be proud of and someone that my kids can emulate. Both of them are part owners of all the things that I do. They have percentages of income that goes to them. My goal is to create generational wealth and I think I’ll be the first in my family to do that. So that’s pretty historic to me.”
dawsoninkonline.com 