Mikaela Hunt is a brand journalist and owner of Mikaela Media. She is also the Chief Communications Officer at the Ohio Department of Commerce and host of the program What Matters on iHeart Radio and the podcast CBuzz. Mikaela works with companies to write and produce videos and create and manage your stories on social media channels.
Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life?
I grew up in Decatur, Illinois. A small midwestern town that was a true melting pot with a foundation of simple values amidst a lot of big industry. I think my adult life was shaped by the feeling of possibility that came out of living in Decatur. That I had what it took to connect with anyone and make a difference.
What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?
That I’m not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. And that it’s okay. I know my purpose and that’s all that matters.
What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?
Ignore it and it will go away. That and don’t comment.
Tell me about one of the darker periods you’ve experienced in life. How you came out of it and what you learned from it?
When I lost my job unexpectedly. It was the first time it ever happened to me, 2015. I had no control over it or what happened next. I came out of it as an entrepreneur, a better communicator, and realized a world that was bigger than what I knew in my one-track-only career. And I learned that sometimes something else has to move you when you refuse to move away from something that might be fading in its’ relevance.
What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?
My faith and listening to it.
What is your morning routine?
I wake up at around 6a on a good day. I journal immediately and remember quite a bit of my dreams that way. I’ll take a probiotic and then spend some time meditating and reading a devotional.
What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?
An Artist’s Date. Read the Artist’s Way (mentioned above) and you’ll get it.
What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?
I use the GTD system- Getting Things Done. I go through the process on Saturdays and Sundays and it helps me start the week on the most effective and important notes. I plan my weeks in my Full Focus Planner, which keeps me on course to accomplish those important items.
What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, and The Valley of The Dolls by Jacqueline Susann.
One taught me to look for synchronicity, another taught me that we are only human in our interactions and we cannot expect perfection, and the other taught me that when it looks like someone has it all-they most likely have a lot more happening behind the scenes.
Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?
“Let there be spaces in your togetherness.” -Khalil Gibran
