Jessica Walden
Rock Candy Tours
Macon, GA USA
"So many times we think we have to go to the big city to get the big job, but sometimes it’s our small towns that need us the most."
Career Roadmap
Jessica's work combines: Journalism, Music, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Make the best of every situation. You may not be doing what you want, where you want, but finding the silver lining might end up opening doors to something truly great.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Journalism
Georgia State University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Born and raised in Macon, Georgia—both her father and uncle are Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductees, well-known for working with artists like Otis Redding, Al Green, and The Allman Brothers Band.
2.
Moved to Atlanta to attend Georgia State University as a journalism major with dreams of writing for popular magazines—but began to rethink her decision after a disastrous internship.
3.
While still in school, she got a part-time job working for her uncle’s record label, answering phones and working in the publicity department helping to promote artists.
4.
She loved the public relations work she was doing, but with the rise of Napster and the digital music age, her uncle’s label started failing, and she realized her job wouldn’t last long.
5.
Saw an add in the paper for a public relations position at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon—she applied, got the job, and left her new life in Atlanta to return to her hometown.
6.
With the dream of still becoming a reporter, she turned down a promotion at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in order to become an editor at a small independent newspaper.
7.
Helped launch Georgia Music Magazine, which was instrumental in helping to revitalize downtown Macon.
8.
When the Georgia Music Hall of Fame closed, she and her husband decided to open Rock Candy Tours—they recognized that the musical soul of Macon wasn’t contained solely within a museum.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I have no idea what I am doing.
How I responded:
As a person in business with themselves, I feel like a fraud all the time and constantly second guess my decisions and abilities. But, that's all part of the journey. If what you are doing doesn't excite you enough to induce that little bit of fear, then it's not worth it. Fear is a great motivator.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I struggled a lot with moving back home after living in Atlanta for college. I felt like going back to my small town was a step back and that there wasn't anything there for me. It took me awhile to realize what my town had to offer.
I am the first person in my family to go to college and I don't think my parents had any idea what going to college was going to do for me.