I became an Odyssey Creator in November of 2015. I remember the excitement of turning in my application and thinking, "Wow. This would be SO cool". I remember being even more excited when I got the e-mail stating that I had been accepted.
I would have never thought that, not even a year later, that I would now be Editor in Chief and have some of the opportunities I have had with Odyssey.
I have had a lot of people ask me how much I get paid and when I tell them, they always have something snotty to say. So here's my answer to their response.
For me, Odyssey has never been about the money. Even now as Editor in Chief, it is still not about the money. It is about the excitement I get when the Creators on my team write awe-inspiring articles. It is the goosebumps I get when I see how many other people have been able to read the same article all across the country. I absolutely love Odyssey and I love it for many different reasons.
Being a Creator gives us each an amazing platform. We have the stage to speak on situations that have been pushed under the rug as well as cases that have been broadcasted across the world. We are the ones that will change the world; bringing in new ideas and sharing opinions constantly.
I would do this job if I got paid $0.01. You want to know why? Because I love it. I love being able to inspire others even if I don't know it. I love learning more about the world and how to interact with people through the internet.
I also do not care about how much time I spend doing my job. All of the time I put into this continues to be shown the following week with my time and what we produce.
I have found something I love to do and I will continue to do so no matter what. I will continue to get excited over the articles that inspire me as well as staying on top of things to make sure my team succeeds.
I encourage each of you to do what makes you happy no matter how often people tell you to quit. If you love it and you have a goal, then keep doing it.
Even when things get really crazy as Editor in Chief, there is nothing I would rather be doing.
You do you, boo boo.
