Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Smoot.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Cynthia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a North Texas native who grew up in Denison, Texas. I graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in Clothing & Textiles and fell into sales for New Times Media (now Village Voice Media) as an Account Executive for the Dallas Observer in the mid-1990’s. I started with local sales efforts and within a few years was specializing in Regional and National sales for the 17 markets that New Times Media represented across the country. After 12 years with New Times/Village Voice Media, I left to work with D Magazine Partners, specifically to launch their new business magazine, D CEO. I spent 3 years with D Magazine Partners developing D CEO, selling advertising and event sponsorships for D Magazine publications. My personal passion for social media (which was a new medium at the time) and digital marketing led me to leave the publishing world and join my husband’s advertising agency, Gangway Advertising. In 2008, I created my personal blog called, Oh So Cynthia. Initially, the site was more of a “Mommy blog” talking about my life as a working Mom in Dallas and spotlighting the places and events my family experienced around town. Over the years, the website has morphed into a lifestyle blog and now features the “hottest events and coolest people in Dallas”.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
For me, one of the biggest challenges has been time management. I am a wife and a mother, a partner in Gangway Advertising and then there’s this blog – that started out as a hobby and could easily be a full-time job, except that I already have a full-time job! Figuring out how to manage all of the responsibilities that come at me every day has been crucial to my sanity and my marriage.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Oh So Cynthia story. Tell us more about the business.
I always joke that I have a split personality, but they work together.
As the self-appointed “Coordinator of Chaos” at Gangway, I use my skills to oversee social media strategies and public relations for our firm’s lifestyle clients. Through my work at Gangway I have helped create buzz and build brand awareness for some of Dallas’ most iconic brands, including Truluck’s, Blushington, Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities, The Shops of Highland Park, Bread Winners Café & Bakery, Henry’s Majestic, Café Brazil, Wells Fargo Advisors, Larry North Fitness, Ese Azenabor, MiniLuxe, KidlInks and Ally’s Wish. I am proud to have been a founding Board Member of the Social Media Club/Dallas Chapter.
My personal blog, OhSoCynthia.com has become the go-to website for those who have a passion for fashion, food, philanthropy, events and reality TV. I describe my blog as “a love letter to the city of Dallas” and I greatly enjoy taking readers along for the ride as I experience all that our city has to offer. I am a sought-after expert on Dallas events and celebrity happenings and have been featured on FOX 4, WFAA, KVIL, CBS, CultureMap, D Magazine, PaperCity, Dallas Child and other media outlets looking to feature current happenings around Big D. I also spread my love for our city as the Dallas Editor for The Society Diaries magazine and as a regular Contributor to Dallas Hotel Magazine.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
I am obsessed with the podcasts “This American Life” hosted by Ira Glass and “The Way I heard It” hosted by Mike Rowe. Both shows tell stories of the human spirit and spotlight our ability to overcome and thrive. I am a history buff and love learning interesting facts about our culture and way of life. I also love “Juicy Scoop” hosted by Heather McDonald for reality TV gossip and pop culture insights. I just finished reading “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson and thought it was so brilliant. His premise is that, in life, you only have so many f*cks to give, so be smart about what you are giving your time and energy to. Loved it! A big part of my brand is social media and as such, I am posting to social media sites all of the time to show readers where I am and who I am meeting. This means I use a lot of photo apps to make the shots look their best. My current favorite apps are Facetune, Camera and Prisma.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cynthiasmoot.com
- Email: cynthia@ohsocynthia.com
- Instagram: @ohsocynthia
- Facebook: /ohsocynthia
- Twitter: @ohsocynthia
- Other: www.gangwayadvertising.com
Image Credit:
Thomas Garza
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
