Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameo Waters.
Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
It’s been an exciting journey falling into the Tourism and Marketing Industry. My story began when the University of Tennessee accepted me into their school of Architecture. After some time, I decided it was not my career path. But through this, I discovered my passion for design and photography. I switched my major to Communication Studies and became a concert photographer. I photographed concerts throughout Knoxville, but my favorite venues to shoot were the Tennessee Theatre and Bijou Theatre. This made for an exciting and also unique college experience. I was soon connected with Visit Knoxville through a mentor at Adopt A Golden, a Golden Retriever rescue where I was volunteering. I began as an intern for Visit Knoxville, then was contracted to assist with photography, blogging, creative marketing strategies, and website and visitor guide redesign. This was the first time I saw a future within the tourism industry. I remember sitting in my little cubicle on the second floor of the Visit Knoxville offices downtown, curiously peering into my supervisor’s office, hanging on to every word she’d say, hoping I could have a job like hers one day. After graduation, I bought a one-way ticket to Oregon, spent a couple of weeks there, then drove from Oregon to Tennessee. The highlight of my trip was visiting every wild mustang corral operated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Being an animal lover and an owner of a mustang from the BLM, this was an unbelievable experience for me. Days after returning from my trip, I received a call for an interview with the Town of Jonesborough. Just four months after graduation, I accepted the position of Tourism and Marketing Director for the Town of Jonesborough at 22. In August 2018, I took on the Main Street Director role in addition to my Tourism role with the Town. Currently, I spend most of my time overseeing marketing initiatives, planning events, working closely with downtown business owners, and, my favorite part, inspiring visitors to plan a trip to Jonesborough.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
With any journey, we’ll face bumps in the road and big trials. This provides a beautiful opportunity for the good times to feel even sweeter and to discover the people who will grab our hands and take us down the right path when we’re unsure. There have been many people who have done this for me. I’m extremely blessed to have mentors who are top industry performers and willing to share their wisdom with me. They taught me how to grow and seek true joy in everything I do, even in life’s difficulties. I am prayerful that I will have the opportunity to do this for others and to allow the encouragement my mentors showed me to trickle down.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Jonesborough makes my job easy because of the many tourism assets. We have everything from a well-preserved downtown to a thrilling water park and a collection of locally owned businesses to various events throughout the year. Walking down Main Street, you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. It’s truly a dream town for the market. Being Tennessee’s Oldest Town, Jonesborough is rich with history seen through gorgeous architecture and shared stories. We are also The Storytelling Capital of the World, hosting the International Storytelling Festival each October, where thousands come from all over the world to experience the art form of storytelling. We are a small town that does big things. As the Tourism and Main Street Director, I focus on inspiring visitors to plan trips to Jonesborough and support our downtown businesses. Many tentacles sprout from these two focus areas, everything from digital marketing, social media strategies, PR, government relations, events, creative services, business recruitment and retention, downtown beautification, and strategic planning.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
The best advice I recently received was from someone I deeply admire within the tourism industry. We had dinner together and what they shared with me changed everything. They were highly vulnerable in sharing their past and their brokenness. They revealed that it’s okay to be broken because we all are, but there is hope. They displayed the beauty in vulnerability and the healing that comes with it. As they shared, it was as if they were holding up a mirror revealing things about myself I could not put into words. They made me realize that struggles and pain are worth the growth and genuine relationships we develop.
Contact Info:
- Website: Jonesborough.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonesborough/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoricJonesborough
