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11.19.21 - Makeway Culture

Meet the Maker: Raquel

Raquel Kelley Headshot

Role: Communications Director

Hometown: Sandusky, Ohio

Family: Married with 2 girls

Favorite Team: Cleveland Browns

Favorite Food: I love chips and queso. I could bathe in queso. 

 

At Makeway, we’re lucky to have our very own Hollywood star and her name is Raquel Kelley.

That’s right, before returning to her home state of Ohio, Raquel spent 11 years in Los Angeles working at the intersection of fashion, entertainment, and TV! Her very first job out of college was to help produce E!’s Live From the Red Carpet for the Emmy Awards.

In this Meet the Maker spotlight, Raquel talks about her background, side hustles, and role at Makeway.

We think you’ll agree, she’s one of a kind!

 

What do you do at Makeway?

I am the Communications Director. I help on the project management side, keeping things timely and organized. I also handle the social media, newsletters, and webinars.

 

So you grew up in Ohio and journeyed out to L.A. before returning?

I had a long tenure in L.A. I love sports, so in my Senior year of high school, I shadowed Suzy Kolber at SportsCenter on ESPN. That was awesome. And that began my love for TV. The summer after my Junior year, I interned in L.A. at E! Entertainment on The Daily 10. So I knew my whole Senior year of college I’d be working at E! I moved out to L.A. in August right after I graduated and my first job was the Emmys. I was a production assistant on the red carpet. I did a show called Sports Soup, where Matt Iseman of American Ninja Warrior was the host. I became a producer on Fashion Police, hosted by Joan Rivers (she was the freaking best and such an icon!) That was probably my favorite tenure and I was on it for about six years. It was just very, very high intensity, but a total blast. You needed to bring your A-game all the time. My tenure at E! helped me form a really, really strong work ethic and I had to learn how to adapt to the different leadership styles on every show. You just had to be able to get the job done and be someone that people liked to be around.  It feels good to be home. Leaving and coming back made me fully appreciate Ohio!

 

What do you like best about working at Makeway? 

It’s definitely the people. I work part-time and I then write two days a week, so being able to have that flexibility to do what I love on top of working with Makeway is just so important. It makes a difference when you work among people who you like and it helps with the stress factor. The complete opposite of cutthroat is what Makeway is.

 

What do you think the future of the communications field looks like? 

The landscape has changed. I think while we are still remote, we can’t forget that we need to see people. And it’s going to take more effort to do that. As a business, I always harp on the fact that we can’t expect people to come to us; we have to go to them. So I think we need to take more of a networking approach, whether it’s going to conferences or events or design workshops. You really have to go overtly in a networking direction because the idea of the office isn’t there anymore. So we have to work harder to connect with people and we have to go out of our way to do that because, in my mind, that’s still the most important mode of communication and that’s the best way to get business. Just by being yourself and making connections and forming relationships. 

 

What do you do outside of Makeway?

On top of Makeway, I am the co-host of MOMGUL a 15-minute podcast. Our goal is to make moms into moguls—emotionally, physically, and financially—in only 15 minutes a week. It’s broken up into five-minute segments on finance, five on physical health and five on emotional and mental health. It’s all us moms have time to listen to!

 

And you’re publishing a book as well?

It’s a lift-the-flap board book. But it’s not for babies, it’s for moms. It’s about the ride of motherhood: the moments we barely remember, but we’ll never forget. It’s called “Where’d I Go?” It’s about the identity crisis that I went through after having kids. I worked in TV, I had this great job, and then I had children and my life flipped upside down. So sleeping at the office was no longer an option when you’re keeping a child alive with your body. I had to reevaluate my whole entire life. I know that a lot of moms do the same thing because your priorities completely change after kids. You’re so prepared for the child, but you’re not prepared for what happens to you. And so “Where’d I Go?” is about that. A portion of the book is going to be either donated to Mental Health America or the National Alliance of Mental Illness, so moms who feel like they might be in that same place can get resources and we can create awareness and also donate to a really great organization at the same time. It will be out next year! It is definitely going to be like giving birth; it has been a labor of love!

We’re thrilled to have Raquel back in Ohio and working with Makeway! When it comes to project management and communications there is no one better.

If you’re interested in chatting about communications, Makeway, or motherhood, drop Raquel a line!

And if you’re interested in joining our team, reach out to learn about careers at Makeway.