Meet Nanja | Social Media Manager & Blogger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nanja and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nanja, what matters most to you?
I love the phrase “small acts multiplied by millions can transform this world” and genuinely believe that is the case. There is so much going on in the world, which may sometimes leave us feeling overwhelmed and anxious. I do my best to focus on the things I can actually change and ways I can help or encourage others to do so. I have become more focused on sustainability and use my Instagram account @chroniclesofnanja to share the changes my family and I are making to gradually live a greener life. Some of these may be very small, but I believe if we all make some changes, it’s collectively going to make a big impact.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I work fulltime as a social media manager in Houston and absolutely love my job and team. I started my career about ten years ago in brand management and gradually focused more on social media. First through my blog Chronicles of Nanja and later also in my job. We moved quite a bit for my husband’s job, giving us the opportunity to discover more of the world. However, it also meant that I had to change jobs a couple of times. Adjusting to a new city, making new friends and trying to find a job sometimes felt overwhelming. Especially in Houston as I mainly had experience within CPG and the beauty industry, which Houston is not really known for. I discovered the importance of networking and how helpful it is for gaining more insight into what companies and roles could be a good fit. I also believe it helped that I had started my blog to build a portfolio and demonstrate my love for social media. You may not find your ideal job immediately and it can change overtime, but by gradually working towards your goal in your professional and personal life, I believe you can get there.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are so many great places in Houston, and I love sharing my favorite spots on Instagram. For the weekend I would plan a trip to the Houston Botanic Garden or Eastern Glades in Memorial Park. Both are so beautiful and perfect to let kids run around and play. Depending on the weekend, we would probably stop by the Heights Mercantile farmers market and pick up a coffee at the new Forth and Nomad coffee shop across the street. For brunch, I would look for a place with a patio or order takeout–Common Bond and Squable are two of my current favorites. I’d also book tickets for the Rooftop Cinema Club drive-in; they just opened a new location in EaDo!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give a shoutout to my husband, Pascal. We met in the Netherlands, our home country, and moved to London and later to Houston for his job. We both love the adventure and it allowed us to spend a lot of time together and build a life in a new city. In many things we are opposites, and we really balance each other out. But we also have a lot of common interests and share the same outlook on life. Seeing how much of a daddy’s girl our daughter is, makes me even more convinced that I chose right.

Website: http://www.chroniclesofnanja.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chroniclesofnanja/

Image Credits
@chroniclesofnanja