Pronouns: She/Her
Lafayette Degree & Major(s): Bachelor of Arts, Film & Media Studies and English (Writing Focus)
Minor: Women’s & Gender Studies
Location: New York, NY
Title: Director of Content Production
Employer: Lippe Taylor Group
Describe what your employer/organization does: Lippe Taylor Group is an earned first creative marketing agency. We work to create content, activations, and partnerships that are buzz-worthy, organically landing our clients in the spotlight.
Please provide a brief overview of your role: As Director of Content Production, I work closely with our video and photo content. When a new project arises, I am brought in to scope out costs and to help find the right creative partners for each production. I then lead communications between our internal creative teams and our production partners, ensuring that we are executing a creative vision that aligns with our client’s branding, both on schedule and within our allotted budget.
What gets you excited to go to work each day? Every day there is a new host of problems for me to find creative solutions to. I never know what requests might land in my inbox and it keeps me on my toes! Some days I might be looking for a blue collar worker to interview in Texas, and the next I’m looking for a director to work on a piece of comedy content. It’s tough to get bored!
What keeps you up at night as you think about the opportunities (or challenges) related to your work? As a producer, if anything goes wrong during the production (from pre-production, the shoot day, to editing), the responsibility essentially falls on me. While I’m fortunate to have a great team backing me, it’s hard to not stress about every little thing that could go wrong.
What key strengths are necessary to be successful in entering this career field? To be a producer, it’s crucial to have the ability to multitask and have efficient time management skills. I’m talking to multiple departments on multiple different projects at the same time and need to ensure all of the balls I’m juggling stay in the air. It’s also important to have strong people skills. A big part of the job is bringing in the right partners for the right projects, so I’m constantly doing my best to reach out to new contacts and to grow my network. AND once you find folks who are good at what they do – support them, hire them, build them up! You never know when you’ll need to call in a favor or two.
Is education beyond a Lafayette degree required to pursue this path? Nope! The majority of people I work with in this field come from a liberal arts or communications background. It’s something that you learn as you go – and I’m still learning every day!
How did your Lafayette experience equip you for success in your career field, especially as an early career professional? I’m forever grateful for all of the networking opportunities that Lafayette afforded me. Whether it be an event through the career center, or an alumni dinner hosted by the Marquis Society, I constantly had facetime with alums, professors, and friends of the college, which gave me the poise and confidence to have professional conversations upon entering the work force. Lafayette also taught me how to manage my time. Participating in countless extracurricular activities whilst remaining present in classes is no easy task, but it helped me develop the ability to prioritize and compartmentalize, which is integral to my day to day responsibilities as a producer.
What specific experiences during your time at Lafayette made the greatest impact on your professional path? My time in the Marquis Players was integral in leading me down the path to production. Serving on the executive board, I learned that there are people needed behind the scenes who handle all of the logistics, allowing the creatives to bring their vision to life. That is, effectively, the role I play as a producer. Thinking back, it’s kind of magical to see how much of a one to one comparison that is.
As it relates to career exploration and development, what is one thing that you know now that you wish you could go back in time and tell your student self? You do NOT need to know what you want to do with your life when you graduate! There are so many jobs and job titles available in the real world that I didn’t even know existed when I graduated from Lafayette. Meanwhile, I was panicking at the time about the fact that I didn’t have a 5 year career plan for myself. I wish I would have relaxed a little bit and understood that the exploration process is important, enjoy it.
What advice do you have for students interested in pursuing your career field? No task is too small. To this day, I’m convinced my first boss awarded me more responsibility over time because I was more than willing to do the small tasks (with a smile on my face). Showing that you’re eager to help and eager to learn encourages people to want to award you opportunities. Ultimately, we work long hours in this business and people want to work with hard workers who are willing to take on any task.
What strategies, tools, or other efforts do you utilize to find “balance” or reduce your career-related stress? I am a very big fan of exercise! Whether it be an hour in the gym, a workout class, or just a walk outside, my morning workout is my time to get my mind right before heading into a day at the office.
How do you enjoy spending your free time when not at work? When not at work, I enjoy reading, spending time with friends, and seeing Broadway shows. I also spend a lot of time traveling the tri-state area on the weekends to visit friends from Lafayette!
What was your favorite spot on Lafayette’s campus when you were a student? There’s nothing like sitting in the Adirondack chairs on the quad on a spring afternoon.
Would you like to connect with Allie to learn more about her career path?
Contact your Gateway Career Counselor for details on how you can reach out to Ms. Shumeyko.
