Name: Thursday Bram
Age: 26
Job Title and Description: Consultant—I’m an entrepreneur who operates a company that provides content creation and consulting services (a lot of the time, we write blogs and e-books). We also build our own content projects.
College/Major: University of Tulsa, Communications
Website: thursdaybram.com
Twitter Handle: twitter.com/thursdayb
Her Campus: What does your current job entail?
Thursday Bram: I don’t really have a typical day. So far today, I’ve written four thousand words, prepped worksheets for a site I’m about to launch, did a couple of phone calls with my team members on graphic design and email newsletter set ups, put together a proposal for a new client, sent a ton of emails and read the news. I’m pretty sure that I ate lunch somewhere in there, but it was definitely while working.
HC: What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
TB: I started freelance writing in high school, went on to be managing editor of the student paper in college and interned at the local daily. All of that added up to a skill set that I could use to launch my own business right after graduation.
HC: What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?
TB: I wish I’d known how valuable the contacts that I made during college would be — and that I’d known well enough to stay in better touch for many of them.
HC: Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?
TB: I owe so much to both of my grandmothers, in terms of my professional life. One of my grandmothers was a librarian at schools like Duke University and Iowa State University. She made it clear to me early on that if I was willing to learn, I could figure out just about anything I wanted to. As much as she valued education, she taught me how much I could figure out with just a library card. My other grandmother helped my grandfather launch numerous business ventures over the years. She made it clear that whether or not she was a woman had nothing to do with whether she could run a business.
HC: What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
TB: “Specialization is for insects.” Robert A. Heinlein — Heinlein was writing about building a pioneering spirit in one of his science fiction novels, but I’ve found that his quote applies phenomenally well to business. A person who can do only one thing well will not get far, either as an employee or as an entrepreneur. No matter what your job title is, you should be able to write a great memo, make good coffee, spot an error on an accounting report and keep track on what is going on in every part of the organization.
HC: What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
TB: I consistently take on too much. So far, I haven’t learned quite how to say no to a cool project or a well-paying opportunity, but every time I get overloaded, I get a little better. Some day, I hope to have a clear picture of exactly how much I can take on and a way to keep myself to it.
HC: What is the best part of your job?
TB: The best part of my career is my freedom. This week, I’m working from the kitchen island of a friend’s house. Next weekend, I’m moving my “office” to my in-laws so my husband and I can spend some time with the family. I’ve built my business to let me take it with anywhere I want to go.
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HC: How important is it that college students engage in philanthropic work?
TB: Philanthropic work is all well and good — but it should be the right philanthropic work. Choosing something just to pad your resume is a poor choice. You can always find opportunities to work on something you’re passionate, if you’re willing to take the time. The projects you care about are the ones that can evolve into something amazing.
HC: What do you look for when hiring someone?
TB: The first thing I look at is communication skills. I don’t hire anyone who can’t get an idea across clearly and quickly — both while talking and while writing. I fully admit to being a snob: if an applicant has a lot of typos in her written work, I toss the application. From there, it’s a matter of ambition. For most types of work within my company, I don’t hire anyone who obviously wants to be in the same job I’m hiring for two years from now. By choosing people who want to keep moving forward, I’m guaranteed that they’ll bring me new ideas, take on new responsibilities and help me keep my business moving forward.
HC: What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
TB: Start now. Even if you’re just doing a little work on creating a business on the side, you’ll still be ahead of the game when you’re ready to work on your business full time. Waiting just means you’ll have more work to do later on.
Co-Founded by Natalie MacNeil and Scott Gerber, Y.E.C. Women is an initiative of the Young Entrepreneur Council (Y.E.C.), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The Y.E.C promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to youth unemployment and underemployment and provides its members with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of a business’s development and growth.