Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiki Mihok.
Hi Kiki, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Thank you for having me! As a kid, I loved getting outside and playing in streams, looking for worms under rocks, or going to the zoo or aquarium. In my generation, many of us grew up watching The Crocodile Hunter, learning about wildlife and conservation, and being awed by Steve Irwin’s passion for wildlife education. My childhood was full of the same stuff! Every birthday brought a trip to the zoo, every Saturday a trip to the local nature center for that day’s exhibition, and every evening filled with ZooBooks, The Crocodile Hunter, and Big Cat Diary. I grew up completely amazed at the never-ending amount of animals that occupy this planet and continually discovering that their lives and behaviors were deeply fascinating and intricate.
As I grew up, I volunteered at petting zoos and animal shelters, trying to get myself on the track to become a zookeeper. I moved to Wichita, KS when I was 20 years old when I was accepted into an animal husbandry internship program. It was completely life-changing. I absorbed as much information as I could about all of the species at the zoo, learned much about animal welfare and facilitating enriching environments for animals, but more than anything, I loved the days when I encountered a guest who was dragged to the zoo that day by their grandchild, partner, or other delighted visitor. I loved talking to these people, finding out what animal childhood-them used to be amazed by, when that spark got lost, and how to bring it back. It was deeply rewarding to get these unenthusiastic zoo-goers to suddenly light up at a resonating animal fact, ask more questions, and tell me, “You know, I used to love this stuff as a kid!” I did know. We all loved it; we just forgot. Soon after, and informed by these experiences, I switched my path from animal husbandry to science communication and education.
In the past five years, I’ve written countless Environmental Education lesson plans, led summer camps, hikes, excursions, and tours, and discovered a special interest in the role digital media can play in capturing attention, disseminating information, and converting viewers into engaged participants. I created my own business in 2021, Kiki Mihok LLC, to do just that. I work with different conservation-focused non-profits, producing content that educates, resonates, and creates lasting connections. I aid these organizations through Instagram page audits, content creation packages, community management, e-mail marketing, and more. In today’s age, there are endless opportunities to use media to spread messages about the invaluable conservation work that is being done. I love helping non-profits grow their audience, increase their funding and brand recognition, and most of all, get the support and encouragement they deserve.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not! I have tried out a lot of different roles over the years. Some have been fun and wonderful fits while others have been underpaying positions with little opportunity for adaptation to the growing digital world. All, however, taught me very valuable skills and grew me in new and different ways. It was difficult for me in the past to find roles that paid well and provided structure enough to have a sustainable work-life balance while also not being too rigid of an organization to where a “creative” would have a lot of difficulty succeeding. These factors were huge motivators for me to start my own business, which has allowed me to niche down and only offer services that I am passionate about and feel use my creative skills best.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I love helping conservation organizations tell their story in memorable, engaging, and educational ways! As a Science Communicator with experience in animal husbandry, environmental education, social media management, event planning, and more, I’ve really seen all sides of how, when, and why people resonate with conservation stories! I specialize in taking these complex conservation stories and breaking them down into short-form video productions that convert audiences from viewers to supporters. The opportunity to reach new, large, and diverse audiences is available to every organization with a social media account, and I help that reach and impact happen. I’ve created my own educational videos, as well as coordinated with zoos, nature preserves, aquariums, conservancies, and farms to create media projects that have reached over 7 million people to date, teaching them about wildlife and wild spaces.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Find friends that want to see you succeed and are happy when you do. Talk to them about your dreams and talk to them about your discouragements. You have to be careful who you share your dreams and aspirations with, as some people who don’t want to put themselves out there will try to, knowingly or unknowingly, belittle your goals and make you aim lower. You have to look at yourself like you’re someone you’re in charge of, like you’re someone who deserves to have their life get better, and like you’re someone who people love and care about and worry about because you are. Believe and invest in yourself, find opportunities to get a foot in the door in your industry, and continue to strive upward. Find roles that make you feel useful, and try to figure out what skills you have exactly that gives you that feeling of usefulness as well as make you enjoy work a little bit more, then try to figure out what role might have more of those things. Look up people with your dream job on LinkedIn, stalk their work history, and find out what they did to get where they are! More than anything, dream big for yourself. You’re allowed to, and you should, and you’re more capable than you think.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kikimihok.my.canva.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kikimihok/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kikimihok/
