Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindy Marie Jenkins.
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?
The best way to describe my start is that I grew up somewhere between a theater and a library. I was onstage at the age of 5 and never really stopped. Through it all, I was writing. I wrote a ton in high school and always loved adapting classical plays. When I started looking for work outside of the theater, it made sense to lean on writing. For a while I combined outreach/digital marketing and writing jobs, still working in the arts and nonprofits.
In 2015 we moved from LA to Orlando, then to China, and returned to Orlando last summer. While in China I got an incredible job as Deputy Managing Editor of Jingkids International (formerly called Beijing Kids). This was the magazine that helped me through every step of our own move, so I felt honored to be there. They’re a big family and dedicated to integrity and community.
Now I do a combination of writing/editing for hyper-local magazines, and more national pieces. I am also an educational counselor, shepherding teenagers through the college application process.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely not! When we were young and without kids in Los Angeles, my husband and I were paycheck to paycheck if we had a paycheck, and that was not fun. But we were doing theatre – what we love. In Orlando, I worked from home with 2 kids under 2 and that was pretty hellish for a while (it’s better now that they’re older). I started writing and consulting work-at-home-parents, and families who are relocating, while expanding my portfolio and finding my niche.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I write at the intersection of parenting with work/tech/pop culture. Some of these are universal, like when a video of a woman begging her stalker to leave her alone circulated and Jingkids asked me to write about it from the perspective of a parent of boys. That was called “I Want to be a Stalker When I Grow up.” I was known for answering burning questions or issues from parents before they knew they needed it. One day we had a sandstorm and within a couple of hours, I’d created a short video on how to explain it to your kids. I used my experiences searching for locations to hold birthday parties and summer camps to compile a list with the information parents needed. When we started working from home while online schooling for a time, I pulled out my work-at-home-parent hacks.
Currently, I’m compiling a guide on giving kids critical thinking skills so they can make better media choices. I try to write all the helpful information that I need as a parent, basically!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
It’s mostly to do with research and knowing the kind of mentorship you need. Years ago, I did digital marketing for an author and she introduced me to one online writing group that opened the door to many others. Lurking in those groups while I built my portfolio and figured out how to be a freelancer made my transition to writing and editing full-time a lot easier. When I became an editor, I also understood the expectations of freelancers with editors and tried to meet them and do better. When networking, only expect one result: to deepen relationships with colleagues or people who can help/hire you. If you are desperate for a job or a gig, or if you’re a business that wants a good review, it will show. Deepen your relationships at every turn and the right situation will happen in time. But also, if someone asks what you want, be honest and tell them!
I also love being a mentor when appropriate, which is where educational counseling comes in. I love nothing more than honing in on how a student needs help, needs a push, and being that person for them. I’m not cut out to be a schoolteacher, but I like counseling and mentoring kids and young writers whenever possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cindymariejenkins.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindymariej/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CindyMarieJenkinsWriter
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cindymariej
Image Credits
Enci Box
Diana Kohne
