Shama Hyder was ahead of her time when she decided she wanted a career in social media.
Shama Hyder graduated at the top of her class — twice — and still faced 18 job rejections after receiving her master’s. The problem? She wanted to go into social media marketing before social media had become an integral part of every business — no one really knew what it was yet. So she started to blog, which turned into the bestselling book The Zen of Social Media Marketing and clients came knocking on her door asking her to help them with their online presence.
Today, Hyder is the CEO of Marketing Zen Group, and she’s been recognized as a leader in digital marketing trends by Business Week, Forbes, Bloomberg,Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. She has traveled the world as a keynote speaker — leading discussions everywhere from the White House to Cairo — and is a regular contributor to Fox Business, CBS, and MSNBC.
Hyder, 29, reflects on the value of a bicultural education, the motivation that comes from rejection, and the joys of a virtual office…
Get That Life: How I Started My Own Digital Marketing Business
