Today we’d like to introduce you to Joyce’Alyn ‘Joy’ Payne.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in a small town in South Carolina (shout out Clinton and the whole 864), and my family relocated to New York City when I was around three years old. All my schooling was done here in NYC. Walking across the street to elementary school, taking the train to middle school, traveling upstate to attend a SUNY college, completing my first masters degree at St. John’s University in Jamaica, Queens. Everyday I woke up in living the New York dream until 2020. When the world shut down, the city that raised me became a quiet, desolate, dreary place. In search of myself as I had just hit my mid 20s I packed up and flew south. Driving into Houston, Texas with no apartment lined up, no friends or family, just me, my belongings and my faith. For the next few years, Houston stretched me, challenged me, and required me to grow in ways I couldn’t imagine. I decided to return to school and obtain my MBA from Rice University. I chose to concentrate my focus on a familiar topic- marketing and post graduation I accepted a full time role in NYC as an associate brand manager for a global spirits brand.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am a faithful person and truly live with the understanding that everything happens for a reason.
Life wouldn’t be life if there weren’t challenges. Ultimately, each obstacle or moment of adversity has gotten me to where I am today. One of the greatest examples was being choosing to move to a state I had not visited. While I made this decision, did not mean it wasn’t tough. I spent countless hours contemplating if I had made the right decision but this decision truly helped me jump from self-sufficient to independent. For that, I will always be grateful.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a marketer by trade and I am known for emphasizing the importance of understanding the all encompassing nature of the function.
As someone who has worked in sales, project management, digital product creation, and now innovation – I understand more and more the importance of being a Jill of all Scotts (Jack of all trades).
With all, I am still most known for networking – which is what I am most proud of. I love my work, I love marketing and storytelling, but building and sustaining genuine connections is what’s truly important to me and it shows through my network and conversations. At the end of the day, I believe in building a relationship that values life outside work.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
My values + achieving the desired outcome genuinely = success
In life, I’ve learned that success is extremely personal and defined by our own perspectives. What I value and how I approach those goals will determine if I am successful, not necessarily if I have $30 million dollars in my bank account (although I would love that).
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joycealynp_?igsh=bnJoZDJ2cW4wZmp1&igsi=bnJoZDJ2cW4wZmp1&utm_source=qr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycealynpayne?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios
