5 Questions with M.E. Gray, MSPC Associate Content Director

MSPC associate content director M.E. Gray brings editorial plans and digital marketing strategies to life for MSPC clients like Cub Foods and U.S. Bank (plus dabbles in graphic design and art direction). She has a BFA from Florida State University.

In this edition of 5 Questions, we get to learn more about M.E.:

Breakfast or dinner? Describe your ideal meal.

I love breakfast so much I’ll frequently have it for dinner. Ideally, a butter biscuit smothered in vegan sausage gravy with scrambled eggs, cheese grits and a cup of too-hot coffee (with cream).

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

From the get-go I said I was going to be an artist. I didn’t know what being an artist looked like career-wise, but my dad painted and I loved to draw, so that’s what I went with. That was the plan all the way up until I graduated with a BFA in studio art, then decided, “Nah. Art isn’t for me.”

What has been your favorite MSPC project and why?

In winter 2019 I was the executive editor for the TBSP account on General Mills. We produced our first Instagram TV series based on a campaign originally created by Kayla Knudson called, “Holiday Hacks,” which featured a festive tip or trick in every episode. It was a hugely collaborative effort as we were shooting on location—something this team hadn’t done together before.

Doing the series was a huge hurdle for me because it meant I needed to speak on camera, and that is not on-brand for me. Once we started filming, however, we got our rhythm (hugely in part to our producer, Keely Doyle). The end product was a success, and I feel like the energy on set came across in the videos. It was a blast.

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self or someone earlier in their career path?

Don’t be afraid to switch lanes. Even if, like me, from ages 4 to 24 you said you were going to be an artist, that might not actually be the right path for you. It’s better that you change lanes now versus farther down the road, as it were.

What skill, hobby, experience, etc., do you have that would surprise people?

I was homeschooled until the 10th grade. If that explains anything.

Read next: How to Be a Great Digital Content Marketer: 9 Pieces of Unsolicited Advice