Howdy! Okay, maybe "howdy" sounds a little unexpected from a Washington State native, but when you grow up in a small town like I did, it just fits!
But that small town girl didn’t stay there for too long… just 22 years. Now, at the ripe old age of 29, she’s living her dream in sunny San Diego!
It's me, I’m her. My name is CeCe!
For five years, I searched for the perfect mix of entrepreneurship and freedom. Sounds like an impossible combo, right? But anything beats sitting in a cubicle from 9 to 5, trapped in a routine that didn’t align with my adventurous spirit.
Back in college, everything felt so structured, and I struggled more than most. It didn’t help that I was working three jobs while taking a full course load for four years straight. I even got called into the admissions office for working too many hours as a student! That’s when I realized—I’m a hustler. I was willing to put in the work, but I wasn’t on the right path.
Then came the big move to California in 2019! I bounced down the coast until I landed in Ocean Beach, San Diego, where I truly started to thrive. Funny enough, COVID played a role in that. When I got furloughed from my marketing job, I had a moment of clarity:
“Why not me?”
So, I took the leap—I started a marketing agency and dove into content creation. That’s when it all clicked. Every struggle I had faced turned out to be a lesson, and I realized I wasn’t failing—I was just in the wrong environment. Something about judging a fish by its ability to climb a tree… right?
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
For three years, I built a portfolio in content creation, website design, social media management, and branding. When I tapped into UGC ads, ecommerce beauty brands were the big ‘thing’, and damn was I working hard to fit the "girly-pop" mold. But no matter how much effort I put in, I kept hitting walls.
Then came the turning point—two and a half years in. I was dropped by one of the biggest UGC agencies. Ouch. Cue the feelings of failure.
But once again, I had to remind myself: I wasn’t dropped because I wasn’t good. I was just on the wrong path.
Instead of giving up, I pivoted. I took the skills I had developed and shifted my focus to something that felt natural—adventure and travel content.
And just like that, a week later, I landed an opportunity with PopFly. They have the adventure and travel content creation platform filled with incredible brands, an amazing team, and products I was actually excited about. Creating content finally felt effortless and fun… and my content was performing way better.
Fast forward to today, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this journey. The ups, the downs, the pivots—it all led me here. Now, I get to work with brands that share my passion for adventure, exploration, and storytelling.
I can confidently say that I have never felt more aligned and look forward to what the future has in store for me… and YOU!
The adventure is just getting started—are you coming along?
