More than a Millennial: Rob Mixer

Posted on May 12, 2015 by | No comments

traits of great millennials

I call this series More than a Millennial. A series where I profile Millennials who, I think, are doing some really incredible things – young people who ignore all of the flack our generation catches and continue to do incredible things each day to change the world.

On the last edition of More than a Millennial, I told you about Abbie Morneault, who offered several years of her life to serving a community in Malawi, Africa.

I think the great thing about the Millennial generation is that there are so many different paths for these highly motivated, smart, and talented people to take. Which brings me to my next subject: Rob Mixer.

If you asked me to detail what he does for a living, I’d tell you that he’s “the social media guy for the Columbus Blue Jackets.” More accurately, Rob is the Digital Content & Community Manager for the Columbus Blue Jackets, an NHL team that calls Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, home. He is also a dear friend of mine who I met on the very first day of journalism school.

Paying attention to new trends is crucial. But so is building a foundation.

When we were in college, digital media was one of those things that a lot of people were uncertain about. Uncertain of how to properly use it for profit or simply uncertain as to whether it was here to stay. Rob refocused his traditional media collegiate path to the digital and social media surges. He was really into blogging and shared his thoughts on just about everything online.

In 2012, this strategy paid off for a lifetime hockey fan – the Blue Jackets were forming a digital media department and asked him to come along.

After covering sports for The Post, Ohio University’s student-led newspaper, and spending time on the ice himself, Rob was in the right place at the right time. The sailing has been relatively smooth, with exceptional support from family and friends, and a company who embraces the digital and social media worlds.

 

Passion pays off: you get to have fun doing your job.

“Sometimes I sit back and think about my job and I end up laughing,” he said. “I get paid to watch hockey games, tweet about them, and think about new and creative ways to reach our fans on social media. So, in essence, I’m doing whatever I would normally do anyway and I’m getting a paycheck for it every two weeks.”

Fill your team with people who push you to be better. Rob’s advice to those companies who are apprehensive about hiring millennials into more visible roles is this: Look for people who want to push the envelope, but also who have the potential to push the team to be better. “We have some big goals here in terms of elevating the Blue Jackets’ brand and strengthening the relationship with our community. I’m really excited about the future here and where we can go.”

 

Want to see Rob’s work in action? Follow the Columbus Blue Jackets on Twitter. Or simply want to see great sports coverage (with a slight Ohio slant)? Follow Rob on Twitter!

 

About the Author: A professional copywriter working with Macy’s Store Communications team, Kadi continues to fulfill her passion for communication by serving as the resident Millennial blogger with Third Sector Today and Top Nonprofits. She also serves on the advisory board forGlamourGals and is the content manager for BLEEP Magazine. She’s a recent transfer to NYC, but calls Ohio home. She graduated with a BS in Magazine Journalism from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and spent five years in Ohio’s capital city of Columbus, working as a professional communicator and managing a trade magazine for the insurance industry for three years and working with The Harmony Project as a member and as the social media coordinator. She is a triathlete, loves golf and tennis, and coaches swimming. You can follow her on Twitter@KadiMcDonaldOU

 

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