Meet Kieran Bailey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kieran Bailey.

Hi Kieran, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Kieran, I also go by Kiwi online. I am a Project Account Manager for Draft.dev, which creates technical marketing content for startups. I also freelance digital strategy and social media marketing consulting, as well as blog over at GlitterandProfanity.com

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
My kidney failure at 27 was certainly an obstacle. It was an unexpected situation – I thought I had the flu when I went into the ER. I spent about 18 months on dialysis and got my transplant in June 2017. My donor was my amazing mother. 4+ years later, I’m doing fantastic and as close to “back to normal” as one can be.

Having to make a hard stop on pretty much everything to focus on staying alive is a wake-up call to reevaluate what your priorities in life are. It also was a firsthand look at how many things we take for granted are actually huge privileges in life or death situations; things like income, insurance, availability of care, and family dynamics can all have a massive impact on the outcome of these stories. Being on the other side of it, I work both online and in-person to advocate and find resources for those who may need that extra help.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I like to say that I’m a “professional fangirl.” I got my first “job” managing fan clubs for Nickelodeon actresses in High School and (after a few false starts) moved to Tennessee for college and to be closer to the entertainment industry. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a wide variety of artists, businesses, and creatives in creating and capturing content and building a community around their work. The common thread of my career has been creating community and excitement around niche interests. From music to television to tech (where I’ve currently landed), people get excited about the things they’re passionate about. I love taking that passion and excitement and finding ways to share that energy with others, and digital media is the best way to get your message out to the world.

What were you like growing up?
I grew up in a small town in Dollar Bay, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (yes, I’m a Yooper!). I’m talking small… 18 people graduated from my High School class. We are right by Lake Superior and I spent a lot of time out at the beach and in the woods.

I don’t think I’ve really changed that much personality-wise… except for an expanded vocabulary (lol). I really loved media and technology back then and made that my career. I still love boybands and stickers. I did eventually learn to love brussel sprouts.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: kiwibailey.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/fabkiwi06
• Other: glitterandprofanity.com