Today we’d like to introduce you to Josephine Maida.
Hi Josephine, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I was in high school, looking at colleges and trying to determine my career path, I went to a concert at Madison Square Garden. While I was there, I saw these young people with badges on, running around, talking to guests, taking videos – it looked like something I could do. So, I walked right up to them and asked them what they did for a living and how they got there. A girl on the team let me know she was a social media intern for Madison Square Garden, and that she had studied public relations in college. The next day, that’s the major I started using on my applications for universities.
I started at the University of Rhode Island in 2013 and graduated Summa Cum Laude, and as the first woman in my family to attend college in 2o17. I had such a positive experience in college, I was a dual major in public relations and communication studies, I was a sister in Kappa Delta, I interned at multiple organizations on and off-campus, and I was the president of my chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, (PRSSA) for two years.
I always knew I wanted to work for the Walt Disney Company, so I moved to Orlando after graduating in 2017. I worked in merchandise in Fantasyland on my college program, worked in EPCOT, worked for a private club within Disney, and then worked in internal communication at EPCOT. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was furloughed and then let go, and needed to find something new, and didn’t want to stop doing what I loved.
So, I opened my own boutique public relations agency. I offer services for everything under the communication umbrella, but I specialize in social media consulting, with big love for TikTok, and in copywriting.
Currently, I work with the Walt Disney Company in social media. It’s been an amazing experience being back, and I have learned so much, but at the end of this month, I will go back to running my agency full-time. While I am open to working with clients around the globe, I would love to focus my energy into working with local businesses, helping them to tell their stories to our local Orlando community!
In my free time, I love to eat and spend time with friends around Orlando, and I share that on my personal Instagram and TikTok accounts @josiemaida!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it hasn’t always been a smooth road. When I was in college, I had a very clear, very linear plan. And even though I have met and exceeded the goals I had for myself back then, I thought the road to reaching those goals would look different.
I was rejected from so many jobs along the way, and at the time, that was really difficult. There were moments when I thought I would never get to where I wanted to be – that all my hard work in school, and my move to Orlando, were for nothing.
In 2018, my mother passed away at the age of 40, and that was really difficult. She had me when she was 17 years old, and we had been a team since I was a little girl. We had been through so much together – she always worked three jobs when I was growing up, and as soon as I could, I got a job to help pay the bills. I feel like my accomplishments are partially her accomplishments, and the year I lost her was very difficult for me. A lot went wrong. But she was also my motivation. I knew I had to keep going even when everything was going wrong, at least to honor all of her sacrifices for me, and to honor the dreams we shared together.
As you know, we’re big fans of Maida Media. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My business is a small, but mighty public relations firm. I’m so proud of the work I do, which is almost anything under the PR umbrella. I specialize in social media consulting, especially for TikTok. I am among a very small group of people who has taken part in a TikTok academy, learning directly from the brand’s best practices for success on the platform!
Even though I love social media, I also do copywriting, and more traditional public relations services, such as award applications, media outreach, market research, and press release writing.
I think what sets me apart from others is my love for PR. I really love the work. In addition, I run my own social media pages as a business, so I understand the business from the side of PR and from the side of a micro-influencer. I think that deep understanding is helpful to brands as I help them to create partnerships with social media personalities and other businesses that can help them to grow their brand.
Also, I’ve seen a lot of people say they work in social media, and charge people a lot of money for their work, with no background or education, or experience. People jump in because they have social media for themselves, and while I’m not bashing the work of anyone else, I do have that experience and background to provide a higher level of service and results. I have nine years of rich, diverse experience, and I always strive to move toward continued growth.
What are your plans for the future?
My plan for the future is to keep moving forward! There are so many amazing brands in the Orlando area, and while I am open to working with people all over the country, I really hope to become a strong partner for these Orlando brands. To help them to tell their stories to the local community.
I’m looking forward to working with new clients – meeting new people, hearing new stories, and helping businesses that are new to me to succeed.
I also dream of being someone in Orlando who is well-known for their work. Not just my work in public relations, but for the community. I am passionate about the lack of low-income housing available in our area, and homelessness in our community. I hope that as I grow, and as my business grows, I can make new connections, and can help give back to others here in Orlando.
Contact Info:
- Email: josie@maidamedia.com
- Website: https://maidamedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maida.media/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maida.MediaAgency
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/josiemaida/
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