The Gig Economy – An Interview with Jody Vance
This week’s interview with Vance was very inspirational, it seemed like it went by so quickly while I was watching it because Vance is such a well-spoken person. I guess that’s one of the added benefits of being a veteran storyteller. Vance talks about how it’s important to remain authentic to oneself when engaging with a public audience. This is a crucial point because often times, employers are looking for individual traits that will separate you from others, it sounds cliché, however, it’s crucial that you stay true to who you are. Vance tells the story about how Scott Moore, who essentially kickstarted her career, told her to be herself and that he will back her up. This demonstrates why it is crucial to have a supportive network because our network can help us weather the negative replies and critiques.
This interview reminded me about one of the first topic we discussed in this course, which is speculating about how we can grow our personal learning network (PLN). Vance reminds us that often times, we can meet people who will eventually become an integral part of our network by introducing us to new opportunities. I think about how I got my job at Starbucks, I had an interview with a manager at a store that was a huge pain to take transit to, so the manager told me he wanted to hire me, however, the busses would be too inconvenient for me. He then reached out to a store that was located downtown Victoria because it was a simple one route bus for me to take, as opposed to the two busses that would’ve taken an hour to get to work. Through his connections I was hired as a full-time barista at a much more convenient location. I believe this speaks to Vance’s point about how a face-to-face interaction can often be the dealmaker. When she mentioned in the interview that if she was in a classroom with us looking into each of our eyes as she spoke, there would be an undeniable connection. I could feel exactly what she was talking about when she spoke to this point, I think with COVID-19 plaguing us for over a year now, I can sometimes forget what it’s like to have those face-to-face connections with people. I think that’s one of the benefits and downsides to social media, we can benefit from the connections made online, however, lacking face-to-face interactions can take a toll on our social sanity.
Something that truly inspired me about Vance, apart from her being the first woman in history to host her own sports show in primetime, is her story of how she climbed herself to the top. She took a dream that she had since childhood and made it into a reality with hard work and perseverance. I believe it’s important to note that she mentioned she had a feminist mother who essentially told her that the sky is the limit. I’m sure having support from a young age allowed her to find other positive role models, who have helped her get to where she is today. Vance talks about her experiences in the gig economy, that is working in an industry that involves a lot of short-term contracts and freelance work (Clark & Aufderheide, 2013). There is risks and benefits of being involved in this type of work because it can provide you with the opportunity to set your own agenda, however, there is uncertainty involved. Vance is an example of how it’s possible to exist in this economy, but it highlights the importance of building a strong, reliable network.
References
Clark, J., & Aufderheide, P. (2013). A New Vision for Public Media – Open, Dynamic, and Participatory. In J. Pooley, L. Taub-Pervizpour, & S. C. Jansen (Authors), Media and social justice (pp. 55-67). New York: Palgrave.
Vance, J. (February 28, 2021). EDCI 338 – JODY VANCE. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/dgZOJgJkdyI
Conrad, I couldn’t agree with you more about how important it for young women growing up to have a parent or parents that support you. We heard Jody say she had a feminist mother who essentially told her that the sky is the limit but her father must have been just as supportive. Having a female role model who works in an industry that you want to be in, is key for future generations of young women. In Jody’s case, without women who are willing to break barriers like her, we wouldn’t have the opportunities that we have today.
Hey Calli, I’m happy you brought up this point from my post, our relationships and positive role models can have such a huge impact on us, especially as we are in our youth. This is one of the many reasons having a reliable and supportive PLN is so crucial. In a way, we get to choose who we decide to interact with, however, this can also be a downside of being a public figure. You start to have less choice of who you surround yourself with and you are set up to receive more negativity, but alas, having support from family and friends can make all the difference.
Thank you for taking the time to respond!
Hi Conrad,
I always appreciate your elegant and personal posts. You say, “it sounds cliché, however, it’s crucial that you stay true to who you are.” I absolutely believe this, but isn’t it so hard? In a world that is always trying to change you be be something else, it can be a struggle. Employers can mandate how you use certain tools and what tools are allowed to be used, which in a way, does not truly allow you to be yourself in the professional realm. If you read my post, you will see how I run into this in my profession. I agree with not being able to post certain images and to continue a professional and kind conversation. However, when someone can ask you not to engage in a controversial conversation at all, it becomes muddy and may contradict what you may want to do.
I agree with you on how Vance is an incredible role model for women and humans in general. She broke glass ceilings and is not afraid to be who she is. She owns who she is and does not apologize for it. I think a lot of us yearn to get there.
Hi Jayne, I’ll go take a look at your post now!
It’s absolutely hard to stay true to ourselves, I think we spend a great deal, if not our whole lives, trying to hone this. I like that you mentioned that quote you shared to our group, it’s definitely a hard truth that it’s hard to remain true to ourselves within a world which is trying to change us. There is definitely some grey area within the boundaries of what we can engage with in a professional realm. It makes me reflect on how Vance was saying that she will sort of pick her battles when it comes to her contracts because she has worked her way to the top so to speak, in that she doesn’t have to worry too much about ending one contracts being broken because she got involved in a controversy in the media. This definitely ties in to what she was saying about how she is her own brand!
Thank you, Jayne 🙂
Hi Conrad,
I really enjoyed reading your post from this week! I found the interview with Jody Vance to be engaging and inspiring as well. I wonder if part of what makes Jody such a good storyteller (and relatable) is her ability to ‘stay true to herself’? I should also note that I really got a sense of this same type of nuance as I read through your blog. Your writing feels personal, as @jstruch also mentioned!
I actually work at a Starbucks as well and I feel like at our location, we have built up a network of regulars that we often chat with and I think it definitely tends to help our sales along. I really enjoy connecting with customers at work and I think it’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed at my job for such a long time! I find it really interesting to learn about other people’s lives.
I may have missed this piece of information from an earlier post of yours, but I wondered after reading your blog post for this week what you hope to achieve after graduation and how your PLN would come into play in helping you reach that goal?
Hey there Rachelle,
I’m happy to hear of a fellow Starbucks Partner! I totally get what you mean about having regulars, it’s interesting to think about how much impact they can have on our lives, just simply by having a quick interaction for their daily coffee!
I’m honestly very happy to hear that my writing feels personal, especially during COVID times.
I’m not positive on what I want to do after graduation, as I recently made the switch into the recreation and health program. Although, I honestly just want to expand my PLN, as well as diversify it. I enjoy meeting new people in order to gain deeper insights and new outlooks on a variety of topics. People genuinely inspire me on a regular basis, whether it’s regarding my health (physical and mental), my activity levels, how much water I’m drinking, the way in which I speak, and so so much more! As Vance mentioned in the interview, you really never know what kind of opportunity will arise from someone in your PLN, or a complete stranger!
Thank you for the kind response and for asking questions 🙂
Cheers!
Hi Conrad,
An amazing post!! You went in great depth and I enjoyed reading it! I loved that you mentioned Vance having a strong female role model (mother). and I couldn’t agree more. I have 3 sisters and no brothers and this really related to me. My parents have raised us to believe we can do anything we want and should never have to rely on anyone. The point of that to be a strong independent woman. Because of my parents, all my sisters and I are pursuing our dreams and making them into reality we see no boundaries just obstacles that we need to get through. and having social media where strong successful women can share their platform and stories really encourages and supports other women to do so aswell
Hello Conrad! I appreciate that you injected your personal experience to further discuss Vance’s point on how face to face interactions can be a deal maker. In addition to our managers in our part-time or first full-time job, I believe that our teachers can also help us out in expanding our network. Our teachers can refer us to companies they have connections with. Also, with the COVID-19 pandemic, our face to face meetings with others can be very limited. For this reason, it would be advisable for us to start expanding out network through people we personally know or through our Personal Learning Network.