Jathan’s Next Chapter Begins in Texas

Jathan starts a brand new day… in Texas! His next chapter is sure to be the biggest one yet. (Photo © Nuevo Anden/Flickr)

I’m taking on a big new project: Texas! The Lone Star State will never be the same. Find out what’s taking me there.

May 2012

Dear Friends,

One of my greatest passions has always been writing. However, for many years I worked in finance and although I enjoyed the job, I never truly loved it. In 2004, I took my first steps toward realizing my dream job as editor and writer when I returned to school and obtained my degree in journalism from the University of Cincinnati.

When I finally graduated in 2010, the job market could not have been more atrocious, and for more than a year I applied to jobs the world over, determined to officially launch my career as a professional journalist. In the interim, I blogged, wrote, and did freelance work under my own company, Jadeworks Entertainment.

One day early in 2011, I visited one of my favorite job boards on the Internet, JournalismJobs.com, where I saw an advertisement for a digital managing editor for a company called Townsquare Media in Texarkana, the town where my parents live. I threw my hat in the ring, and before I knew it, I received a phone call from New York City and began the interview process by phone.

Everything I heard about the job excited me.  Townsquare Media is a fast growing company focused on transforming the radio industry while branching out into events, digital platforms and more. And despite the fact that it is a relatively new company, it continues to create a reputation for media excellence built on years of industry experience, with scads of folks who came to the company from Internet giant AOL.

Now, five months into the job, I wear many hats. As I frequently say, many of my classmates use one or two aspects of their college experience in their careers. But I use everything I learned at UC every day! On any given day, I may write, report, edit, shoot video, generate advertising copy, critique, mentor, schedule events, create contests, and so much more. Each new day is fresh and exciting and challenges me to be the biggest multi-tasking person I know!

Today, my wife is finally joining me in T-Town as well, which is truly exciting. Together, Heather and I, along with our little Yorkshire terrier named Hugo, will take the town by storm and we look forward to all the adventures we will have as my Yankee bride and I take on the big state of Texas. But as a couple, we’ve always been a little larger than life anyway, so I think we’ll do just fine in the Lone Star State.

Cheers!

Jathan