Meet Mykaela “Myki” Jones | Independent Contractor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mykaela “Myki” Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mykaela “Myki”, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think of risk as just a part of everyday life. Think about it, every day you wake up and take risks ranging from small to large. Weighting the balance and benefit of a risk to me is as routine as brushing my teeth or taking a shower. My career as a writer and freelance contractor has been full of risks. I knew that when I first got involved with this industry was a risk in an of itself, firstly with taking a leap of faith and nosediving when I was 17 years old was a risk in my plans at that time in my life. I was applying to colleges I was still coming to terms with my identity and trying to go down a further education path that I thought would make others in my life happy as opposed to myself. But once I secured my first writing job at a local newspaper I not only reignited an old hobby of mine but I had also been able to supply myself with not only income but knowledge about a myriad of topics as I took on different assignments. That job gave me opportunities I never dreamed of having in a million years and now that I have gone freelance those opportunities keep coming. I feel that this is because I am not afraid to reach out to companies and apply. I also feel that when an opportunity presents itself that’s where the routine of risk taking comes into play, I weigh the pros and cons and then I go for what I want. If it hadn’t been for risk taking I wouldn’t have learned a lot of valuable lessons on my journey to content creation and writing.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As an independent contractor I take on a lot of different projects with a heavy emphasis on writing. I am not sure what to say in terms of what sets me apart, other than the fact that I have been able to build a relationship with the people of my community on a deeper level than most freelancers would. The stories I have written for members of the community have allowed me to hear the whole life and career stories of some very interesting, colorful, and down to earth people. I have been able to improve my listening and communication skills in a new way every day. I got to where I am today because every major risk I have taken has got me to where I am now, the unsuccessful and successful alike have shaped how I continue to carry myself in the world both in and out of the office. None of what I have done to get to the point where I am today and I overcame that by reevaluating my situation, changing my approach and looking for ways to learn from and improve from mistakes. I have learned many lessons along the way but the most valuable one I have learned is that staying true to yourself is the best thing a person can do in all aspects of life. Being a freelancer allows me autonomy, flexibility and more of a voice.

One thing I would like the world to know about me and my story is that it isn’t over. I am young and just getting started and I’m still waiting for the next big thing and the next opportunity to continue to grow.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is a list I have actually made before and I love doing this for any of my friends or family that come to visit! If it was my best friend in world were coming to town the itinerary would look something like this:

1. Brunch and a morning walk around downtown. Specifically the little Bavarian place on grand Ave, they have the best pastries and mimosas.

2. Next I would check us into the local hot springs spa where we would soak in the mineral pools while sipping on fresh lemonade from the food stand.

3. Lunch is a cookout at the house with a bigger group of friends who all have been dying to meet one another.

4. Should we have time for a cool evening hike we’d get that done by the river and then good for dinner and drinks at the local Indian restaurant.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give credit to many valuable lessons I have learned throughout not just my career but also my life two people, the first person is my mother, and the second is my high school English teacher Melissa Johnston. My mother and Mrs. J both recognized, supported, and encouraged my creative skills the entire time I have been in both of their lives. My mother is purely the salt of the earth, worth her weight in gold, and has taught me to go for the things that make me happy. Mrs. J taught me all I need to know about writing a good paper, and an even more creative story in her creative writing class that I took for four years to work on a novel. She recognized and validated my creative ideas and always approached the hard topics with such compassion and, for lack of a better term, love.

I would say if there was any piece of media that truly inspired me to do what I do today was an album from the band Fun. called “Aim and Ignite” while I could write a whole essay about why I love that album so much I will say it all boils down to the fact that all throughout my life every single song on the album applied to everyday topics of adulthood specifically early adulthood. Turning that album on with my headphones up loud while contemplating situations and how to handle them in my life always made me look at everything through a different lenses with each musical beat.

Instagram: @mykivixen