From Xanga to Social Director: A Journey

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Call me, Mabie? Ha, just kidding. I'm Diana Mabie. You might be wondering... who are you, and why does your name remind me of that Carly Rae Jepsen song? Let me tell you a bit about myself and my social media career journey.

By day, I’m a creative strategist and social media aficionado; by night, a lifestyle enthusiast with a knack for DIY, travel, nature, and culinary adventures. I’m always trying new things and have a passion for learning. But really, I'm not joking. Recently, I completed five levels of adult figure skating, earned another degree in Psychology this May, and just started ballet lessons and sewing.

The DL: I’m an ENFJ, a serial organizer, planner, and optimist. I do what my future self will thank me for, always. I'm someone who would have an aneurysm if I missed a deadline or was late, thinks my input is correlated to direct output, and believes time is money.

My Roots:

I’ve been in social media since its early days, back when brands were just beginning to see its potential. I still remember my first interview question being about Twitter's character count and being unable to edit a Tweet.

My journey started just over a decade ago, and it feels like it was meant to be. Even at a young age, I was pushing the boundaries of social media by having an Xanga and Myspace (much to my parents’ dismay), where I learned HTML while sharing my life with the world (my parents' literal nightmare). I’ve always loved capturing moments through photos and videos, which I believe naturally led me to this career path.

I began my educational journey studying Visual Merchandising at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Initially, I attended Baylor University for Fashion Merchandising, but the allure of California and its opportunities was irresistible. A dream. So, I packed my bags and got off a plane at LAX after finishing finals.

Posts to Progress: My SOCIAL Journey

Social media marketing wasn’t always my dream job—mostly because it didn’t really exist.

Back in 2013, I was interning at a marketing agency in Los Angeles, focusing on product placement in movies that starred celebrities such as Zac Efron. My calling, or well, I thought it was until I worked at their sister agency. There, I finished up my internship working on social media campaigns and giveaways for brands like Twinkies, where I discovered my passion for my now career.

After graduating at 20 (thanks to the quarter system), I landed my first job out of college, managing social media channels for over 50 small businesses. This experience solidified my love for the industry and set the foundation for what I do today. I then began working at social and digital agencies for the first half of my career before going in-house.

Social Control:

I worked at a boutique social agency called Social Control in Los Angeles, where I was the Lead Social Media Manager for clients such as Western Union, MedPost Urgent Care, Dole Packaged Foods, Skechers, and more. While my main role was to manage social channels soup to nuts, I started a weekly YouTube series called “Last Week in Social Media,” with many videos garnering over 40K views. I even taught myself paid media to create additional revenue for the agency and introduced color theory within social posts for clients.

I was often the model in social content and the creator of all the punny jokes for the brands I worked on. This is where I honed my presentation skills and learned that I have appreciation for brands with a sense of humor.

Skechers Performance Social Photoshoot, 2015

RED Interactive:

Shortly after, I got an opportunity to work at RED Interactive Agency in Santa Monica, a digital agency, as their Lead Social Media Manager.

This dream job prompted my move to back to the city from the valley. I was originally hired to work on AMC Networks' new website, Asterisk, which focused on making history fun again. Ya know, explaining the history of Beer Pong and documenting the historical moment of finding someone who hasn't seen Star Wars. You may remember that I have a soft spot for brands that bring humor to their messaging. Like I said: dream job.

My role then shifted to pitching social clients, conducting live social coverage for red carpet movie and tv show premieres, and managing social channels and campaigns for clients such as Netflix, Hulu, LEGO, Crayola, Ubisoft, and WGN America. I loved this job, but I got on the plane in LAX and landed myself at SFO!

Social Content Capture and Live Coverage at E3, 2016

24/7 Laundry Service:

Here's where I jumped out of entertainment and into the tech industry. I knew I needed a niche, so I decided to focus on my analytical capabilities. I accepted a job as a Senior Social Media Analyst at 24/7 Laundry Service, a social agency owned by Wasserman.

I was embedded team member that worked onsite at Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco, where my work focused on Tweeting for @Twitter and their niche handles (e.g., @TwitterMovies, @TwitterBooks, @TwitterGames, etc.). In my free time, I also worked on analyzing social media for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Apple, and Hennessy.

My data splicing skills improved and laid the foundation for what I’m known for today: a strategist equally analytical and creative, achieving ROI and KPIs.

LS @Twitter Team at Corona Heights Hills, 2017

Rodan + Fields:

With a strong desire to work in-house for a female-owned company in the beauty space, I joined Rodan + Fields as their Senior Manager, Social and Campaigns in 2018. I spent the first six months establishing reporting and KPIs for the social department and executing more product launches and campaigns than ever before. This was also the moment that I knew I had to start a skincare routine and stop only using water.

As the years passed, my scope, team, and closet of skin and hair products grew. I’m now the Director of Social Media Marketing, approaching six years (!!) at the company with many of the original team members hired. My role has evolved from only traditional organic social media marketing... to adding influencer marketing and now paid social media!

Why Share this?

I truly believe social media marketers are the next generation of CMOs.

Social professionals are expansive and individuals must be adaptable to survive in the landscape. Our skill sets are like a Swiss Army knife—strategists, creators, copywriters, content creators, analysts, trainers, project managers, community managers... you name it!

So, why share this? Well, I’ve picked up a new hobby—writing blog articles! But more than that, I hope to inspire anyone eyeing a career in social media. It’s a vibrant field full of creativity, growth, and endless possibilities.

XoXo,

Diana