When it's 70 on a Friday morning and sunshine walks in the door. Welcome Christene Litteken to Gateway CEO. She is a videographer and creator with Switzerfilms, a social media mama and is doing life with passion as she raises her sweet littles! Also, fun fact, she spent 14 years working with our good friend of Gateway CEO Lisa Phillipson and so credibility is already sky high!!
It was a whirlwind morning with donuts from Ron Simpson (we will have a separate post for his dedication to our program the last few weeks) and a lot of really great information filtering life, life as a videographer, and some tips and tricks for our students. Christene started out of college with an internship at Hospice of Southern IL that led to 14 years growing with the company. She really learned so much about social media, making connections and launching a pod cast as she traveled within her region to spread awareness and education with doctors, hospitals and future clients. It was during this time that she developed her storytelling abilities through photography and videography. With a wedding side hustle in videography that grew by word of mouth, she eventually landed with an opportunity to join Switzerfilm as her talent and expertise in self-taught videography continued to grow. Ultimately, she had to make a decision that fit her life best as she grew in her role as a mom and wife at home plus the option to continue to grow creatively. Here are some highlights from the morning.
- Always listen to your heart. Have people in your corner and always try to be overprepared - anticipating what could happen on any photo shoot/job site that you head to.
- Find a mentor. As she said, find your Lisa Phillipson. Someone that will help you continue to elevate your skills and still be your genuine self.
- You never know what people are going through. Remember to give grace and empathy, and focus on what you can do to help others.
- Online storytelling is all about being authentic and being kind. Don't worry about what others might think of you!
- Grow your network. Show up and build the relationships. Write your goals down. You never know where that will take you in the future.
- Save your 'sparks' of ideas. Keep it in your notes so it's searchable later.
- AI can help you with your pillars of social media. Don't be afraid to try new things and invest in you.
Thank you so much for joining us for the morning Christene!! We so appreciate your energy and willingness to help our students as they grow their own brands!
