In Conversation with Shelby Dubin

Tell us about your background:

My passion lies in brand management; specifically social media and digital marketing in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle industries. My experience is supplemented with influencer marketing and community management and strong social media literacy.

I am originally from Ridgefield, Connecticut and I attended Penn State University from 2016-2020 with a major in Telecommunications and a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. During my time at Penn State, I was lucky enough to gain experience through internships and freelance social media management and opportunities in various fields. I interned as an editor for So She Slays — a lifestyle platform for women’s voices — composing articles with a concentration in pop culture, fashion and lifestyle, moderating social media engagement and creating and updating their monthly newsletter. I acted as Brand Marketing Manager for a skincare app, managing collaborations and features with micro influencers, facilitating outreach to brand partners, and creating original branded social media content.

Following my virtual graduation from Penn State mid-pandemic 2020, I made the move to Chicago, IL. My first role in Chicago was Brand Marketing Manager for Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation’s Chicagoland branch. Here, I designed, created and scheduled original social media content and facilitated
engagement, grew all accounts from zero across platforms, and provided personal marketing consulting to loan officers in order for them to grow their personal brands.

I currently work at Hickory Farms LLC as Social Media Specialist, developing and managing social content across all social channels of our two brands, Hickory Farms and Wicked Good Cupcakes. In this role I have the opportunity to engage with audiences and build relationships with like-minded brands and influencers; ideate, film and edit unique organic social content including video and photography; analyze post metrics to measure performance and draw insights to inform social strategy; and interact directly with our consumers through community management.

I absolutely love working in social media marketing and brand management. I feel that with social media, we’re given a unique and exclusive look into our favorite brands, as well as the opportunity to be a part of a community. I truly value the community I am either curating and maintaining as a social media professional, or that I am a part of as a consumer. A loyal and engaged following is one of the most important assets a brand can hold. Having a dedicated group of people who feel connected enough to the brand to keep coming back and supporting the company and product is one of the most rewarding parts of my work.

I am so excited to be a part of the Co-Lab and look forward to meeting new people and making lasting connections.

What do you wish you’d known when you started out?

I wish I had known how important it was to advocate for myself.

Best career advice you've ever received?

The best career advice I constantly keep in mind actually developed from the *worst* career advice I’ve ever received, which was to stop asking questions. Looking back on that sentiment, I realized how absurd it sounded and how ineffective it would have made my work. If I need to ask questions to perform and to be successful in my current role and in my career as a whole, there’s nothing wrong with that. Since then, I’ve always expressed to others that I always want them to ask questions, and that I’ll be asking them too.

What leadership qualities are important to you?

Confidence, kindness, dedication, and transparency.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?

The biggest challenge in my career so far has been centering my job while dealing with mental health challenges. I take pride in being an open book when it comes to discussing my struggles with anxiety and depression, and though I have come so far, there are still times when those things take over in an unexpected capacity.

And for fun, what is your favorite wardrobe staple?

An oversized blazer. Makes any outfit look effortlessly stylish.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelby-dubin/

Website: Visit

Instagram: @shelbydubin