Jennifer Navarrete, Media Mixologist, Brewing Media
Jennifer is a Podcast Producer, Virtual Event Producer, Content Strategist, Community Builder, and Blockchain Content Creator, at Brewing Media. Jennifer Navarrete is an award-winning social media professional with 16 years of experience in the podcasting and social media landscape. She believes in the "Learn, Share, Grow" model, which encourages collaboration and community growth.
Her career as an early adopter of podcasting, social media, user-generated conferences, and community building well prepared her to recognize the future impact Web 3.0 will have on the world.
So much so that in the summer of 2021, she launched the Crypto Content Creators show with co-host Shaine Mata to learn more about creating content on the blockchain and share what she has learned so that others can grow as the new frontier of the web develops.
For the 14th Annual National Podcast Post Month (#NaPodPoMo) in November 2021, which she founded in 2007, Jennifer launched a 30-part audio series, Social Media and the Blockchain, to introduce listeners to the world of content creation on the blockchain.
In January 2022, Jennifer created the #BlockchainCreators Community and 31-Day Challenge on Twitter Spaces. Each day she goes live to share what makes the blockchain both familiar and new and a great #Value4Value proposition for content creators and curators.
The goal of the Crypto Content Creators, Social Media and the Blockchain, and the Blockchain Creators is to demystify the blockchain as a content creation destination. The best way to learn more about the latest shiny object Jennifer is learning about is to connect with her on Twitter.
Jennifer Navarrete has been podcasting since 2005, believes everyone has a story to share and that podcasting is the perfect platform to share it!
Whether she's founding an annual podcasting movement like National Podcast Post Month (NaPodPoMo), leading local and online communities, or training agencies and individuals through her company Brewing Media.
Jennifer educates and empowers YOU to tell your story through the highly engaging communication audio mediums of podcasting and social audio.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
Twitter user since 2007. Twitter was the first social media platform that connected me globally with a diverse audience. My understanding of the world grew because of those far-reaching and varied connections.
With the advent of Twitter Spaces, Twitter Communities, Twitter Blue, and other new features, Twitter has become even more useful in connecting me with the world. Twitter has always been my go-to platform, and with the expansion of what they have to offer content creators, they continue to be my favourite and most used social network.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
All are listed in the title section. Currently, podcasting and social audio are the areas of my business where clients seek my audio expertise. I work with agencies, nonprofits, small businesses, and entrepreneurs to share their mission and message through audio. If I were to pick a core clientele, it would be women entrepreneurs. Even if those women happen to work at an agency or large organization.
They have an entrepreneurial mindset which fits well with my work style. I have recently begun sharing what I am learning about content creation on the blockchain. In July 2021, I launched the Crypto Content Creators show (video and audio) with my good friend and fellow podcaster, Shaine Mata. In November 2021, I took the 14th annual 30-day podcasting challenge (National Podcast Post Month aka #NaPodPoMo) to the blockchain and created a micro-podcast called Social Media and the Blockchain.
Then in January 2022, I kicked off a 31-day challenge on Twitter Spaces and launched a Twitter Community called Blockchain Creators. I call myself a blockchain content creation enthusiast because I believe that the power of ownership and earning can be found through content creation on the blockchain.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
It's never boring! There is always something new and exciting to learn about and share with others so that we can all grow together.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Three pieces of advice come to mind when it comes to the connections, content, and community. I share these three because each one feeds into the other, and not one stands alone.
In 2006, I was speaking with a fellow content creator about online content, and he had this to say, "Content should be informational, educational, and somewhat entertaining." This small phrase has driven how I think about and teach about content creation.
In 2007, I hosted my first user-generated conference/unconference/camp event (Podcamp San Antonio). I spoke with a mentor about the trickle of registrations coming in for this free event. He said that if a handful of people showed up and we had deep connections and meaningful conversations, then the event would be a success. Those words took the pressure off of me to feel like I needed to "get numbers" and allowed me to focus on having an impactful event. So, naturally, I took those words to heart.
Since then, I have been less interested in quantity and am always more interested in the quality of events, connections, etc. I would rather have 100 rabid fans than 10,000 followers with no engagement. Numbers, for number's sake, have no interest to me. However, conversations and connections with people who add value and for whom I can add value back are of great interest and where I focus my time.
In 2008, I became the local chapter leader of the Social Media Club in San Antonio. Their motto was, "Learn, Share, Grow", which resonated with me in such a big way. Up until that point, I hadn't considered that the way I was leading my life and building my business was actually a method.
Since I was a young girl, I would share what I learned so that those around me could expand their knowledge the same way I was. So, when I heard "Learn, Share, Grow", it just made sense. These days when I speak up on stage or teach a class or work with a client, you will hear all three of these words of advice given to me all those years ago shared in turn.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
My own interest in learning drives me. This is why Web 2 and Web 3 are so very fascinating to me. They are constantly evolving and changing, which gives me the opportunity to expand my knowledge and skillsets.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
My two sons give me many reasons to beam with pride in my personal life. As far as my professional life, I would have to say that I am proud of the 2005 version of Jennifer, who went all in to podcasting even though most folks thought she was speaking Klingon and that she didn't listen to the naysayers who did not think she could earn a living at what at the time was not even an industry. Today podcasting is a billion-dollar industry, and I do indeed make a living as a podcast producer, among other things.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
In the times we find ourselves in, I have to say Twitter Spaces and social audio, in general, have increased my global connections in a way that I haven't seen since the very early days of social media. Add in my growing network of Web 3 connections via the blockchain, and the world is closer and less distant than before. But, the reality is that we are all human beings living on Planet Earth, spinning around the sun, trying to live our very best lives.
The human connection transcends distance and differences. The world has shrunken down in the last couple of years in the very best way possible, which seems unlikely given what we as a global community have been through. And yet, we have connected. We have found meaning no matter distance. That, to me, is the true power of a connected global community.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
Curiosity and the willingness to experiment in public.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
It is okay if you don't have all the answers. The journey you are on and the paths you create from out of the wilderness will provide the answers and deliver even more questions for you to investigate.
We all have a mission and a message, and we should absolutely share it with the world. There are people who need to be a part of it. Others who need to hear it. The true impact your mission and message will have on the world will never be known by you completely. It doesn't have to be. If you impact one person and they impact another because of what was gleaned from what you said/did, then you have fulfilled your mission. But you never know who that one person is, so keep speaking your message. Keep sharing your mission.
When you encounter a challenge... When you see what looks like a roadblock... When distraction is coming at you from every direction...
Press Forward!
There is something amazing around the corner. But you can't see it. You can't even see there is a corner, let alone that something amazing is waiting for you if you allow yourself to turn back. To stop. To go in a different direction, you will never know what that amazing thing is. So, press forward. Go through. Go around. Go over. Go under. Do whatever it takes to get through the challenge.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
The willingness to see the common denominator and expand upon it as a collective group adding our own unique value to the mix to make it better. To see beyond our differences and see what aligns us. To stretch our individual knowledge and awareness through those collective conversations and relationships. Being open to the serendipitous AHA! Moments.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Although it's been a while, I do enjoy cycling, kayaking, and hiking. In 2015 I embarked on a cross-country bike tour from San Diego, CA, to Deming, NM. It was an amazing 18 days of cycling. My goal is to spend time cycling, hiking, and kayaking to my heart's content during my retirement years.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
Everyone I know that is in the communications, PR, marketing, social media, Livestream, and virtual event production space saw their business grow and expand. So, while many folks were, "Bored in the house and I'm in the house bored..." we were busier than we had ever been.
This was great for my business, but that much work and crisis communication and stress takes a toll. So, I pulled back in early 2021 away from several projects to recenter and refocus. It's a decision I am glad I made, even if, at the time, walking away from well-paying projects seemed counterintuitive. Our lives are more than work, and we should enjoy the life we are living.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
So many mentors throughout the years. I am grateful to each and every one of them. I have done my own share of mentoring. Being on the giving and receiving side of mentoring is such a valuable experience. My life is vastly improved after being been mentored and for having mentored.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Learn as much as you can, but do not wait until you know "all the things" before getting started. Be open to experimenting in public. Every single month I publicly announce the experiment I am testing. This allows me the freedom to try out new things without fear.
Some experiments are a wonderful win, and others are a fantastic failure. However, each one offers lessons learned. There is real freedom to open experimentation. The pressure to be perfect ceases to exist. You are on a journey of discovery. Will it blend? You (and your community) know only by going through the experiment.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
We all have a mission and a message. When we follow our mission and speak our message, we will be found by those attracted to our spice and flavour. I like to think of this as the sweet spot in life. Work is easy. Time flies. Projects are fun. This doesn't mean work is without challenge. Not at all.
For me, work and life have a natural flow that doesn't begin at 8 am on a Monday morning or end at 5 pm on Friday afternoon. Work and life are fluid and have their own ebbs and flows, which fit my work and lifestyle well.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
Two of my favourite corny sayings are ones that I often quote because while they may be corny, they are also true:
"Know is half the battle." - G.I. Joe. The reality is that knowledge is half of what we need to succeed. The other half is taking action. Knowledge for knowledge's sake is great, but we must take action to see that knowledge in action. This is why I like to experiment in public. It's me taking knowledge or at least an idea and putting it into action. Maybe it works. Maybe it doesn't. Maybe some of it worked. The only way to know is to do it.
"Never give up. Never surrender." - Galaxy Quest. This goes back to not getting sidetracked by challenges and roadblocks. Push through in whatever form that takes.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Right now, I think Twitter is getting things right with Spaces. They host a few weekly open Q&A sessions. They have been receptive to feedback on what is and isn't working. This building in public is attractive to me, given my own penchant for creating and developing in public.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
We look at KPI (Key Performance Indicator) when we talk about business. What equals success? We should also ask ourselves these same questions. What equals success to us as an individual. Success is something which an individual can only define. Sure, society would consider successes, such as having a prestigious career or being world-renowned, but success could also be freedom of choice.
To have flexibility in work. To dedicate more time to family, causes near and dear to us, etc... For me, this goes back to knowing my mission and message. To share it and speak it. Whether that be to a party of one or a global community. Having the freedom of choice in work. To find work in my sweet spot. To add value to those close to me as well as the people and projects I choose to invest my time, skills and talents into.