Megan Parker – Social Media Coordinator at Poppi

“I have always had this mindset of thinking whatever I want to happen, can happen,” Megan reflects.

Approaching graduation from the University of Texas with a degree in journalism, Megan had a feeling that being a journalist was not what she pictured herself doing long-term.

Her true passion lies in social media. “I would never say I have the most aesthetic page, but I always cared to make [my feed] look good. “In the post-COVID rise of brands utilizing social media platforms, Megan saw she could make a living doing this.

As the panic of finding a job for post-grad sank in, she started applying for marketing internships her senior year to gain experience in the industry. She spoke with one of her professors, which opened the door for her to be an engagement specialist at an investigative news agency.

“My one piece of advice I would give to people entering this industry is to network and connect with people you wouldn’t necessarily seek out,” Megan offers. In this case, her journalism professor was the first to open the door to a job in social media.

While Megan admits that landing these internships while still in college was partially “luck,” there were other factors to her benefit. For one, being a member of Gen Z gave her social media knowledge that older leaders at companies did not grow up with. Social media was so foreign to them that they would take any help they could get.

From there, Megan realized that she needed more experience to add to her resume before graduation. She scored an internship at U Nation, where she would write blog posts and create content promoting happenings in Austin, TX.

As part of the application, Megan created her own reel of her favorite coffee shop in Austin, complete with a voiceover and pan of the interiors, to go the extra mile showing what she could create. “Honing in on your content creation can open a lot of doors for you, especially internships if you are starting from scratch. If you can create content, brands don’t have to outsource, which gives you more assets,” she explains.

Soaking up as much experience as she could get, Megan DM’d Wonderkind, a food and beverage social media studio local to Austin, asking if she could intern for them. Two months later, she began working for Wonderkind.

“If it is a smaller brand on social media, your chances of getting an internship through DM are pretty high,” Megan offers, “That, or if you can understand the flow of viral content and can replicate it in your own unique way.” She goes on to explain that her co-worker got the job by making a viral post of a mock campaign for poppi on LinkedIn.

Another unspoken truth that Megan brings light to, is that “your personal Instagram page is your portfolio.” She mentions that past employers were more likely to prioritize new hires based on “having a good Instagram.”

Through her 10-month experience at Wonderkind, Megan worked on an array of food and beverage social media accounts, learned how to manage multiple brand voices, and diversified her content. She fell in love with working in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry.

Megan believes that these internships are what ultimately led to her success in securing a job at poppi, the apple cider vinegar, modern spin on soda that is one of the most sought-after brands on social media. “Now more than ever, because the social media industry is getting so popular, brands really look for internship experience,” she explains, “I believe it would be really hard to get a job without it.”

Megan serves as a prime example that it is never too late to start with internships, even if you don’t have a degree in your desired field.

In February 2023, she began her role as the Social Media Coordinator at poppi. “My first day was indescribable. It was literally perfect, like a dream,” she reflects.

The brand was building its office in Austin and the team were working fully remotely. Megan was the only social media hire at the time, so her primary focus was coordinating with the owner, Allison Ellsworth, on what content to post that week, reaching out to brands for collaborations, and a huge emphasis on community management.

“Our community really looks to [poppi] to engage with them,” Megan explains. As the team responds to every comment and DM, “They know they are going to get a response and that we actually love talking to them, so it creates a really special family.”

Megan starts an average day in the office by answering DMs and content for “every bit of two and a half hours,” she explains. The rest of her day differs by projects going on. She goes on, “Right now, I have been working on a pop-up that is going on really soon,” (which fans now know to be poppi mart, the launch of their new Wild Berry flavor).

“Seeing what we can accomplish as a soda brand is my favorite part of working at poppi,” Megan beams. The brand is a buzz in the beverage category. In 2023, BevNet awarded poppi the “Best of 2023” and reported their success of 250% growth online.

In 2024, the brand made a big splash with its new flavor launch by hosting a pop-up on Melrose Avenue with a DJ set by Paris Hilton herself (Jodie Woods, Hannah Godwin, and Anastasia Karanikolaou were also guests in attendance). poppi also ran a Super Bowl ad telling fans “Soda is BACK,” which was reported by Ad Age to be the most-watched Super Bowl commercial, with 29.1M U.S. households watching.

poppi has a chokehold on Gen Z, and much of their success can be attributed to their social media team’s timeliness and trendy posts, which Megan is often the mastermind behind. “We get this generation. We get what people want to see,” she explains.

“We crushed our goals in 2023 and I only see that doubling next year,” Megan commented. Aside from her dream of seeing @best.dressed with a poppi in hand, Megan says her biggest dream is “to get as much experience as I can in marketing.” She still has the mindset she did as a senior in college, soaking up as much knowledge as she can get.

Her hope for those in the same seat she was in just two years ago, unsure of what their future holds, is to “go for whatever you want to do. Nothing is impossible. You just have to do it, believe in yourself, and truly see yourself in that position.”

Who knows, you may be running your dream social account, just like Megan.