Kate Weiser is a newbie to the job world kicking off her career working in marketing for the Boston based cafe, Life Alive. When not at Life Alive, Kate is growing her own following on @bucketlistboston on Instagram and on her blog Bucket List Boston. With over a 17k following, Kate’s freshman year social media adventure has turned into a full-on side hustle post-grad.

Meet Kate!

Q: What do you do for work?

Kate: I work in-house for Life Alive as their Marketing Manager. I do social media, emails, flyers, signage, events, merchandising - all that good stuff.

Q: Were there any classes at Boston University that helped you get where you are?

Kate: I studied public relations in the College of Communication (COM). I had concentrations in journalism and computer science. Then I was also in the Kilachand Honors College. In Kilachand we do a keystone project and mine was creating a website for Bucket List Boston. 

Q: Tell us about the process of creating BLB - do you consider it a side hustle or more of a hobby?

Kate: Definitely my side hustle, but it's also fun, which makes it a hobby too. I started the blog my freshman year of college when I realized I had been taking a bunch of photos on my phone of Boston. I had really wanted to be a member of the Instagram community @IGBoston. So, I applied on my personal Instagram and they gave me feedback that I didn't have enough of Boston, which made sense because it was my Instagram. So I took a few months to deliberate over the feedback that I had received. I came back for second semester with the idea that I would create an Instagram account solely for my Boston photos. That way when I applied the next time, I couldn't get the same feedback because it would only be Boston. From there I started to post the photos I had already taken. I found that classmates of mine would approach me in the dining hall and study lounges and say, "the post of the day makes my day, thank you for showing me what there is outside of the BU Bubble. I was stuck before but now I am encouraged and inspired to go outside of that." It was comments like these that showed me that what I was doing was actually fulfilling a niche and that I should keep doing it. That encouraged me to try to go out and shoot every single day and get off campus. That is the mindset that I held with me for all four years at BU and I did my best to really break out of the BU bubble and explore the city. 

Q: How do you think Bucket List Boston has affected your career path?

Kate: It's completely changed my career path. I feel really lucky that upon graduation, I had options of where I could go, what city I’d be in and the kind of role I would hold. I completely credit all of the options that I had to this blog because it allowed me to grow as an individual and as an entrepreneur. It allowed me to experience owning a business while I was in college. It was a totally separate venture that I was doing besides studying for tests, going to class, and hanging out with friends. It allowed me to meet new people, and it totally changed my trajectory.

Q: So what would a productive day look like for you? Whether it be with Bucket List Boston or with Life Alive?

Kate: I would wake up in the morning and probably go to a coffee shop to get some photos for Bucket List Boston and then head over to Life Alive. I work both from the cafes and from The Wing: a women's co-working space in Back Bay. It's beautiful and makes working fun. I usually go back and forth between the two and bang out some photoshoots at Life Alive in between. An ideal day is getting to meet guests, share my experience and hear about their Life Alive experience, too. 

Q: What brings you the most joy with both of your pursuits?

Kate: I think it comes back to people and hearing their stories and sharing mine.  I am lucky to have a really deep community in Boston, which is cool because I'm from New York. Knowing that when I walk down the street or go anywhere in Boston I'll see a face that I know is an amazing feeling.

Q: What would your advice be for someone who's in college or just got out of college who wants to do marketing, social media, or photography?

Kate: Believe in yourself. Honestly, just know that you need to have faith in yourself and in your capabilities and your skills before anyone else will. Then, if you strive with confidence and know that you're doing it and you're doing it right, you will eventually get to the place you want to be. But that is a process and a practice and it's trial and error. It just takes time to believe in yourself.

Q: What was it like adjusting to adult-ing?

Kate: It was not tricky. I feel really lucky. I'm living with my best friend that I met at BU and we're living nearby to campus. Her sister is a freshman at BU, so we are very much connected to the community. Additionally, because I spent a good amount of time in school off-campus exploring it doesn't feel that different. I feel very grateful that it hasn't been a tricky transition.

Q: What would be an average workday outfit would be for you? What makes you feel good and what makes you feel productive?

Kate: My Doc Martens are my staple. I love wearing those especially when it gets colder out, I can pull them out and wear them every single day. I love comfy sweaters, fun colors. Currently, my favorite sweater is a goldish-mustard color for fall. I love jeans and denim, so as much as I can wear them I will. So, I’ve been wearing my Canadian tuxedo a lot pairing my fuzzy Levi's jean jacket with jeans. 

Thank you for sitting down with Holdette Kate!

Loved learning about this awesome woman? Stay tuned for our next post where we'll have a chance to sit down with more working ladies!