Today we’d like to introduce you to Shayna Brody.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Shayna. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I wanted to be a marine biologist from about the time I could walk. Staying close to the ocean proved to be tricky growing up as a military-brat because my family moved to a new state every two years. I spent my childhood learning new cities and environments, from a small island off the coast of Florida to the red rocks of Utah to the granite peaks of the Sierra Nevadas. By the time my family settled in Colorado when I was in high school, I found myself extremely far from the coast.
I have always been drawn to photography and visual media. While I was away from the ocean, I dove headfirst into photography and videography, making films, entering photography shows, and running my schools news channel. I thought if I didn’t end up as a marine biologist, I wanted to be a photographer or filmmaker. In my wildest dreams, I would do both.
I did all I could to work my way closer to the future I envisioned despite living thousands of miles from an ocean. In high school, I volunteered at the Denver Aquarium I got SCUBA certified, volunteered in the Bahamas, worked at dog pounds, tiger sanctuaries, animal rescues and even found a landlocked ocean conservation non-profit, Colorado Ocean Coalition.
During this time, I went to college at the University of Colorado, Boulder and studied biology with a minor in photography & media. After working in several scientific labs (studying fish behavior as well as how fires affect forests), I ended up getting a grant to make short films about research going on at the university. I made several short films, contributed to a museum exhibit, and event placed in an environmental film contest.
After college, I worked as a research assistant in South Africa and New Zealand, studying the population and behavior of whales, specifically a little-known species called the Bryde’s whale. I got to spend my days on a small boat searching for whales and photographing them. After spending almost a year abroad, I returned home and worked at a photography store doing graphic design and developing film.
I moved to Los Angeles and worked for a startup called Lumi, and was around as it scaled from 4 employees to over 30, with some great growing experiences like being featured on the TV show Shark Tank and going through the Silicon Valley startup accelerator program, Y-combinator. While I loved the fast-paced environment of a start-up, I knew I needed to return to my original path and decided to go to grad school at Scripps Institution of Oceanography to get a master’s in marine conservation. During my time in grad school, I made a short documentary, became a drone pilot, and started as an intern for an ocean conservation non-profit, the Waitt Institute. After graduating got hired full time at the Waitt Institute, and I have been there for the past 3 years. It’s safe to say it’s my dream job.
Great, 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?
The road that is my career has been quite a windy one, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. While all of my jobs may have seemed random at the time, they have given me the unique skill-set that qualifies me for my work today. If I had specialized early on or only stuck to one thing, I would never be prepared for what I do now.
In today’s world, you need to have a variety of skills to land a job. So my advice to someone just starting out is, be the “Jack of All Trades and Master of None.” Being proficient without being an expert helps keep your options open, allows you to stay challenged and engaged in your work, and is appreciated at many types of jobs from businesses to non-profits.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you feel passionate about what you’re doing. You spend the majority of your waking adult life at work, it is important to believe in your work, enjoy your coworkers, and feel challenged and inspired by your job. It’s hard to find all these things right away, but that is the goal I always strive for.
Remember that nothing happens overnight. I spent my lifetime gathering the experiences that have brought me current job. I like to think of different jobs and learning opportunities as planting seeds – you never know which opportunities will bloom from them, and it’s never immediate. You have to be patient.
What should we know about Waitt Institute, Salty Cinema, Shell & Bones Media? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am lucky enough to say I have my dream job. I work in ocean conservation doing media and communications. That means that I use photography, videography, graphic design, web design, social media, and writing to help people around the world understand the importance of protecting our oceans. I’m known for my work at the Waitt Institute & Foundation, my photography (especially wildlife and drone photography), and an ocean-themed film series I co-founded called Salty Cinema.
Waitt Institute
I am the Director of Media & Communications for an ocean conservation non-profit called the Waitt Institute. Our ultimate goal is to protect oceans worldwide while benefiting people and local communities. Currently, we have partnerships with eight countries – two in the Atlantic: Bermuda and the Azores, three in the Caribbean: Barbuda, Monsterrat, and Curaçao, two in the Pacific: Tonga and Micronesia, and one in the Indian Ocean: the Maldives.
I travel about 40% of the year for work, so an incredible part of my job is visiting each wonderful place, getting to learn from the people, and experiencing the rich culture, environment, and history. When I’m in the field you can find me flying a drone collecting aerial footage, interviewing local partners, planning and running events, or diving to get underwater photos and videos. When I’m in the office, I could be writing a press release, editing a video, designing a poster, or writing a media strategy. My next trip will be a scientific expedition to the Maldives, where we will scuba dive to assess the health of coral reefs and fish in the area. I’ll be filming underwater to put together a video that will be used to explain the underwater world in this area and the importance of protecting it.
My job never fails to challenge me and bring me new and exciting experiences. In the past three years I’ve done hurricane relief when Category 5 Hurricane Irma that hit the island of Barbuda, went SCUBA diving at some of the most remote islands on the planet to study coral reefs, gone fishing with local families in the South Pacific, and photographed flamingoes in the Caribbean, and a few months ago I even got to photograph environmental hero and leader, Greta Thunberg, and so much more. It has been eye-opening to interact with so many diverse cultures and really helped me realize that we are all human and dealing with the same trials and tribulations no matter where we’re from.
Over the past year with my job at the Waitt Institute, I’ve worked to launch the Blue Prosperity Coalition, a global network of experts working to protect 30% of the ocean while benefiting the economy and environment at the same time. Members of the coalition include leaders in the ocean conservation space including National Geographic Pristine Seas, Ocean Unite, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCLA and many more.
The global movement to protect 30% of the world’s oceans will not only protect important environments like coral reefs and mangroves but also help to mitigate the effects of climate change, as healthy ecosystems are carbon sinks and help protect coastlines from large storms like hurricanes. It feels like an important time in history when we have a small window to make some big changes to protect our environment before it’s too late, and I feel honored to be working with so many talented people and organizations.
https://www.waittinstitute.org/
Salty Cinema
I think there is often a disconnect between scientific research and what reaches the public, and one of my main goals in life is to help science be communicated in an exciting and digestible way. While I was studying at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, me and four friends started an event series called Salty Cinema. Salty Cinema is film night featuring an expert panel, and happy hour. The idea is to use film to introduce an important topic in ocean conservation, and then bring in the real experts who can answer questions and provide actionable solutions. I think often times we all feel aware of the problems facing the world, but don’t have great options for how to fix them. The goal of Salty Cinema is to raise awareness about different topics while leaving people more informed and ready to tackle the problem. Plus, we often get local craft beer donated so you can have a drink while speaking with the panelists or while perusing exhibits related to the topic. We’ve done topics such as coral reefs, the Arctic, plastic pollution, and offshore drilling. Most recently we had an event about the deep sea and the threats facing it, which had more than 300 attendees!
https://www.facebook.com/SaltyCinema1/
Shell & Bones Media
I started Shell & Bones Media where I do photography and videography in my spare time, my job with Waitt keeps me pretty busy! About once a year, you can me catch me at an art show in San Diego. I also shoot concerts and events, and the occasional weddings, engagements, and other photoshoots for friends and family.
When I’m not working, you can probably find me at the beach with my dog Jose or at a concert or music festival.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
When it comes to networking, I feel like getting involved is better than “networking” itself. I have always had a lot more success volunteering or interning to get to know people and organizations rather than attending networking events or conferences. The important part is participation, if people see you are taking action and working towards your goals you will be a lot more desirable than someone just showing up and asking what the best next steps for their career are.
At the same time, don’t be afraid to reach out! I spent a lot of my early years identifying people who had the career I wanted and learning from them. A lot of times, I felt nervous to get in touch with them, but in the end I never regretted reaching out. Even if it’s as simple as grabbing a coffee with them, they might have great advice for places to apply, programs to enroll in, or experience to gain. I will never forget the people along the way who gave me advice or led me in the right direction, and I’m always happy to spend time grabbing a coffee or speaking on the phone to help someone who’s just starting their career.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3268 Via Marin #39
La Jolla, CA 92037 - Website: shaynabrody.com
- Phone: 7192295237
- Email: shayna.brody@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaynabrody/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shayna.brody
Image Credit:
Volcano photo by Dwight Sampson. Tahiti photo by Derek Smith. All other photos by Shayna Brody.
Emanuel Gonçalves
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