Since graduating from Millersville University with a degree in Speech Communication with a focus in Public Relations, Her Campus Millersville alumna Cayla Pavlovec has been taking the world by storm. A notorious #girlboss, Pavlovec has just started her latest journey down the road to building her empire: working for the World Dog Expo. Keep reading to learn more about our favorite former Social Media Director!
What is your role in the World Dog Expo?
I am support for our project manager, Alyx, who has really championed the entire project alongside our company president and the event’s co-owner. I manage all the social media channels for the Expo (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) and I also have been working on our blogger relations and looking to build relationships with pet influencers that will want to feature and/or attend the event. My job changes as the event grows more and more. We are working with a few other publicists (as my background is in PR, this is pretty AWESOME) so we can get better coverage in the massive media market that is New York City and its surrounding areas. The Expo itself is the first internationally focused dog expo and will feature three interactive floors of sports, entertainment, shopping, and more for humans and their dogs to explore together. It officially takes over the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey from June 9-11, 2017. We already booked the Olate Dogs, the season seven winning dog act from America’s Got Talent and Shorty Rossi (AKA the Pit Boss) from Animal Planet. There will be so much to offer that it’s going to truly be something, especially if you love dogs, that you won’t want to miss.
Do you work remotely or in an office?
I work in an office based in Mechanicsburg, PA, which is a few miles outside of Harrisburg. It’s about a 55 minute commute every day but I absolute love the drive right now, as my Spotify library grows and keeps the car karaoke strong. I have my own desk right outside Alyx’s office and right next to our video production guy, Jeremiah. The best part is I get to travel to all of our shows (Barkleigh Productions produces about eight trade shows all over the country and attends several more) and actually spent my first week with the company at their show in California. It was an absolute blast. I will be heading to New Jersey in about two weeks and then Tacoma, Washington around mid-April.
What are some of your favorite tactics to keep yourself focused and in the zone?
I LOVE music and often have playlists for everything. I love writing to movie soundtracks (right now, live-action Beauty and the Beast and Captain America: Civil War are my go-to) and designing to a little Beyoncé. I also find that exercising right after a day in the office keeps me in a great state of mind. I now run about 3 miles every other day and have a regular weight training regime. I signed up for a Spartan Race in May because a little extra motivation never hurt anyone!
Do you think your experience in Her Campus Millersville helps you in your current position?
110% yes. I actually got my job because of the social media prowess I learned while managing the accounts for HCM. Social media is such a unique thing and I was constantly learning with HCM as I am now. I am running a lot more complex strategies and paid advertisements now where I have to pay attention to what graphic or even what wording works the best. With the way platforms change, it’s my job to stay on top of it and constantly update, update, update. There isn’t a moment that I’m not checking in on an influencer or organizing content. I also have to keep track of how each channel performs, so I’m constantly building spreadsheets and helping our sales director and president offer advertisers, sponsors, and vendors the best way of dipping into our social media audiences (that are now over 80,000 strong over our 5 company channels combined!).
What advice do you have for your fellow #girlbosses?
Don’t be afraid to take a chance. I learned social media on the job at HCM and it lead to an incredible job in the field and with a company that is looking to grow. I took chances all through college in order to better my portfolio and resume, including pitching a unsigned musician to our local paper and applying for a sports internship as a sophomore (when they wanted juniors and seniors). The best advice I ever got was to “know your passion” and it may change over the years but always know what that is, because it will always make you love what you are doing, whether that be at work or at play. I found my passion in PR and social media, which makes it so much fun for me. But I’m also a passionate dog lover which makes it that much more amazing to be where I am. I like to say that I landed a dream job (for me anyway!) out of college…and how many recent graduates can say that? Moral of the story: be persistent and patient. Believe in yourself and know your passion. Your dreams and success will follow.
If you’re interested in learning more about the World Dog Expo, click here. Also, don’t forget to follow the Expo on Twitter and Instagram — their handle is @worlddogexpo across platforms.
Follow Cayla on social media:
Twitter: @PavPR20 Instagram: @smurfgirl20
*All photos courtesy of Cayla Pavlovec