Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Wyckoff.
Hi Lindsey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Lindsey Wyckoff and I’m a marketing communications professional by day and an outdoor enthusiast every other minute. I was born and raised in Ohio and returned in February of 2017 after a 14-year absence between college and jobs in New Jersey and Louisiana. Currently, I work for a non-profit that supports teachers and students in under-resourced communities by providing free school supplies and learning tools. Outside of work, I’m very fortunate to be one of the co-founders of Women of the Wild Midwest, a volunteer for SheJumps and Moms Demand Action, and a City Project leader for Outbound Collective.
Growing up, I spent most of my time playing basketball and tennis – we would occasionally go fishing – but after a spontaneous hike in November of 2015, I was hooked. Having not seen fall foliage in YEARS as a New Orleans resident, I found myself at a wedding in Iron Station, NC (near Lake Norman) and knew I wanted to spend as much time enjoying the fall weather as I could. A little research introduced me to Lake Norman State Park so I opted to go light on the red wine at the wedding so I could get up bright and early to go for a hike.
Between the fall colors, the quiet of the woods, and the crisp, beautiful morning, I had found a happy place I had never been. It sounds dramatic – but those two hours I spent hiking that morning ended up changing my life. When I took a new job in March of 2016 that allowed me to work from home, develop balance, and included travel, I found myself scouring the AllTrails app on every trip to squeeze in any trial time that I possibly could. It was a new challenge for me – outside my comfort zone – I took the 10 essentials with me EVERYWHERE – even on very short hikes (you never know, right?!).
A year after taking the new job, I left a challenging relationship–a change that turned out for the best but left my anxiety worse than it’s ever been. I moved back to Ohio to be closer to family – thankfully, my job is remote and I had the flexibility to relocate. I was blown away by the hiking immediately – I spent every weekend exploring Cuyahoga National Park and the Metroparks from Cleveland to Canton. Being outside and soaking up the quiet of winter / early spring hikes, I found hiking to be transformative – it was healing, inspiring, and physically demanding, and it helped ease my anxiety (while in a different light, challenging it because I was still so new to the trail) and it also just made me darn happy.
In addition to hiking, I had done a lot of reading about backpacking and I loved how challenging it seemed. For my 33rd birthday, I decided I wanted to do my first trip – solo. I did a one-night trip and learned A LOT. First off, don’t let your nerves get the best of you. A wrong turn added about three miles to my trip. It brought me back to the car and I remember sitting down and wondering if I should just drive home. Maybe I wasn’t up for it or ready yet – I was still learning. But instead, I collected myself, double-checked my gear, and started again.
I survived – definitely wouldn’t say thrived – and I was equally excited that it was over as I was to do it again. To me, there’s something so badass about backpacking. It might be the grittiness of it and the challenge. After hiking all around Ohio, Lake Tahoe (Bliss State Park to Emerald Bay is a MUST!), Smoky Mountain National Park, and the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, I decided I wanted to try to hike a 14er. I was heading to Denver to see The Lumineers close out their summer tour and I figured, why not? The worst that could happen is I turn around and don’t make it. It would still be a beautiful hike.
Standing at the top of Gray’s Peak was incredible – it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would have been (overall – trust me, some parts were pretty awful between the altitude and terrain). It reinforced that hiking was something I loved – and wanted to do more of. Two-and-a-half years after my first hike, I’ve found myself happier than ever and I truly believe I owe the majority of that happiness to the joys and challenges I’ve found outside.
Since then, traveling has become a huge love and priority for me. The pandemic made it challenging, but I’ve been so grateful to be traveling more since being vaccinated. Last year, I did a 6,000-mile solo road trip out West, visiting Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Badlands, and Wind Cave. Being able to spend so much time on the road exploring and being in nature was transformative. It motivated me to build out my SUV in a way that I can, hopefully, spend more time on the road. Working remotely is something I’m incredibly grateful for – I can truly work from anywhere.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Like everyone, there have been bumps along the way. I spent 10 years working in professional sports which had some very high highs and some very exciting moments. When I left New Orleans in 2017, I left behind a marriage that was damaging emotionally and mentally. The recovery for that from a mental health standpoint is ongoing. I was laid off in 2018 which was another bump in the road.
For five months, I was without a full-time job which was challenging regarding self-worth. Like so many, depression and anxiety have been an ongoing battle for me since high school. Some seasons are easier than others, but it’s something that I will likely manage forever. Nature and the outdoors really help in that management.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The first 11 years of my career were spent working in sports. Throughout my career, two aspects of my respective positions that I have felt very strongly about are storytelling through public/media relations and working with companies and individuals with extensive platforms and passion who are community leaders and positively represent themselves and their brands.
In addition to relationship management and campaign/initiative planning, I have been fortunate to continue managing public relations and media efforts for the Kids In Need Foundation and the American Diabetes Association after spending 10 seasons in communications at the New Orleans Saints (NFL) and Pelicans (NBA). Working for both NFL and NBA entities, with individual players, and on the non-profit side of athlete and celebrity relationships, I have developed the ability to see situations and opportunities from a variety of perspectives.
My experience has also provided me the chance to manage relationships at every level from external and internal media, contractors, owners, and athletes, as well as their representation and partners. At Kids In Need Foundation, I was elevated to director of brand engagement having served in that role in many capacities over the last year under a different title. I have led our strategy and execution for brand and cause marketing campaigns, establishing who we are as an organization and for what we stand.
I loved the fast-paced nature of marketing and communications and have had the opportunity to work with local, national, and international media on a wide range of occasions, including media relations efforts for arena naming rights, publicity for parties hosted by ownership for Super Bowl XLVII and the 2014 NBA All-Star Game, as well as all team / player-related initiatives and announcements.
One of the other areas of communication in which my experience has allowed me to excel is in a crisis. Between helping to manage media and spokespeople with Rutgers women’s basketball following Don Imus’ racist remarks about the team, two transfers of ownership with the NBA in New Orleans, multiple player crises, and a change in the succession plan, I feel prepared to navigate challenging situations in high-pressure and highly-visible situations. I feel in a leadership position, that experience is a tremendous resource.
One of my most memorable experiences was working alongside Thomas Morstead during an outpouring of support for his foundation, What You Give Will Grow.
Here is more information:
(January 16, 2018) – Thomas Morstead and his foundation, What You Give Will Grow, announced today that donations received this week from Minnesota Vikings fans will be donated to the Children’s Minnesota Child Life Program as a thank-you for the support following the New Orleans Saints loss in the NFL Divisional match-up with the Vikings. Following Minnesota’s game-winning touchdown with no time left on the clock in the NFL Divisional match-up between the Vikings and the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Jan. 14, Saints Punter Thomas Morstead was the first Saints player to come back out onto the field to defend the NFL-mandated conversion.
Morstead suffered torn cartilage on the right side of his ribs during the game but continued playing. Following the game, a Vikings fan published a post on Reddit encouraging fellow fans to donate to What You Give Will Grow in honor of Morstead’s effort in the game, particularly the sportsmanship demonstrated as he came back out for the extra point. As of Tuesday morning, more than $3,100 had been raised by more than 250 fans.
“What You Give Will Grow was built on the thought that giving back, at any level, makes a difference not only to those receiving the gesture but in regards to inspiring others to do the same,” said Morstead. “It’s humbling to have fans from an opposing team doing something like this – it just shows that football is more than a game and it is a community. Minnesota fans had no idea when they made donations that it would come back to their community – but what you give does grow and we’re honored to be able to support the child life program at Children’s Minnesota – this is what our foundation is all about.”
Morstead chose the child life program at Children’s Minnesota as the support of child life specialists is one of the focuses of What You Give Will Grow. Child life programs provide emotional support for children and families, as well as coordinate activities at their respective facilities – working hard to find creative ways to bring joy to kids in the hospital.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
In marketing and communications, two things are for certain: strong branding is imperative and things are always moving fast. I don’t foresee those two aspects changing and the speed of information will remain immediate. As far as branding, with so many companies and organizations out there, having a strong identity and messaging will have to be of the highest priority.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/lindseyhwyckoff
- Facebook: facebook.com/lindseyhwyckoff
- Twitter: twitter.com/lindseyhwyckoff
