Media Mavens: In conversation with Dana

Cleo’s Social Strategist, Dana Sondak, always knew that she wanted to live life on her own terms. Now, she’s created a freelance career out of all things social, working as a makeup artist, and starting her own hair accessories company. Her creative energy and enthusiasm about everything she loves is obvious in all she does, and best of all, she gets to do it her own way. 

Dana lets you in on some of her social media creation secrets, discusses how a career isn’t often a linear path, and shares why she went on her own.

Cleo: How did you decide to start working in marketing? Tell us about your journey!

Dana: It took me a while to really figure out what I wanted to do so I decided to take a few years off after I graduated. I worked as a server, did a 2-month eurotrip with my best friend,  and lived abroad for a year before realizing that the hobby I loved, social media, could be a career too. I got a chance to get some experience as a social media intern at a Toronto-based boutique PR firm but decided to enroll in the George Brown Digital Media Marketing post-graduate program to make sure I had all the knowledge I needed to succeed in the industry.  

I landed a role at another Toronto agency after my first semester and two weeks in, they hired me full-time. From there, the rest is history. I worked my way up into social strategy, and jumped around the agency circuit for about 5 years until I found my way to Cleo and freelancing! Now I’m a Social Strategist with a focus on analytics and strong content strategies. But of course, as a person who works in social, I pretty much dabble in everything. Need me to shoot and create a sick IG Reel? You got it. Want me to build you a social playbook with a strong, research-based strategy? No problem. Need influencer management? I’m your gal. Working at multiple agencies has given me many tools to add to my tool belt, and I’m confident that I can pretty much tackle anything thrown my way. 

Cleo: You do so many amazing things! On top of being a social strategist, you’re also a makeup artist and you sell hair accessories for all hair types with your brand DUN. What type of content do you find the most successful to connect with your communities online?

Dana: I always knew I eventually wanted to work for myself. While I’ve loved working at agencies, and the experience and knowledge I’ve gained through my roles have been invaluable to my growth and expertise, I love doing my own thing and having the flexibility to do many things. Makeup has always been a passion of mine and I’ve now been a working makeup artist for over 10 years. The creation of DUN was another creative outlet for me while solving a problem I myself always struggled with (thick hair girls, DUN was born for you). 

To keep all of this flowing smoothly, content is uber important. The content I create for my makeup socials versus DUN socials is very different and tailored to reach the audiences I’m aiming to speak to. My makeup account is my portfolio, but also an outlet for me to show who I am and my personality. I use it to post all my makeup looks for clients (or sometimes myself), in addition to throwing in some lifestyle content every now and then and working with the occasional brand. It’s my creative outlet and my professional portfolio, all in one. On this page, I find inspirational content works best. Primarily, static images of makeup looks that clients can save and use as inspo for future bookings. 

For DUN, videos that showcase how to use the clips and inspirational posts on different hairstyles perform best, especially on TikTok. These short videos give the user a quick tutorial on a new hairstyle idea that’s easy and achievable.

Cleo: What would you tell someone who is starting their own brand but isn’t sure where to start with their strategy?

Dana: If you’re struggling with where to start for your social strategy, start doing some research. Google is your best friend. Look into competitors’ accounts and accounts you love to take notes on what you can emulate. You can also do demographic research to see what gaps in the market there are with your target audience and how you can position your brand to fill those gaps. On the other hand, you can always reach out to an expert or a consultant for help. 

Cleo: What do you tell people who are worried about getting in front of the camera?

Dana: If you’re nervous about getting in front of the camera to start developing content, that’s okay. Being in front of the camera isn’t for everyone, and it’s also not totally necessary. There are many other ways to shoot content that doesn’t involve you personally being on camera. You’ll be able to identify these strategies when doing your research! Find examples of content you love that doesn’t involve a face. Other options include finding someone to be in front of the camera instead of you. Or, if you’re struggling to find someone else to be the face, then remember that getting comfortable in front of the camera takes time! The more you’ll sit in front of the camera, the better you’ll get at it. 

Cleo: What advice would you give to someone who has made the switch to the freelance lifestyle and is trying to find their path?

Dana: Going freelance was terrifying, but it’s been so worth it. Yes, leaving a steady salary-paying 9-5 is very tough and a scary thing to do. But, since I’ve left my 9-5, I’ve managed to secure consistent clients so I still have a steady paycheck. I’m doing work I actually enjoy and have the flexibility to work with multiple different clients. But most importantly, I have balance. I create my own schedule and work when it suits me best. As a woman, we know that our bodies work differently than how society has structured the working world. A Monday to Friday 9-5 schedule doesn’t always work for us. There are some days I need more rest, and some days I can work 8-hours straight without taking a break. Being freelance gives me the flexibility to take a day off without feeling guilty. As long as my work gets done, I’m staying organized with all my tasks, and ensuring I’m in constant communication with the people I work with, I choose the hours that work best for me. 

I’m still learning as I go and there’s still a ton of room for me to grow my freelance business, but a few tips I’ve picked up along the way are:

• Outreach is key. You can’t expect the work you want to come to you, you have to go out and get it. 

• Set rates that accurately reflect your work and level of experience and stick to them. You’ll be tempted to drop them because you feel bad or are worried if they’re too high you’ll lose opportunities, but the work you want is work from companies that value you and your level of expertise. They’ll pay you for your value. 

• Don’t be scared to say no. It’s tough, especially at the beginning, to turn down jobs (and sometimes you won’t turn them down just to get a paycheck, which is okay). But, as you gain experience and confidence, turning down the opportunities that don’t feel right, or you think may take away time that you could be working on something you’re truly passionate about, saying no will be key. 

Cleo: And a fun one to finish off, what’s your favourite way to take a break from work?! 

Dana: In the summers, I reawaken and love to spend every chance I get to be outdoors. I’ll lay in the sun and read a book for a bit in between meetings, go for a walk midday and listen to a podcast, or sometimes I just lay on my couch and watch an episode of whatever show I’m watching at the time. I find for productivity purposes, taking an actual break is so important. And no, eating lunch at your desk does not count as a break. After work, you can find me on my couch being a couch potato, out and about with my husband or friends trying new restaurants, or travelling to get away for a bit!