InspiHER, presented by Atrium Health: Episode 204 with Angela Denogean

Kristen speaks with the voice behind Panthers’ social media, Angela Denogean. Denogean walks Kristen through the intricate process of planning and posting content, interacting with players and how she found her niche as a social media guru.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
When you're in the season, you kind of get into
a flow of like, Okay, gave the games on Sunday,
you kind of repap on Monday, and you go through
your process. Wednesday, it's back to start over practice starting.
You kind of go from there. Um in the offseason,
you have these temphole events. You have free agency, then
you have draft. As draft is happening, you're planning for
schedule release, which is like the Super Bowl for social teams.

(00:24):
And then there's also you know, the proval processes with
sponsors and different things like that. So it's it's a
crazy time for sure. Welcome to Season two of the
Inspired podcast, presented by Atrium Health. This is a podcast
series for Panthers fans where we highlight admirable women from
across the Carolinas as they share stories and lessons from
their lives and careers. In today's guest is not only

(00:49):
someone that I admire a lot, but she is my friend.
Angela then o'hean the senior Social manager for the Panthers,
which means, at the age of just twenty seven, she
runs the entire Panthers social media department, which is famous
in the world of sports for just it's all out creativity.
Um and and I am so excited to have you here.

(01:11):
Even just reading that is pretty incredible because I remember
I was so excited to meet you and Amy when
I started working here. Who used to run the department.
I was like, they are superstars. So if you work
in sports, you know about the Panthers Social department, and
I just thought you were a superstars, Like who are
the brains behind this operation? And you're one of them
and now you run the whole thing. And now that

(01:32):
intro is kind of crazy because you tell me this
all the time. I'm like, thanks, Kabe, thanks, But then
hearing that, I'm like, okaybe it's the truth. Has it
even hit you now that you are because as of
earlier this year, you are now the head of Panthers Social.
You've hired people, you have a team that you work with,
which is crazy, right, Yeah, I have a whole team
and I'm excited and we're hiring so we're growing. Um.

(01:55):
It hit me a little bit this weekend because I
finally had some time to just not do anything right,
which is really weird, which is very rare, and I'm like, God,
I need to be doing something like what's today? Like
what can we be doing? And it's just stop, Like
it's okay, totally fine. I don't nobody's going to miss
one tweet or one Instagram. It'll be okay. Um, but
it did it. I Like I was sitting this week

(02:15):
and I was like, wow, Like I'm really doing everything
that I've said I was going to do or that
I really wanted to do. And it's kind of crazy
because it's like like I'm living in it and I'm
doing it and I enjoy it. It's crazy chaotic at times,
Like when it when it kind of first happened, I
was first able to move up into that position. I
didn't really think about it because there was just so

(02:35):
much to do, right, and it was like a crazy time.
This season had just ended, there was still so much
to do. You have the off season, which people think
is calm and you don't have you Funny when people
say like, oh, you know, you probably don't have much
going on in the off sea. You can take so
much time off right, I'm like, you have no idea. No,
it might even be busier sometimes in terms of starting
creative projects. Then I think the season is. I think

(02:57):
it is because our projects are so much bigger. Right
when you're in the season, you kind of get into
a flow of like, okay, every games on Sunday, you
kind of recap on Monday, and you go through your
process Wednesday, it's back start over. Practice is starting. You
kind of go from there. Um. But in the off season,
you have these tempole events. You have free agency, which
is like you're on for the entire month, and and

(03:18):
it takes I just want to say, for all of
the tempole events that you're about to list, the planning
starts months in advance. So there's the actual free agency,
which takes Guys can be coming in for two three
weeks and we put together an entire we called a
car wash um, entire list of events for them to
come in and do when they're here. Um, but the

(03:38):
planning starts. I just want to make sure everyone knows
that the planning starts months in advance for each of
the events that you're about to mention. Yeah, and you
know a lot of times fans will see like, oh,
you did X, Y, and Z for this player that
came in. That's awesome. How do you guys know that?
And it's like, you know, we kind of followed the
tweets like fans do, which is crazy. But then we
kind of have to go through and scrab these guys
social and say like what are they interested in, what

(03:59):
do they like, what are they kind of known for,
what's their brands in a way, And so I think
because we pay so much attention to that is what
helps our content because it kind of tailors it exactly
to the guy and that's something I'm really proud of. Um.
But yeah, we have free agency. Then you have draft,
which is you're planning draft will free agency is happening,
so if you sign a big free agent, it's kind
of like, oh, we're gonna drop everything, and you know,

(04:20):
focus on that. And then as draft is happening, you're
planning for schedule release, which is like I think of
it as like the super Bowl for social teams, you know,
And so that's a huge deal that you have to plan.
I always tell people nobody really knows kind of how
schedule release happens, but we don't get the actual schedule
until the day before, so there's hours for our videographers

(04:40):
and editors to be able to put that together. But
we also have to film it with time in advance,
So there's so much going on there that needs to
be kind of prepped for. You have to have so
many different people in the works, and then there's also
you know, the proval processes with sponsors and different things
like that. So it's it's a crazy time for sure.
One thing that I always admired about um watching Amy

(05:03):
as the head of social and I've seen since I've
come back from maternity leave, you do this too, And
how do you keep it all straight? Because that's the thing,
because we're talking about the big tent pole events and
we're planning for those and you and I get to
work with you all the time, which is my favorite
thing in the whole world. And then we go into
these meetings and someone's like, well, can we tweet this
on this day and then this on this day? And

(05:24):
then you've got to deliver on three of the five
for this sponsor And I look at you, or sometimes
we're talking and you're like, hold on, I've got to
get this out really quick. And it's so casual and
you're just you know, it's just unfazed. How do you
keep track of everything that has to be going on
at any given moment. I've never understood that. Yeah, it's
a lot, and it kind of becomes not a routine,

(05:45):
but there are certain things that you know, kind of
just happened, so it's like, okay, like I already kind
of know what they're looking for. A lot of it
is taking notes, and I wish I could say like, oh,
we have a content calendar and things are in place,
and there's a list and blah blah blah, and we
do have a list, but the content calendar are so
hard for us because and some teams use it, but
everything is so fluid, right whether like like you're saying,

(06:06):
like sometimes sponsors are saying we need X, Y and
Z or three things there. It's like you gotta wait
for that sponsor to approve certain things and then it
goes out. So it's not like, you know, we can
aim to post this on Wednesday, but it may not
be approved, or like the graphic may have a typo,
or you know, there's just certain things or like the
video needs to be cut a little bit um. So
it's kind of just if you're in social you have
to go with the flow. If you are a person

(06:27):
that has to be on Monday, I'm out by this time,
on Tuesday. We're doing X, Y and Z on Wednesday.
This is my slow day. This is not the job
for you. Unfortunately. You have to just be like, oh,
here we go through all my planning out the window.
We're gonna go with this, and kind of just go
with it because a lot of it, too is just
trying a lot of it is trying things, and like
you also have to be okay with all of this

(06:47):
might flop. If it flops, okay, cool. But also if
I'm going to post this really random weird thing like
this weekend, we try to Oh, I've been wait is
this harping Angela? I have been wanting to talk to
you about this. I almost texted you. I saw it
like midnight on Saturday night, and I almost texted you.
I was with the friends, my husband and I started
showing everyone. Um So if you are listening to this,

(07:10):
go back and look at the Panther's Instagram. If you
see a picture of Steve Harvey and our players, that's
what we're talking about. It like it and go through them. Okay.
So that's another thing that I'm saying is that I
know you, we are good friends, and then I still
see that stuff when I'm not around you, and I'm like,
where did this idea come from? Because not only did
you guys photoshop the players into Steve Harvey's outfits, right

(07:33):
it's players into Steve Harvey's outfits. Then you texted them
and ask like just randomly. I love when you do that,
and you just texted them like who were it better?
And with no context. I have been wanting to ask
you about this because I see this stuff and I'm like,
how I know it's not just one person because there's
photoshop involved, there's all that, but like, where does that

(07:55):
come from? It's so creative and so cool, and I'm like,
I know that person. It's so funny because to see
how everything is something I've been wanting to do for
a while, which is telling you guys random crazy ideas.
So sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. Um So
I saw, you know, he's been trending for his outfits
for a while, and I wanted to do something right away,
and I don't remember just timing wise, it just didn't work.

(08:15):
We weren't really in that kind of fun space at
the moment. And now with the guys back, like all
the guys like the energy is insane. And we talked
about this all the time, but the first week they
were back, it was just like I got like a
jolt of energy just being around them, right you hear
I'm yelling and having fun and joking around and it's
like you can feed off of that, which is crazy,
but it's like it's such a good feeling. So I'm like, like,

(08:36):
this is the time to do it. Let's do it.
We have a long weekend, like, let's let's do this.
So I talked to Reggiard Designer and I'm like, okay,
have this idea. Go through Steve Harvey's instagram all these
different suits, right, and so I kind of the first ones.
I kind of went through guys who I knew like
we could kind of mess around with or like play with,
and they're like, you know, joking, a lot of our
guys are pretty open to jokes. Um. But I picked

(08:57):
those guys and like, let's put them in his in suits.
And I was like, maybe we should just leave it
at that, and I'm like, no, No, I want to
see what their reaction is, you know, like let's just
see what they're thinking. So no context, just text the
randomly I said, hey, ware better. I set them the
photo right, and of course they're so competitive that most
of them will always say themselves. Shack was dying because

(09:18):
he's like no, no, he got it, like I don't
even put me. And so it was funny because I
told like DJ, I'm like, you need to wear this
pink suit for an arrival, right or shocked, like you
gotta do something with yellow like this. This is a
good look. Yes, So it was funny because a lot
of fans actually thought that we had them dressed up
like that, and I'm like, no, it's like how the
top Cats take. If you go to the top Cats

(09:38):
social media, is they have all of that. They do
play arrivals. Yes, they did such a good job with that.
So this was just something we did photoshop wise, and um,
they all laughed and thought it was funny because so
that's always the thing too, of like, Okay, hopefully they
think this is funny. And that is the biggest part,
you guys about social is I can make something and
be like, oh my god, I'm hilarious, But then I'm like, man,

(09:59):
I really hope people think I'm funny too, you know,
or think that we as a as a social team
can get the joke. Um, but we're just here to
kind of bring everyone like a good time, good laughs,
like we always say, like if we make the fans happy,
that's great. If the players get involved, Like I love
making I talked about this all the time. Who cares
number wise is something I mean, we care, but like
if something doesn't do well number wise, but all the

(10:20):
players love it, and the players are sharing it like
it's a good feeling to you know, like you're trying
to to get content for them too. So it was
something that you know, you saw like Jamie Chin was
laughing in the comments a couple of different guys, and
so I was like, should we do a vitio? So
now I need to know who I'm at. Yes, I am.
I am officially lobbying for a part two. I absolutely
loved that, and I think I loved it more because

(10:41):
now working here, uh, we're around each other so much,
and I get to work with you on a bunch
of stuff and so I kind of know for the
most part when those things are coming. And so that
one caught me completely by surprise, and I was like,
oh my gosh, this just gets funnier and funnier but
I think that example is and again please go look
at it on Instagram. UM, it's probably it'll probably be

(11:01):
like back by the time this airs. Um. But that
is such a good example because you said a couple
of things and that's what I want to talk to
you about. Um. Your relationships with the players is one
of the things that I think you excel at the
most because you have to get to the point where
you can text them no context with a photoshopped image

(11:22):
of themselves and Steve Harvey and get a response back
because you posted the blue. It's like the blue and
the white like it's you know, no one's like, what's
going on? Who is this? Like whatever? So how do
you develop those relationships? And why is that so important
for anyone who doesn't understand, um, the intricacies of social media. Yeah,
so it was funny because somebody comments like these are

(11:43):
fake tech text messages Like they're not They're not fake. Um,
it's extremely important. I think the biggest thing, and I
think what I'm really proud of is like they can
trust us, Right, I'm not going to purposely take a
video of you or photoshop something where you look awful,
right and and put you in a bad light. And
so I think that's the biggest thing of like in
order to get better content, but also just create these relationships,

(12:05):
they have to be able to trust you. But I
think the biggest thing that I try to do and
I hope that they feel it would I think they do.
But it's like you're not there just for content. You're
not there just to get stuff from them. All the
time I come up and like how are you doing?
Like how are your kids? You know, like how is life?
Like I saw you were out at the most important thing. Yeah,
Because it's like you know, when somebody comes to hey,
I need this, Hay, I need this, Hey I need this,

(12:27):
they come up to you like what do you want?
You know, I don't want to talk today, I don't
want to be or when they see that person coming,
they know that they need something out exactly like what
is she gonna ask me for now? Which I'm sure
they feel that way sometimes of like actually has something
of her sleep um. But I think for me, I
try to create that of like, hey, if you also

(12:47):
need something, I will do anything I can to help you. Right,
if you're looking for this photo, if you're looking for
this video, if you have a question of like how
should you do this on social or what's the best
way to kind of get that message out there? Like
I'm more than happy to help. Um. So I think
that's the biggest thing. But I also think, uh, this
year especially, I've kind of tried to also kind of

(13:07):
gauge what their their interests are or what guys would
like to do. So like there's a couple of guys
on the team that I'm like, hey, like if I
were to do this, do you think guys would like it?
Or like would this be kind of perceived well or
like as a treat Like I just wanted to get
you guys something like you guys are so helpful, like
is this something you guys would like? And so that's
been incredible, um, but it's also knowing who would choose

(13:28):
for what. Right you get to know people and you're like, Okay,
he may not be great for this, right, Like he's
a funny guy, but he's not Like you don't want
to force it, you know. So there's certain things, especially
like when we get a request for sponsorship, it's like
I don't really know if I would ask this guy
for this because it's just not this thing, and that's
totally fine. And I think like you have to kind
of play to their strengths. But also I think they

(13:50):
appreciate when it's like no, he doesn't want to do that.
You know. Like there's even a couple of guys that
I've helped, Um, they've done interviews or had to do
some reads, and I was so honored. He's like, hey,
can you come with me and help me through this?
And it was kind of just like, Okay, as I'm
just trying to tell you this as a friend, you
seem very very uptight right now, and that's totally fine, like,
but listen it up. So there we are doing like

(14:12):
random little dances like you got this okay now, just
kind of read it like you're talking to me. Um.
But it's making them feel comfortable because a lot of times,
you know, like we're used to it, but when camera's
in your face, it's kind of scary, even though it's
a camera, you know. And so they all and I
mean I think about this all the time, but they're
also thinking like how are they being perceived? You know,
like Dane, do I like dumb as I'm saying this,

(14:33):
or like did I come off as as this, and
so you have to make sure that they're comfortable in
order for them to kind of, you know, just just
do something well and enjoy doing it. And so when
you see guys who maybe didn't really want to do
something you asked them to do, but then they leave
and they're laughing and have a great time, I'm like, yes,
you know, like I hope they really enjoyed that, and
I hope this is something that they would want to do.

(14:55):
But also guys have also been UM pitching ideas, which
I think is so cool. You know, always tell them
I can't guarantee everything because I'm trying to get everything done,
but these are great ideas. And when you have that
buy in, it's insane, Like I'll say one more thing
and then we can kind of move on if you want.
But the UM schedule release, we got eight guys to
come out and do this nineties magazine cover and no

(15:16):
idea do you reaching had no idea what I was
about to ask him to do. Put a fake nose
ring in his hand. He's like, I don't really know
what you're asking me to do, but I'll come And
I'm like, I appreciate because they trust you exactly. So
it was something fun and it's something that like they
get to have to if they want to post it
on there, and if they don't, totally fine, but like
you know, that's always the thing of like, hey, I
just want you to come and have fun with it.

(15:36):
If there's something you genuinely do not like or are
not comfortable, like, please tell me, you know. And I
love that we're talking about relationships because I think it
applies to anybody, and you are somebody that when we
there any times I'm like do you think this person
would want to do this interview? When you're like, well,
I've got to talk to them about something, so let
me let me check. There was a I think my

(15:58):
first year here when everything was you had not met
a lot of the players in person, So this is
I had certainly not met a lot of the players
in person. I came in about six months after you,
and we had to do something sponsored and I had
this idea of talking to a player's mom and it
was like the eleventh hour and we needed something, and you,
I think it was like nine o'clock at night. I

(16:20):
was like, Angela, if we're going to pull this off,
you know, we're not we're not able to get in
touch with her in the conventional way. We haven't heard back.
Do you think we could do this? And you're like,
let me d m her because I've talked to her before.
This was a player's mother and just there was no
there was nothing behind it. But you had built a
relationship just through content and saying, hey, you know, can

(16:40):
can we You know, I hope you like this piece
of content that your son was in all that kind
of stuff, and she was like, oh, absolutely, I'll do
that for the Panthers. And it's little things like that
where you go to the effort to develop these relationships,
as you said, when you don't need anything, and it
helps all of us out in um in everything that

(17:00):
we do and the players as well. And I just
think that's so cool, and because also just out of
the goodness of your hurt, like let me let me
drop what I'm doing right now and jump in on
this so that I can help in whatever way. And
I just think that's so cool. And then you did
all of it as well through the pandemic, which we
all had quite a bit. But we were just talking,
this is your what season will this be for you fourth. Yeah,

(17:22):
I believe it will be my fourth season. And you
said three and a half, right, because you came in
midway through the twenty nineteen season. Yeah, and that was
like the last like normal ish year. So then you said,
this is really your first real quote unquote season, just
like it's mine. Yeah, this is my first normal. What
I would say is probably at most normal. That's a

(17:44):
great way to put it. Um, because I've been at practice,
I've been around the players, and last year I was
at practice and around the players, but it was a
tiered system, so it's like only I could be there,
you know, like Amy couldn't be at the time, Megan
couldn't beat. Megan's our social coordinating now, um, but she's
gonna be around him either, And so was like I
was really kind of that only liaison between social and
the players, and it was kind of a weird time

(18:05):
and so like even like traveling was kind of awkward,
and you know, it was just weird. But my first year,
none of the guys I knew probably two guys maybe,
like Dante Burns and Trey Boston. And I was in
the first row of the stands because I couldn't be
on the field for pregame, and I was just kind

(18:26):
of like a creeper holding my phone out over the tunnel, right,
and just like, well, I hope they talked to the
camera if they see me, if they even know me.
None of them know me, so they really don't, you know,
like owe me to talk to the camera about anything.
And so I was like, oh, we'll just see and
so honestly, it was really weird, but I kind of
started building like relationships with them that way, and like
they had never really talked to me. They just knew like, hey,

(18:48):
when I talk to this camera, somehow it ends up
on I g stories, right, So it's like, okay, maybe
she was. You also can't get within a certain amount
of distance from them too, so I mean, I don't
even know if they could hear you with how far
away you happen with the man ask who is this?
You know what? We're just standing there. She can barely
see over the rail like you know. So that was
such a weird, weird time. But I was like, okay,

(19:09):
like I guess this is what it is. You know,
I didn't know and now knowing last year being out
at practice, like those are the times where you really
get to know the guys. You know. You you'll hear
some people in sports and it always amazes me, but like, oh,
I don't want to go out to practice. I don't
want to do this, and like that's fine, but like
there they need to see you putting in the work
as much as they are. Right, we're not out there running,

(19:29):
we're not out there doing those kind of things, but
like we're still well. Sometimes you might run, yeah exactly,
I'm running away from getting it or something, but you know,
it's just being out there with them, You're putting in
that same grind. And I think just being around, like
they need to see your face. They need to know
who you are, they need to know you know kind
of what you do. And so that was huge and

(19:50):
getting to know them. The other thing that, you know,
going back to the Steve Harvey thing, I want to
talk about relationships, and I also wanted to talk to
you about being creative when you know, I don't want
to say you're burned out, but you just listed off
as I said this the off season and what your
group did. I came back kind of midway through everything
in maternity leave. I know what that grind is like.

(20:12):
The off season ground. I said, it's months and months
and months of planning and things going on at the
same time, and then it's like a week after schedule,
re lease finishes, the draft is not too far behind us,
as we said free agency, and you really lead so
much of that um and then you come up with
something like the Steve Harvey idea, and you said you
were just energized by the players coming back in the building.
So how do you find that extra gear when you've

(20:35):
just put in more hours than I mean then most
people work. I was exhausted. I can't even tell you.
There's times where I was just like, oh my god,
how oh my walking right now? Oh? I like getting
up and like actually doing this, because it's not just
coming into work was which is its own thing. It's
coming up with stuff and trying to pull from this
place where I know I do best when I've got

(20:57):
some time to just like okay, like you and I
get in our brain store arms or like I'm at home,
I'm like, okay, I gotta think about this. So where
do you pull that from? I think? Uh. One of
the things too, is like I also feel bad sometimes
because it's like I know I'm on E, but I'm
also asking everyone else who's on E to be able
to help me execute it, right. I think the biggest
thing is that kind of leaning on on the team, Right.
I Like, if I'm just like down and I have

(21:19):
no ideas, I'm like Megan, like what do you got?
Like how can we you know, is there something we
can do of like we need a TikTok or like
we need something funny? What can we do and social?
You know, we'll come up with some ideas or like hey, Reggie,
like can you make this? Um, it's leaning on other people,
but also I've been trying to and it's very hard
and you see it on Twitter all the time of
like sports World. You know, you just work so much,

(21:40):
but now is is real and so I'm trying to
be like, Okay, I need this weekend, you know, like
how can we kind of switch off where it's like, hey,
you work this weekend, I'll work the next weekend. And
that may not be realistic from trying my best to
figure out how to execute that. Um, but I did
go on a trip, So that's why I think that's
why it helped. You know, I was away for the weekend.

(22:00):
Which is nice. Got some sun. Um, is that what
recharges your batteries? Yes, I love to travel. I love
to travel so much, and even just I haven't been
able to go home. I'll go home at the end
of this month. But going home and seeing my family
and like being around my people and like just feeling good,
I feel like I get recharged. Then even I'll be
home and I'm like, oh, I have this great idea.
I'm like, you're supposed to be home. I'm not thinking

(22:21):
about it, or like even sometimes feel like my parents
will say something and I was like, mmmm, that's a
good idea, like my cousins too. But um, it's being
around those people that you know, you just don't see
for a while, or just doing something that has like
nothing that's sports related. But also when you don't have
that opportunity because it's very very rare that you can,
you know, get time to go and and you're from Arizona.

(22:42):
Just for anyone wondering, So that's a full cross country flight. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, yeah. Um,
so you know, you know, you don't get to do
that often. But what I try to do, um is
look at accounts or just creative outside of sport. And
that's where I. I love music and concerts and things

(23:03):
like that, and that's where I really tried to pull
my inspiration from because a lot of times you'll see
teams do stuff that is like other teams are doing
or other athletes are doing, and so that's what I
kind of pride myself. And I think a lot of
the industry has kind of started to do this or
has done it for a while. But I think that's
what I try to do is kind of just stay
into I hear music, I'm like, oh, that lyric was
really good, Like what can we do with that? Or
you know, you see the guys using it as their

(23:24):
captions too, so I'm like, what is there? We'll start
turning exactly like they like this artist. So let's see,
you know, how we can do something. So and the
last question I want to ask you is, Okay, so
are amazing photographer? Chanel has been. She's so incredible. Everyone
on our team is um and so she has taken
some much need She took a few days off much

(23:46):
needed and while she was out, you jump in and
take photos sometimes at practice. We had an event last
night that you were out taking photos at and that's
another thing that I just wanted to touch on before
I let you go, because you I think sometimes people
think social media is just tweeting, right, and you are.
You're videoing on social like you're capturing. Sometimes you're capturing

(24:08):
at training camp. You're like following the ball with your
phone so that the stuff can get posted immediately. So
you're capturing on your cell phone. You can edit and
produce videos. You're an incredible photographer. I mean, do you
still get to use those things as a creative outlet
because you use so many of them at work. Yes,
I like to, especially when I go home too. It's like, oh,

(24:29):
we are your camera, so tired with my of my
camera at that point, I just undlessly fascinated by the
reserves that you have of creativity. I actually love it.
It's crazy. So I kind of started out more so
on the creative side. So I went to school for
sports journalism. I wanted to do UM. I wanted to
be you. Basically wanted to be KB. You would be incredible.

(24:50):
I thank you, thank you, because I add another thing
that you can do great, Like I love talking to people.
Why not do this? Um? And so I kind of
want to do that and then my juny year, I
was like, I don't really know, it's just not for me.
And I actually ended up getting UM an internship with
the Years on the Diamondbacks. I had originally applied for
a videographer position and it didn't work out. It's I

(25:11):
got the social job. And at the time, I didn't
really realize what social entailed, and it honestly was still
on the come up. It really wasn't like as crazy
as it is now. But I was realizing that you
can tell a story with as a social manager as
a social person. So I was like, oh, I can
grab video on my phone. I can, you know, Like
I was still taking photos so when I did that,

(25:33):
I was an intern. I took my camera around because
I was taking a photography class in school as well,
and I kind of just started shooting as an intern.
And they're like, oh wait, can we use that photo?
Or like, hey, did you happen to grab this? And
like yeah, I was just walking around and like he
was like playing around the camera. So I took a picture.
No one's ever said that to me about any photo
I've ever taken a camera, Like can you move your

(25:56):
thumb away? So sorry? So I UM started that way
and then once the internship end, there just wasn't any
opportunities with the Diamondbacks. But MLB has a Live Content
Creator LCC position that the NFL does too, which I
think is a great opportunity UM for young creative. So
if you're listening, uh, it's part time, it's seasonal, but

(26:16):
you cover the team that you live in in that
in that city, and UM, they do photo, they do video,
and then they capture social content. So I was kind
of mainly photo and then I would do social on
my phone. So at the time I was doing I
was creating the content sending it for their social teams
to you, so I wasn't posting it. And then uh,
the Alliance of American Football came along, you know, the

(26:38):
short six months that it lived, and that was kind
of my first like what I call big girl job
of I was doing our social I was managing the
social accounts, and I remember when I got the account,
it had like followers and when everything ended at fifty
on the Instagram, I'm not surprised. That's crazy, but I'm
not surprised because of who you are and what you
do well, I appreciate that. So I was doing this

(27:00):
is insane. I was doing social but I was also
taking photos so I'd be on the field. I had
Casey who was our reporter slash like she would she
helped out a lot. She was doing um, she was
live tweeting, and I was taking photos and I would
be posting them on Instagram while also doing I G
stories like what I don't know how right, and a

(27:22):
lot of people do that now, which is insane. UM.
So yeah, So I kind of started as as like
creating the content and then the Alliance ended. I um
did some LCC work with the NFL and that's how
I kind of got in contact with Amy and at
the time Jennifer King, who I love. She was a
running backs coach with us at the Alliance and then

(27:43):
came and worked here for the Panthers and she's like, hey, like,
this is a social position open, and so I applied
for it, and you know, Amy crazy that the Cardinals
were coming in or sorry, the Panthers were coming in
to play the Cardinals, and Amy's like, hey, can we
meet you know pregame. We had talked on the phone
a couple of times and so that was like a
pre interview kind of thing and it just worked out
and so I've been here, but yeah, I started kind

(28:04):
of creating the content. But I think for anyone looking
to get into social I think understanding what good content
is is crucial because you know, I don't sit there
and record on video, but you and I produce all
of our like we've o guess who right, It's like
we went out and produce it and walk the guys
through it. And again that's where you're like, hey, edits

(28:25):
start to finish. I mean, you have such a vision.
So it's I think being able to do that stuff
also kind of gives me the outlet of like I
can still be like really creative, and you can be
creative and social, but like you have a hand in
some other things as well. So I enjoy it. It
can be a lot at times, or sometimes I'm like okay, Angela,
and I'm learning this right of like I can't be

(28:46):
everywhere and do everything, you know, like oh they're doing that,
I want to comment. I'm like, oh my god, I
have like five other things I need to really do
right now. Um. So that's a learning process for me
of like letting go and like you know, helping other
people kind of grow into that role and letting them
do that. And so that's something that I've gotten better
at but still needs to work on. And the thing

(29:06):
that I love about that and that you are sharing
with your team is that it comes with creativity as
well if you don't have those ideas, like when you
have an idea, like Steve Harvey, I don't know if
you feel this way, but I go before I send
an idea, before I bring an idea to you or
Bill or whoever I go. I think my best ideas
are the ones where I'm like, well, this could be

(29:28):
really awful, everyone could think this is a terrible idea,
or it could be really cool if you see what
I'm saying, and you never know until you mentioned it
to people which way it's going to go. And I
think that's what's so cool about social is that I
can tell what you post because I know you. And
so the Panther's account wouldn't be the Panther's account without
your voice. And Megan's voice is different, right, and Amy's

(29:48):
voice was different, but they all bring this unique perspective
and they are all the Panther's voice, and that is
the needst thing about a creative job, and especially social,
which encompasses so many things, is that there's no formula
and in fact, you don't want anybody to to put
out there what you think you're supposed to say. Right,
it has to be different, It has to be a

(30:10):
little weird. It has to have a different perspective. And
I think it's cool to see you not only grow
in that and achieve that and you have like the
keys to all the Panthers social, but now you're teaching
other people, which is so cool, and I think it
is the big thing has to feel good, right, Like
I think something that I've been so proud of and
and I did learn this from Amy, was like, you

(30:31):
know a lot of brands can just talk to people
or they just tweet out whatever, but like we try
to be their friends, and not in like a fake way,
but like like we create like a community for them
to just tweet us are like, hey, guys, how are
you doing today? And people like hi, bestie, how are you?
You know? And so I used to send tweets and
d m s because the Panthers and I followed each
other before I ever got a chance to meet you guys,

(30:52):
Like this is amazing. I don't know you guys, you know,
and then I would get messages back and that's the
Panthers social Oh my gosh, it's us. Um. But yeah,
I try to talk to you as many people as
I can. And it's funny because they've started to like
also follow like our personal accounts too, and so they're like, oh, like, Angel,
this is great. I'm like thank you, like I'm glad
you like it, you know, Or like the other day

(31:13):
before schedule release, I was like, hey, like, we have
some really cool stuff coming, and people like, we're so excited,
like thank you. I really hope it lives up to
the hype, you know. But it's really cool to see
that and to get that feedback, but also to know
the people that are genuinely excited and like the stuff
that we're doing. So it's awesome. Well I'm gonna you
know that you and I could talk for another two hours,

(31:35):
but we both have to get out to practice, so sadly,
I'm going to have to end it here. But thank
you so much for doing this. This was so fun
to get to talk to you, even though we talk
all the time, to get to hear about it in
front of a microphone and hear stuff that even I
didn't know. The setup is cool, though, I'm gonna come
back absolutely, Angela. Thank you so much. Thank you. SA stands,

(32:01):
the man stands, and theirs