Faculty Publications
Episode 36: Got a goal? Go for it!
Document Type
Podcast
Journal/Book/Conference Title
The Next Step Podcast: Adulting 101
Issue
36
Abstract
On this episode, Nikki interviews University of Northern Iowa Communication and Media alumni, Shelby Reicks ,about charting her own path from a rural Iowa dairy farm to becoming a full-time travel content creator. Shelby describes landing a sports marketing job at Paragon Marketing Group in Chicago working on ESPN’s high school sports account where she discovered her love of travel. She explains how she started on TikTok with a “travel deals” series, posted consistently for months, went viral, and proactively called a company she promoted to secure a major multi-video brand deal. She continued creating and pitching and eventually was able to quit corporate work. The bottom line? If you have big dreams and are willing to work, just GO FOR IT!
Department
Department of Communication and Media
Original Publication Date
8-27-2026
Recommended Citation
Harken, Nichole and Reicks, Shelby, "Episode 36: Got a goal? Go for it!" (2026). Faculty Publications. 6963.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/facpub/6963
