Where Are They Now? w/ Madisen Theobald

Where Are They Now? w/ Madisen Theobald

By: Rachel Long

As the first year of Square Magazine comes to an end, I wanted to use this time to reflect on my role as Managing Editor and also dream about what the future of this magazine holds for students to come. With that in mind, I created this series to highlight alumni who are paving the way in the world of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. Personally, I know how daunting it is to dream about a career in New York or Paris realistically. It can be difficult to think that large when you have either lived in a Southern rural community your whole life or haven't been exposed to those career paths during your time in college. I want this series to encourage current students by presenting alumni who are living those dreams and the practical steps to how they achieved them.

I had the honor and privilege of interviewing Madisen Theobald as the first guest in this series. Madisen is the Senior Social Media Editor at Allergan, a specialty pharmaceutical and medical cosmetology company. She works specifically, but not exclusively, with Spotlyte, the company's curated digital hub for beauty products, skincare trends, and image enhancement brands and treatments. A 2016 Ole Miss graduate originally from Normal, Illinois, Madisen trekked down south in hopes of playing soccer or cheering for Ole Miss. After having both of those opportunities go to the wayside, Madisen became really invested in the School of Journalism and New Media. Pursuing a BA in Journalism with a specialization in Magazine Publishing and Management, Madisen worked alongside Professor Samir Husni in the Magazine Innovation Center and integrated herself in multiple, career-focused extracurriculars. "I'm so glad I ended up doing that and getting involved in the Journalism school, and the Magazine Innovation Center, and all my extracurriculars, because I feel like it made me the employee that I am today," Madisen remarks. She also had a minor in Graphic Design and used those skills as a design editor for The Daily Mississippian and as the Creative Director of the Ole Miss yearbook.

While extracurriculars on campus played a considerable role during Madisen's college tenure, her work with Frock, a retail store on the Square, and the magazine, At Home Memphis and Mid South, taught her a lot about the real world and how to apply her knowledge in a professional setting. Madisen redesigned all of Frock's logos, labels, and digital design while enhancing their media presence. During her time with At Home Memphis and Mid South, Madisen was an art director and drove to Memphis every Friday to design layouts and spreads. Madisen affirms, "I do feel like a lot of those projects and things I did while I was at (the journalism) school, and just in general - kind of going off and seeking my own opportunities has helped me a lot."

During her senior year, Madisen decided she wanted to move to New York and pursue a career in the magazine industry. With limited finances, she worked five different industry-based jobs to save enough money to make her dream a reality. On top of those jobs, she started a freelance resume and cover letter design business while still pursuing her extracurriculars and completing her schoolwork. Madisen recalls, "I just had my heart set on coming to New York. I think I saved $8,000, and I told my mom two months before I was graduating. I was like, 'Hey, I want to do this.' She's like, 'Oh, you're serious?' So I was like, I've saved up $8,000. I'm going. I'm interviewing."

While many of her friends were in Cabo for spring break and going out on the Square during the weekends, she was busy applying for jobs and landing interviews with Condé Nast, Hearst, Bustle, and multiple PR agencies. With her focus being in fashion and beauty, she devoted her time to curating her resume, skills, and portfolio so that when she found the perfect job on LinkedIn or online, she would be prepared. Her portfolio was actually a magazine that she designed, highlighting all of her work during college. That hard work paid off when she was asked to come to New York the spring semester her senior year for informational interviews with Condé Nast, Bustle, and Hearst. Madisen expresses, "For me, I didn't have any connections or anything. I honestly was trying to make a place in the world and make my own connections. So I was on Twitter, and I was going to find HR recruiters that worked at Condé Nast. Then found (out) when they were posting jobs. I applied to jobs that spring before I graduated, and obviously getting personal emails of recruiters. It's doing a lot of investigating and emailing them. And then I just kept those contacts from when I was doing informational interviews and all that following up until something (came around.) Not annoying but persistent. I ended up taking a job at Condé Nast a week before I graduated, and I signed a lease the day I got a job here in New York. So pretty crazy. Yeah, it was a dream story, very much a dream."

From landing a job as a digital coordinator at Condé Nast, Madisen has continued to work hard and pursue other professional goals. She mentioned, "I did that (worked at Condé Nast) for about a year or so, and then I got the opportunity to interview at Allure, and I was an associate social media manager there. I did that for about a year or so. And I was promoted to a (higher up) manager position at Allure, so I ran social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, all the good stuff for Allure Magazine social." At Allure, Madisen was able to hone in on her social media and creative skills and emulate them from a higher level. Madisen remembers fondly, ”… After I was promoted (at Allure) last year, actually around this time, January, February, I was approached in April by Allergan. And I was like, okay, I'll just take the interview. It is more about medical aesthetics. And I was finding myself getting really, really into skincare and dermatology. When I would go to a doctor's office and interview doctors for Allure, I'd find myself sitting there asking them all these questions. I was so ecstatic, and I actually ended up taking the job. I was at Coachella with Allure on a press trip, and I came back, and I told them my last day's going to be in two weeks. And they were just shocked because obviously, I loved it. I loved Allure. I loved my job there, there was nothing wrong with it. It was just this opportunity was something I couldn't pass up.”

At Allergan, Madisen is the Senior Social Media Editor; she writes for Spotlyte and manages several social media aspects for brands and tries new dermatological and beauty based treatments and trends. Madisen says, "I get products daily from all the major beauty brands to test and put on our site. That's a huge part of my job that I love." Her day to day contains a lot of research and organization; from balancing appointments with dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and influencers, her schedule remains busy and full. She also creates and plans content for every social media platform - Instagram, Facebook, etc. Madisen states, “So, day to day, it changes. I could be writing an article, testing products, we go out and shoot interviews, so I film many doctors, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, influencers. And then I also have influencers come into the office, they show us their new products, and we sit there and they either show us a product, and we can test them on-site, get a very first look at the brand or product, or they come and do our hair and makeup and kind of show us what their product's all about.”

 Madisen is still working at Allergan and has been loving her time there, just check out their social media and hers for proof. Madisen was kind and open about the process of getting where she is today. From Ole Miss to the Big Apple, Madisen has not failed to leave her mark. Making quite an impression in the beauty world, she attributes most of her success to her time at Ole Miss and the work ethic that she implemented in the early stages of college. Her story is unique to many students, and yet has not been shared. I hope her journey, in particular, and the practical ways she made her dream come true are inspiring and provide a dose of reality to the fashion and beauty industry. Madisen is very active on social media, so check out her Instagram and connect with her on LinkedIn, she is more than happy to talk to students about their goals and endeavors.

Looking forward to an almost completely unknown future, don't be afraid to take risks or put yourself out there. In the least cheesy way possible, believe in yourself and reach for your dreams. Don't let your background restrict you from being the most aspirational version of your self, your future will thank you. In the words of Madisen, tell yourself, "I'm going. I'm interviewing," because you truly never know where those opportunities will take you.