For their event "In Her Shoes," the women's leadership organization chapter "Her Campus South Carolina" gathered a panel of women with expertise in personal branding, social media and the public relations field to network and provide advice on how to obtain success in today's world.
The keynote speaker, Doreen Sullivan, has 30 years of experience in public relations and had many thought-provoking insights to offer the audience. She stressed the importance of one’s values and how connections made with other people are what can launch a career.
“Opportunities are all around you,” Sullivan said. "Do not let where you physically are slow you down.”
An integral part of having an edge in the public relations field today is maintaining an authentic social media. Instagram has become a way for people to network, connect and create their own personal brand.
Former Miss Teen USA and pre-law student at USC, K. Lee Graham said, “To me being an influencer just means having a voice and having a platform and utilizing that outlet to reach out to other people and make some kind of difference.”
Graham has over 31,000 followers on Instagram, and she uses her position to promote her faith, her love for the Gamecocks and her passion for education.
Known for her Instagram handle @shadesofpinck, Megan Pinckney uses social media to promote her love for fashion and travel.
“I think because of social media real people have been able to identify with other real people and connect to people who share the same interests and style,” Pinckney said.
A major theme of this event was learning how to be a "girl boss." Local women entrepreneurs shared how they combined their passions with their careers to positively influence other women.
When asked what it means to be a girl boss, Joy McLaughlin-Harris responded, “To me it means to be someone who can provide opportunity for other people, provide opportunity where people can come make money, provide opportunity where people can come be mentored, provide opportunity where people can come maximize their potential to go beyond where they started.”
This panel of women gave advice across the spectrum, from what filter to use on Instagram photos to the importance of mentors in the public relations field. They offered ideas that each audience member could utilize in their own lives.
Madison Oswald is a fourth-year public relations student at USC who attended the event. “I heard different things you can do to spice up your social media," she said. "But also I think it was cool to hear from different women who are entrepreneurs.”