Today we’d like to introduce you to Macey-Marie Hobson
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
“Hi, it’s Macey, and welcome to my life!” This has been my tagline since I was in junior high and fell in love with social media and rainbow filters on Instagram. I mean this was back in the day when the Instagram app icon was brown and the Youtube icon had knobs, can you imagine? A lot of time has passed and a lot of life has happened since I created a social media account and wrote my first blog.
Since the age of fifteen, I was always amazed by creating my little world on my phone or computer screen. I posted a lot, A LOT, and jokingly got picked at for it occasionally in high school. High school, who would expect anything less? Now, after graduating college, I find myself finding a career in social media. How ironic? Also, have you ever tried to explain social media to a baby boomer? Try explaining that it’s your job… Needless to say, social media may not be easy to understand for everyone, but everyone needs social media. It’s how we get our news, latest trends, make sales, and take our businesses to the next level.
I truly got my start in social media management in the spring of 2019 when I transferred to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I was hired as the social media manager for the UAB Career Center. I credit my start to the amazing people of the Career Center. Taking it back a bit more, as a freshman in college in fall 2017 I lost my mother. After that happened, I wanted to do everything and anything I could to succeed. Part of it was to make her proud, another part was to prove to myself and everyone else that I wouldn’t let this one thing take me down. I would use it to light a fire underneath me and not slow down.
I graduated from college a few months ago. I’ve been in what I like to call a “Waiting Season.” Waiting for the next steps. Oh, you know the question of the ages, “What are you going to do now?” I have various responses to this question but the truth is I’m unsure. There may be a select few that do have an actual clue, but to the majority of us who have the diploma and not a clue, cheers to us!
I’ve started my after-college life, in the same way, I finished it, remotely. Trying to make the best of my time at home during a worldwide pandemic. Today I am managing several social media accounts, writing, and freelancing in my spare time. I’ve been through countless interviews and been told no more than yes. However, I am eager for the day when I can say, “Ah, that’s why I had to wait.”
*Life Update! Wow, I wanted to add this in and didn’t want to delete what you read above because the way God works is amazing. The day after I wrote the above paragraph, I was offered a job. I was offered a job with a communications agency in Birmingham, Alabama called Big Communications. If you would have asked me a few months ago, “Where do you want to work?” I would have told you that I wanted to work in an agency and odds are I would have told you Big Communications. The moment I have been waiting for all fell into place, “Ah, that’s why I had to wait.” For three months, I was taken on a rollercoaster of interview after interview after interview. I didn’t understand why nothing was working out until I got the offer from Big. Then I heard Holy Spirit say, “You may have forgotten the desires of your heart, but I never did.”
Where do I see myself five or even ten years from now? I have big dreams. I’ve always been a dreamer and a planner. I want to write a book, start a podcast, open up my own business, and maybe write another book. I feel like God has given me the ability to speak to others and trust me I have a lot to say (I’m a talker if you can’t tell.) Wherever I am in the next chapter in my life I pray I have peace because that is a promise and happiness is a bonus. I also really hope I have two golden retrievers. I’ll have “made it” then!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Can anyone truly say life has been smooth sailing? Try, I won’t believe you, or I’ll say just hold on. Not to speak negativity over you but just be prepared and grounded for the occasional curveball. Most importantly, stay open-minded!
I’ve hit a few speed bumps along the way and hard. You know when you’re driving down the road and you didn’t see the speed bump until you’re three feet in the air and slamming down on the other side? Yeah, that kind of speed bump. I feel like my whole life is my testimony, but there aren’t enough pages for that. Let’s try to break it down a little bit. My story goes a little as follows: Transfer, house fire, transfer, surgery, heartbreak, loss. We can grab a coffee and talk over our stories one day. I love coffee.
It always drives me insane watching American Idol and listening to the show focus on everyone’s tragic story. Because we all have them, or we will. But it’s not what happened to you that matters as much as what you do with it. How will you handle it? How will you bounce back? How can you use this “thing” to help others? Just food for thought!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I just started my role as the digital community manager at Big Communications. I also freelance managing locally owned businesses’ social media accounts and provide other marketing tasks. I have gone by the terms social media manager, strategist, or specialist. But the truth is, I don’t know if you can truly be a specialist in social media, because it is ever-changing and doing so daily.
I am proud of my work. In two short years where I was able to focus on my career path and work in the public relations and digital marketing field, I’ve been able to help grow social media accounts over to thousands of followers, build accounts from the ground up, be published, be awarded for my time and effort, and land an amazing job right out of college.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Of course, I can’t take all the credit if any. I am only here today by the grace and joy of the Lord. I have no idea how I would still be standing if I did not trust in Him and have his peace and joy operating in my life. I credit my mother for always being my biggest cheerleader. Even though she has passed, I’m motivated by her legacy and love every day. I always say she gave me enough love in 19 years to last a lifetime. I’ve had and have two great parents who have always stood by my side and sacrificed a lot for me to have anything I ever needed or wanted.
I’ve also encountered several great mentors along the way from senior leaders at Worship Life Jasper, the community at Bevill State Community College, and leaders in the workplace at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I would begin to name them off but I would hate to read this later and see that I left off someone truly important. I pray the Lord will bless these amazingly kind-hearted abundantly because of how they’ve poured into my life.
I read a post one day that said, “You should always have someone pouring into your life and you should find yourself pouring into someone else’s.” It is important to find a mentor to go to for advice or when you just need to talk, but it is equally important that you be that person for someone else. I encourage you to find someone you can mentor and pour into.
I also think everyone should see a therapist at some point and my favorite author, Rachel Hollis would agree.
Thank you for everything. Thank you for your love, your encouragement, and your advice. To all my friends, family, and my love I love you.
Contact Info:
- Email: maceymhobson@gmail.com
- Website: maceyhobson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maceyslife/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/maceyssocial/
Image Credits
Levi Sanford
