Introduction and Who Is Tyus
Taryell Simmons: This is Taryell Simmons. Welcome, everybody, to another episode of Rise Urban Nation. We got family in the building, y'all: my nephew, Tyus Sheppard. I'm just gonna call you Ty. Where are you joining us from?
Tyus Sheppard: What's up, everybody? I'm at my house in Las Vegas, Nevada. I'm born and raised here, and it's hot as hell down here.
Taryell Simmons: It is hotter than fish grease out there. Shout out to your mom, Vonda. She told me, "You need to connect with Ty. He's running campaigns, and you should have seen the project he just finished for school. He's about to run the world." She is your biggest supporter. So for the people who don't know you, who is Tyus?
Tyus Sheppard: That's a hard question. I am someone who is very politically active. I am very creative, I love people, my friends and my family. I'm an all-around person who wants the best for this world. That's who I am at my core.
Growing Up Political: Flip the Script and Harry Reid
Taryell Simmons: I never thought I'd see the day you'd be into politics. Who put this battery in your back?
Tyus Sheppard: My mom definitely has very big political opinions. So does my brother, and my dad has his opinions for sure. But I've always been political and doing community work, especially with LGBTQ issues and Black Lives Matter issues. Even in high school I wrote letters to our senator.
Taryell Simmons: Those issues are dear to my heart. I'm a proud ally, and if you're Black in American society, I'm rooting for you. Tell me the high school story.
Tyus Sheppard: It was about anti-bullying. I was bullied severely growing up for being gay, and we were trying to pass a cyberbullying law here in Nevada. Through an organization called Flip the Script, where I was heavily active, I was asked to write a letter to Harry Reid about my story. Now I'm still working in a nonprofit, HeadCount.org. It's nonpartisan, and it's about getting people to go out and vote.
Voter Turnout, Save the Vote and Voting Rights
Taryell Simmons: I feel like the last time our people really got out to vote in big waves was when Obama was in office. Why do you think people were more active then?
Tyus Sheppard: Actually, the recent election with Biden had the biggest turnout, and I think that had to do with Trump in office and 2020 being a huge year for the Black Lives Matter movement. With Obama, seeing a Black man become the first president of the United States, people wanted representation from someone they saw themselves in, and he gave them that drive. Now it's kind of the opposite: a lot of young voters are coming out because of the policies and what is happening in our world.
Taryell Simmons: I loved that big push in Georgia. What concerns me is whether we'll still have that push with all of the voter repression laws. How does your organization tackle those issues?
Tyus Sheppard: Last year I was a big part of HeadCount's campaign, and I was actually hired based off of it. It was called Save the Vote. No matter what party you are, we want you to come out and vote. The campaign got people to call their representatives and ask what they are specifically doing about voting laws and better access to the ballot. There are so many suppressive voting laws passing right now. In Mississippi, ten percent of the voting population can't even vote, a lot of them because of felony convictions, and the majority of the people affected are people of color. The scary thing is that federally we can't get even a simple voting law passed.
Taryell Simmons: I'm getting an education lesson myself. And the leaked notes about possibly repealing Roe v. Wade have me in all sorts of disarray.
Tyus Sheppard: We really have to keep an eye on it, especially since gay marriage was ruled on through the Supreme Court, and decisions on the Voting Rights Act completely changed voting rights. Well over fifty percent of Americans want people to have the right to an abortion, and people are upset not just with Republicans but also with Democrats, because they feel nothing is being done to protect women's right to their bodies.
Taryell Simmons: It becomes a slippery slope to other rights. What excites me is that at such a young age you're so invested in this. You are the future. What inspired you to take this career pathway?
Tyus Sheppard: Just life. Politics is life. Policies affect the way you can live your life. My mom, at one time a single mom, was a working-class citizen who slept on the floor for years and went through healthcare issues. Those are things I personally care about, and many Americans do too. 2020 was the year I decided, "I want to make a full career out of this."
First Jobs and the Digital Coordinator Role
Taryell Simmons: It's not where you started, it's how you finish and the journey in between. I started from the bottom. What was your first job?
Tyus Sheppard: I started as a student worker in a law school library. At the time I was thinking about going to law school, and it was barely above minimum wage. Then, believe it or not, I went into student security, escorting students to their cars at night. And I worked in a restaurant. I've had many jobs. That first job taught me organization skills and communication from talking to law students. The basics of any job carry into any other job.
Taryell Simmons: So what's a day in the life of a digital coordinator? I have no idea what that means.
Tyus Sheppard: Every day is different. I work on political stuff, but I've got to keep it nonpartisan. I'm very partisan; my company's not. Today I was building social media ideas and writing email copy. It's very similar to marketing, just in the nonprofit world: getting information out to build awareness and engagement within our community.
Life Lessons from Family
Taryell Simmons: What are some good lessons life has given you?
Tyus Sheppard: My parents paved the way for me and my brother, who is a doctor. They pushed us to go to school and figure out what we wanted to do. My mom didn't push any religion or politics on us. She wanted us to have our own way of thinking, and I think that's the correct way of parenting: helping your child grow while letting them figure out who they are. My best friend has also been very supportive through college. The best lesson is not giving up on your dream. I know it's cliche, but I see my dad work endlessly to make our family life great, and my mom is the same way.
Breaking Into Digital Marketing for Good Causes
Taryell Simmons: Some young person will say, "I want to do digital marketing for causes for good." What advice would you give them?
Tyus Sheppard: You'll need a bachelor's degree, I believe. There are boot camps; UC Berkeley has some digital marketing boot camps. Internships are huge. I did not take internships, and it was a lot harder, because a lot of jobs ask for some sort of internship in digital marketing. Get to know people in the industry. There are digital media firms that don't do any politics and ones that lean left or right, so figure out where you fit. And there are free programs: you can go online and get certifications in Google Analytics, Google AdWords and Blueprint. They add to your resume, and anybody can do it.
Taryell Simmons: These are free? You heard it first from Ty. Beef up your resume and do what Ty says. What steps helped you get where you are today?
Tyus Sheppard: For sure my master's program. It has been eye-opening, my professors are a solid group, and I got my current job through it. Building connections is the way to go. Coming out of my bachelor's I was thinking about becoming a lawyer, but during the pandemic everything slowed down, so I took that time to think. One night I saw the political management master's program and said, "I need to apply for this." I talked with the president of our program, and he told me about our digital politics certification, with digital strategy and digital advertising classes. My overall dream is to be a digital strategist.
Taryell Simmons: What's the difference between a coordinator and a strategist?
Tyus Sheppard: The strategist is more of the media planner who creates the campaign plan. The coordinator does the creative side and writes the copy. Either way, you are going to be heard. I write a newsletter every week, and I'm working with my managers on how to get it bigger. They want to hear from me as a young person.
The Media Plan That Earned Recognition
Taryell Simmons: Thank God the pandemic slowed you down so you could reevaluate. Your mom told me about a project in your master's program that got you so much recognition.
Tyus Sheppard: In my digital advertising class, I wrote an entire media plan. My professor, who has worked in the field for a long time, emailed me that it was one of the best plans he's ever read. That told me I'm heading in the right direction. For managers listening: tell the people who work for you how much you appreciate them, because they're the ones who really build these projects. You can have self-doubt about whether you're good enough. That day I felt good enough.
Taryell Simmons: I tell leaders to recognize employees the way they want to be recognized. Not a blanket "great job," but "Tyus, I really appreciate this thoughtful marketing plan that centered the Black community." Otherwise everybody gets a kudos, and it becomes lackluster.
Tyus Sheppard: It has to have substance. When I worked in a restaurant, I never felt appreciated the way people should be. Hearing those words can push someone to become someone completely new and give them that drive.
Taryell Simmons: That leadership creates the culture of where you work. You're always creating culture whether you want to or not.
The Future of Digital Media and Parting Words
Taryell Simmons: What does the future hold for your industry, especially for young Black professionals?
Tyus Sheppard: For Black individuals, this is a great career path. Everything's on social media. Activism and getting your voice heard happen through the platforms of our world, and there's never been a bigger time to reach a wider audience. Whether you're starting a business or working in politics, digital marketing is essential. Learning the basics of knowing your audience and how to market yourself or a company is the perfect place to start.
Taryell Simmons: I only started learning this during the pandemic. People said, "You should start a podcast," and this thing blew up. Now I've got people in Africa, London and Japan listening. In the digital space, the world becomes a lot smaller. Maybe one day I'll be able to afford your services.
Tyus Sheppard: It'll be free, it'll be on me. Right now at HeadCount we're in primary election season, working on getting out the vote, and I write a weekly newsletter called Democracy Defenders. Search "HeadCount" on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok or Facebook. We're working with Ariana Grande right now, and our primary objective is to work with music artists to get people to vote. On HeadCount.org you can check if you're registered, how to register and your state's election days. Personally, I'm on LinkedIn under my name and pretty active on Instagram.
Taryell Simmons: I'll put everything in the show notes. Any last words of inspiration?
Tyus Sheppard: Things are changing, and it's so important for young people to get involved in our communities. Voting is essential, as well as protesting for whatever you believe in. Get your voices heard.
Taryell Simmons: You heard it from my nephew. Get active, vote, share your voice. It all counts. Thank you, Ty, for being a voice for those who sometimes cannot be a voice for themselves. This is Taryell Simmons signing off. Thank you for joining another episode of Rise Urban Nation, and we'll see you next time.
