Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Hanford.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
A little under a year ago, I wanted a change and decided to look for an internship. In deciding what internship I wanted, I knew I wanted to do something with writing. So, I looked for magazine publications in the Los Angeles area because that is where a lot of events, media coverage, entertainment, and big things happen. When researching on the web and social media, I came upon Style & Society Magazine. When looking at their magazine, it caught my interest because of the topics they covered like beauty, style, to travel. I then reached out to the editor-in-chief, Kinya Claiborne and then sent her my resume and cover letter. After that, she asked me some questions and then I got the internship. From that point till now, I have written an editorial, been blogging, and connecting on social media. From the day I got the internship until now, my social media skills have improved greatly. Before to be brutally honest, I was not good. I just didn’t have that much experience and didn’t have the knowledge to blog. Today, I know what I’m doing and I can connect with others by blogging events for Style & Society on social media. Some of the events I have done have been Hustle and Glow Wellness Month in Orange County, CA, Let’s Get Physical in Newport Beach, CA, the Active Collective in Anaheim, CA, and Style Week OC in Orange County, CA. This magazine has had a big impact on my life and has truly been amazing.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been a smooth road because of social media obstacles. It was a steep learning curve in learning the basics of blogging on social media. When I started out, I was bad at blogging because I didn’t have any experience really with blogging and never learned the fundamentals of it. After shadowing someone, I was able to learn the basics and have improved greatly since then. My advice for younger women that want to get into blogging or the social media world would be, to research about it on YouTube or the web, to learn now, and to know that you can do it. For me, I was frustrated in not knowing the basics when I first started out. I was mad at the fact that I thought I should already know how to do it, but couldn’t because of the tools that were missing. Now, I am so much better because of the time I took in learning how to do it.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
Currently, I have school, but the magazine is a major priority of mine. For the magazine on the side of school, I blog events, connect on social media, and update their social calendar. As being a part of the team of the magazine, I am proud that I get to be with a bunch of other great people and a great editor-in-chief. It’s honestly a great environment to be in and it’s exactly where I feel like I belong. One thing that I love about Style & Society is that it has built a great community for young women. A community where the difference is accepted. In reflecting on what sets me apart from others is my persistence. My persistence to not give up when I want something really bad.
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Advice I would give to young women would be to not give up, know you have a voice and know you are beautiful. In my case, if I gave up, I would never have discovered Style & Society Magazine and gotten an internship because it took a lot of research in finding it. Second, I would say to have a voice. Don’t be afraid to speak up because every young woman has important ideas and should be heard. Every individual should be able to speak up whether it’s a young woman starting her business, in school, outside of school, and etc. Lastly, every young individual should know they are beautiful inside and out, know that if people go out of their way to say mean things let it go because they don’t truly know you.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 7604689775
- Email: hanfordhannah8@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hannahkat223?igshid=lpis77i38a5x
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