You Should Hear This

POV From A STAR | Raevyn Harris (Episode 29)

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Annually, ISAE hosts the STAR Awards, STAR stands for the Society’s Top Award of Recognition, which celebrates the success of our colleagues, who help strengthen our local association industry! Members attend this program each year to lift up those around us and then later we hope to learn from their success and how our own associations can replicate their success. 

Our guest today is a recent recipient of a STAR Award, the Rising STAR. Today she’s going to outline her experience at STAR, the road to success for her project, and much more.

Raevyn Harris is the Director of Digital Marketing for Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), America’s Largest Educational Honor Society. She manages digital content and communications for the organization on behalf of teachers. Raevyn completed her bachelor’s degree at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

Speaker 1:

Hello, and welcome to, you Should Hear This, a podcast for the Everyday Association Professional. I'm Nick Estrada, your host Annually, I s A e hosts the STAR Awards. STAR stands for the Society's Top Award of recognition, which celebrates the success of our colleagues who help strengthen our local association. Industry members attend this program each year to lift up those around us, and then later we hope to learn from their success and how our own associations can replicate it. Our guest today is a recent recipient of a STAR award, the Rising Star. Today she's going to outline her experience at star, the Road to Success for her project, and much more. Raven Harris is the Director of Digital marketing for CAPA Delta Pi , K d p , America's largest educational honor society. She manages digital content and communications for the organization on behalf of their teachers. Raven completed her bachelor's degree at Ball State University in Muncie , Indiana. Welcome, Raven.

Speaker 2:

Hi, Nick. How are you?

Speaker 1:

I'm good. I'm excited to have you here today. Thanks for this conversation. Uh, it's always fun to follow up with award winners , uh, and I must say Rising Star is not an easy one to get, so congratulations. Thank

Speaker 2:

You so much.

Speaker 1:

So before we, you know, get into kind of the, the , the nitty gritty of our conversation today, can you just tell us a little bit about, you know, how you got to where you are today, why this is currently a career that you're, you know, really engaged in and interested in?

Speaker 2:

Sure. So I actually, I was thinking about this question the other day because I really feel like my life right now has just has come to like a complete full circle because, you know, I started marketing and social media when my parents had their , um, restaurant, it was called Romeo's Bar and Grill, and they owned a club at one point in time and I was doing all their marketing and social media for them. And this was when I was 11. And so when I first went to Ball State, my major was , uh, education and I wanted to be a teacher. And I think it's crazy that I ended up at Kappa Delta Pi <laugh> . But yeah, I wanted to be a teacher and , um, I ended up switching my major into to marketing and telecommunications. And , um, yeah, it's been a journey since then. And looking back at everything, it's, I just ended up in the, in the right place.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's a cool place to land, if that was kind of one of your , um, original goals then.

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm . <affirmative> . Yes.

Speaker 1:

So you won the Rising Star Award, which again, for, for those of our listeners who are unfamiliar, this is typically reserved for one of our younger association professionals, and I think it's within the first few years of your job in the , the association world. And so this kind of identifies you as a , a great person to have on your team and somebody that's gonna do some great things. And so, just wanted to get a little bit of information. You know, I think the, the project was really around managing kd b's, social media and a variety of other kind of components. But if you could maybe just share a little bit about why you think you won and , um, some of the projects you've been working on over the last year.

Speaker 2:

Okay. Well, when I first started working at K D P, I was the first person in my role. So before me there wasn't a digital marketing manager. So when I was brought in, I was the very first person for this role. And what's crazy is there wasn't anything to base my job off of. And so when I went to K D P , when I first started working it , everything was totally new. So we actually were transitioning to a new chief communications and marketing officer. And so he was new in his role as well. And so the marketing team at K D P at one point was totally brand new. So we were actually running with what we, what we had. And so everything that we were, like, the ideas that we were putting out was totally brand new . And we've never done anything like that before. Um, when it came to our social media for our Founders Day campaign, we didn't base it off of anything from the years before. Everything was fresh and brand new. And I think people could really tell and feel that it had a more personal touch to it because we really wanted to focus on our members feeling and well feeling that, you know, we care and showing that we're really here for them and we're here for teachers and supporting them. And I think it really showed this year.

Speaker 1:

That's great. You know, I'm curious as somebody entering into a brand new role mm-hmm. <affirmative> , um, you know, kind of one of your first, you know, jobs in general, how did you, how did you establish that direction of your role? Or how did you define, you know, or leave the mark, right, mm-hmm . For the role that you have?

Speaker 2:

Well, when I first started, of course, like we were transitioning and my boss too , he wasn't there yet. So at one point in time, I was just by myself. We didn't have a marketing team or anything. And so everything that I was doing I wasn't really sure about because no one was there to kind of help guide me or to tell me like, you're doing this right, or you should be doing this instead, I was just doing whatever I could to help the team out. So, you know, marketing is involved in all as aspects of K D P . And so I was just making sure that I was there to support all of my team members. And I think that it really showed, and that's why I was so surprised that I won the Star War . But at the same time, I can understand because I was there being a support for everyone at a time when I didn't really have anyone, you know, to help guide me and to help be a part of , um, my team.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. No, that makes total sense. I think new roles are always interesting, right? Because you're still trying to, you're trying to figure out what it exactly it is that you're doing, right? There's yes . That , just that description on, on a piece of paper, obviously, and I'm sure you, you had a line in there somewhere, other duties as assigned, and , uh, you know, those are probably popping up a lot. And so get this unique opportunity to kind of almost design your own, your own role as it evolves , uh, which is kind of exciting.

Speaker 2:

Oh, yeah . It , it definitely was exciting. I know that a lot of my coworkers , they were like, how, how are things going? Are , are you doing all right ? And I'm like, yes, I'm great. I'm fine. And I didn't feel that there was too much pressure on me. I was just adjusting to everything that was being thrown at me. But, you know, it's, it was a learning experience and I'm glad that I was able to go through that because the marketing team now at K D P , I feel like we're on fire. I feel like we are in a position where we're just doing really, really great unique, creative things and I'm really proud of everything that we've been doing lately.

Speaker 1:

That's great. So let's, let's transition into kind of the marketing team and, and what you all mm-hmm . <affirmative> have done and what you're continuing to do . So from your perspective, you know, what do you think has made your social media campaign, your marketing pro programs , um, your emails, you know, all the things you guys touch, what do you think has made those so successful?

Speaker 2:

I think us together as a marketing team, collaborating with each other and not being afraid to branch off and do something new. And also respecting everyone's opinions because every, every single person has different ideas and every single person is unique. And so what they're bringing to the table is different than what you're bringing to the table. And I think we, right now, the team is just great at that, just listening to one another, respecting each other's opinions, taking someone's idea and, you know, combining it with your idea and creating something really cool.

Speaker 1:

What kind of hurdles have you guys had as you've, again, as you've shared, kind of created your own department , um, new roles, right. So what have you run into and, and how have you overcome some of those hurdles?

Speaker 2:

Well, so for example, we had a new teacher, national Summit last year. And you know , like I said, marketing is a part of everything. Every aspect of K D P marketing is a part of. And so when you're promoting different events and stuff, sometimes things can slip through and you'll forget about them. And, you know, this was a new event, we've never done this before and it takes a lot of work and a lot of pieces and sometimes things can just slip right through. And at the time we were still figuring out the marketing team and getting, kind of getting in like the, we were getting into the groove of things. And um, at that time our communication wasn't the best and things kind of fell through and , um, we didn't get something out that we were supposed to. And that felt like it was really on me and I felt bad about that. Um , but at the same time, it's a whole team and we should all be communicating on things and nobody should even have the opportunity to forget about stuff. And so we went through little bumps in the road like that, but we were able to figure it out and kind of think about what works best for us and what works, what doesn't work best for us. So , um, we use this platform called monday.com mm-hmm. <affirmative> . And it helps us stay organized because email is like a black hole. And I say it all the time, you will forget things if everything is sent through you sent to you through a email. Um, so I always make sure that whatever that whatever I'm doing is put into monday.com so I don't forget it. And we're able to see if something has got done or still needs to be done, or if a graphic needs to be worked on still. And so now we're a lot better with our communication and our process for everything. But yeah, it was definitely , uh, it took some time to get into the group of things.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it always does. Right. And I think even as you're describing, you know, I think anybody who's looking externally at any other department, you know, I think a lot of times we all think like it's just an email. Right. How hard could that be? And you know, right. That there are so many steps to that process mm-hmm . <affirmative> . And so I like that you've added kind of that piece of how to keep it organized because it's not just one step to build an email, right. There's a lot of components that go into that , um, in time and thought. And so I appreciate that. Exactly .

Speaker 2:

Yep . Exactly.

Speaker 1:

So as we think about, you know, obviously social media is an ever-growing beast, right? And I think we're all associations I think are always trying to stay ahead of it. We're trying to be in the right platforms, we're trying to be in the right places, you know? And so how, how do you approach social media with K D P ? What is your, what's your strategy? You know, do you have kind of a , you know, a 1, 2, 3, these are the biggest things to do? What's that look like for you guys?

Speaker 2:

So for K D P , I know when I was first going through my hiring process, one thing that I really wanted to bring there is to make sure that we're connecting with our members. K D P is member based and member focused , and it's really important that we show connection through social media. And I think that's so important, especially for us. And one thing that I really focus on is , uh, connecting with different chapters, talking to them through Messenger, making sure that they feel like the K D P National Office sees what they're doing, shares what they're doing, supports them. So , um, for example, we had a chapter that was doing a fundraiser. I made sure to share that fundraiser on our social media accounts because I think that's so important. And to them, they'll see that and they'll feel that K D P National Office cares about them and is supportive of whatever they're doing.

Speaker 1:

I think that's such a , an important piece for organizations with components, right? So chapters, divisions, whatever that looks like, right. To showcase the value that those pieces or those groups bring to the national organization. Because so many with components wouldn't exist in the way that we do Exactly. Without them <laugh>, you know, and so many of those groups, they're first inter A member's first interaction isn't really with the national organization, it's with the component. And so I think that's really cool that you guys are taking the time to make sure that you're talking with those folks.

Speaker 2:

So we're definitely trying to make it feel more personal and easygoing and not so established. You know, it's very easy to, you know, want everything to look perfect and have nice graphics and stuff like that, but people wanna see real people, you know? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And I think that is so important. And that's sort the direction that we're going in.

Speaker 1:

As you, as you look at some of those campaigns that you've done where you're starting to really highlight the people, are you noticing any changes in your statistics or your reach , um, or the engagement with folks?

Speaker 2:

Yes. Yes, we are. So we used to post a lot of inspirational quotes and those did pretty well, but it did not compete with us posting photos of different chapters. We cannot be that. So , um, sharing real people really did make a difference in our analytics.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. People love people, right? They like to see themselves. Oh

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Cause we, you know, obviously a part of Rising Star. And I'll , and I'll say I've never sat on the STAR committee, so I don't know if this is actually part of <laugh> the criteria or not, but I think a component of someone who is a rising star is not that they're just engaged and a great employee, it's, they're also engaged in our community. Right. So within the association community, yes. Can you talk a little bit about some of the things that you've done to get engaged with the broader association community, both within the state, but even I think you've done some things beyond as well .

Speaker 2:

Yes. So I actually love being a part of I S A E . I think that there are great events and to just even meeting the people. You know, I've met, I don't think, I don't think I've met you before, Nick, have I,

Speaker 1:

I don't think we've met in person though .

Speaker 2:

Yeah. But I did meet Rashaun and I , you know, just talking to everyone, everyone is so encouraging and they're supportive of you. You get to ask them about how they're doing in their workspace and you can really bounce off ideas with them. Um, I just went to a women's event last week and we talked about webinars and that's something that we're struggling with right now. Well, not even just K D P , a lot of different associations are struggling with their webinars right now. And we were able, we had this activity where we were able to , uh, kind of talk about how we can make a webinar better and the ideas that these ladies were throwing out, I had to pull out, you know, my phone to take notes because they were great. And I just think that it's so valuable to be a , a part of this organization well association and to be engaged and connect with people because you'll have friends for a lifetime and people you can really look to for advice and encouragement.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. I would echo so much of what you've just said. I think being a part of I s e has really just helped create that network to, to your point, to just <laugh> , I've got a challenge. Who else has done something with this? Um , cuz I can't be the only one who's ever experienced this challenge. Right. And I just think it's been invaluable to my professional development. And so I'm, I'm happy to hear that as well. Any just personal tips , uh, or recommendations for someone , um, who might be interested in getting more engaged as a younger professional such as yourself?

Speaker 2:

Just do it. That's all I can really say is just do it. You never, you don't have anything to lose. You only have things to gain, so just do it. And you'll be surprised. Sometimes I, I feel like, you know, I'm getting a little deep, but humans, we complain a lot. We complain so much about everything and instead of complaining, just do it. And you'll be surprised that you'll have a great time, you'll meet great people and like you said, invaluable memories and moments. I

Speaker 1:

Like that. We're gonna put that on some social media graphics. Don't complain. Okay . Just do it. I like that. I think I can use that with my own volunteers, <laugh>. And hopefully it moves them , um, into a new direction , uh, for some things. So the last couple questions I want to ask you, I think are just, just some personal ones at this point. Um, okay . In terms of actually winning the Rising Star Award . So Uhhuh , my first one, did you even know you were nominated?

Speaker 2:

No, not at all. I was so surprised, <laugh> , when I tell you I was listening to the announcer talk about this person and I was just listening and I'm like, Hmm , that sounds kind of familiar to me, this person. And then I saw my n my my face pop up on the, the screen and I was like, oh my goodness, that's me <laugh> . And so my , my heart started to beat and all the , my coworkers at the table were just smiling and laughing because it was so funny to them that I was freaking out <laugh> . And so I walked up there, I don't remember anything. I don't even know what I said. I just went black. I don't remember anything. Um , but I was definitely surprised. And what's funny is the year before that I went to the Star Awards and um, one of my coworkers , Christopher, he actually won an award that day. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> . And this was my first K D P event that I went to. And I was sitting there thinking to myself, this was a year before this happened, that would be great. One day if I can win something like that, <laugh> . And then the very next year I won the, the Star award. So I think it's, it's crazy how when you put your mind towards things and you can really manifest, manifest things and Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

I love that. It's always, especially for individual awards , you know, I think for the association ones, we always know that we've submitted our name, right. But the individual awards I think are a lot of fun to really surprise a coworker for the impact they've had on our association or on the staff as well. So again, I'm happy that you didn't necessarily know. That's always a fun. I

Speaker 2:

Didn't and

Speaker 1:

Was normally , was there a moment that you knew you were like, oh, okay, crap, that's me now I'm winning.

Speaker 2:

Well, when I saw my photo pop up , I knew it was real. I'm like, wow, that's me. Because it sounded familiar, but you never know. It could have went the other direction. It could have been someone totally different. Mm-hmm . <affirmative> whose face popped up. But I was so excited and I did feel very humbled because, you know, like I was saying at that, when I first started working at K D P , I was by myself, but at the same time I was still trying to be a support for all of my team members. Cuz one thing about me is I don't like to let anybody down. My nickname growing up was, I'll do it. Because that's how I felt. Like I never wanted to let anyone down. And so when I was by myself and we didn't have, you know , um, a chief officer communications and marketing officer yet, you know, being by yourself, you can kind of get in your head. But I was just trying my best to stay focused and to be a good team member. So , um, it was very humbling and rewarding at the same time to know that they saw this in me. And , um, I don't know how the process goes for, for this, but that they wrote my name down and they put my name in there.

Speaker 1:

Yeah , absolutely. Has it impacted how you work at all? Pushed you to work more, explore new things? You know, I'm not sure.

Speaker 2:

Um, not really. So no, not really because I have a , a , a work ethic where , um, like I said, I always try to be supportive of people and there's nothing wrong with complaining and , um, letting people know how you feel about things. But at the same time, like, I don't wanna be a difficult person. I want to be someone that's easy to work with and I want people to be able to say positive things about me, even if like I move on from a place eventually. And I think that's really important to leave a positive mark when you, when you're somewhere and you're not being someone that's difficult to work with, I think it's important that, you know, you kind of adapt to people and you're not, I don't know , I , I hate to say complaining, but it's so true. Like, I just don't wanna be a difficult person to work with. I want people to work with me and, you know, everyone is going through something in their life like, you know, outside of work and I don't want to add to someone's stress at work, you know ? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>,

Speaker 1:

I think that outlook right there, Raven explains a lot about why you got this award. It's such a unique perspective to take on. I think a lot of us could probably say that, you know, but it, again, from what I've seen and what I've heard it , you know, it it , you put it to use, you actually put it into practice. Um , and I think that's, that's just really cool. So again, congratulations.

Speaker 2:

Thank you.

Speaker 1:

As we, as we kinda start to wrap up, just any other words of advice, you know, again, for folks maybe who are in the marketing realm who are new to their jobs, looking to get involved, you know, all the different kinds of things, but anything you wanna leave listeners with today?

Speaker 2:

Sure. I would like to say just roll with it. Sometimes, you know, if you, if you get an email, it's not always about you. It's not someone telling you that you're messing up or anything. It's just an email. And don't take things too personally, just roll with it and don't be as str don't be stressful on your coworkers because everyone is going through something. Have patience and give each other grace and just, you know, try to have fun even at work.

Speaker 1:

Yeah . That's great. Work should be fun. We spend a lot of time there should be . So I think that that is an important piece. So. Well Raven, thank you so much for chatting with us today. If folks are interested in connecting with you Right, engaging with you to learn a just a little bit more about you or, or what you've done at K D P , um, how can they get in touch with you?

Speaker 2:

Sure. Well they can look me up on Facebook or Instagram, Raven Harris , um, on Facebook and Instagram and we can chat there.

Speaker 1:

Perfect. Well, again, thank you so much for being with us today . This was a , a fun conversation and um, I know listeners will, will be able to pull some good pieces outta this.

Speaker 2:

I hope so. Thank you.

Speaker 1:

We hope you enjoyed this episode of You Should hear this. If you have any questions you'd like answered or future topics you'd like us to explore, please send us an email@infoisae.org.