Konah Williams knows how to spot a great story. With plenty of newsroom experience in both Indiana and Kentucky, she also knows what it takes to get people’s attention. Now she’s applying her skills to creating video content for Well Done clients. Read on to get to know what she’s all about.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I’m a Hoosier—born and raised—but my roots are international. My parents came to the U.S. from Sierra Leone in the 1970s for college. I grew up on the southside. I went to Franklin Township schools. I went to Purdue. Then I did a brief stint in California for an internship and another in Lexington, Kentucky, for a job. I moved back a few months before the pandemic. I’m the youngest of three girls, and I have five nieces. So there’s a lot of female energy in the Williams household.
Q: Do you like being an auntie?
A: I do. When I lived in Lexington, I was driving home almost every weekend for birthdays and graduations and plays and all of the things that you have to attend.
Q: What interested you about a career in production in the first place?
A: I’ve always loved to tell stories. Growing up, I wanted to be a lawyer or a writer. After studying for the LSAT, I decided that wasn’t the life for me. But being behind the scenes and shaping how stories come to life felt right.
Q: What makes a story compelling for you?
A: I like stories that make you think and feel.
Q: What’s the difference between thinking and feeling in terms of how a story lands on the audience?
A: A story that makes you think is one that sparks a new perspective on your life, or your situation, or the world around you. A story that makes you feel should help you empathize with the characters.
Q: Tell us about the work you were doing at WRTV before coming to Well Done.
A: I started producing the morning show—figuring out what happened overnight, assigning stories, putting the show together, building that framework, making sure everybody knew what they were supposed to do, where they were supposed to be, and what they were supposed to say. It was a lot to handle, but I loved doing it. Around a year ago, I switched over to our digital team where I continued to produce segments on-air, as well as the live stream for the web.
Q: Were you going out into the community or shooting in the studio?
A: Both. We shot some things in the studio, but I did get to go out into the community. One good example of that would be a story we did on a 10-year-old boy. He’s a twin, and his brother has autism. He wrote a book about how they’re twins, but they’re different. He wrote about what he was thinking, what he was feeling, and what he wanted people to know about autism and life as twins. Now his book has been turned into a movie.
Q: Wow. That kid sounds like a badass.
A: He really is. I met the twins at their home. On the digital team, our goal was to tell more community stories, not traditional news. It was an opportunity to go more in-depth.
Q: What caught your eye about the producer role at Well Done Marketing?
A: I was burned out on the news. I still want to tell stories, and I still want to focus on organizations doing good in our community. I stalked the website to see who you worked with and I thought, “Okay, this could be a cool place.”
Q: What excites and intimidates you about this new role?
A: It’s intimidating being in a new industry. Even though it’s similar, it’s a different workflow and pace. It’s exciting to be able to have the time and space to go deep into the work of specific clients. Here, you have the time to help craft their message and help them grow and reach new audiences.
Q: Are there any industries or Well Done clients you’re particularly excited about?
A: I was excited about the work with Tindley Accelerated Schools. My nieces went to Tindley. It was cool to see their messaging evolve. I understand where they were coming from in the beginning, but they evolved and grew. Their work with Well Done was another reason I thought this agency might be a good fit. I love Indianapolis, and I’m excited to have the chance to work with organizations impacting the city.
Q: What skills do you think will translate from that 24-hour news cycle into the agency?
A: Probably grit. Also project management. I’m into organizing. I’m a list maker, and I like checking things off. Being detail-oriented translates to both worlds. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to use my creativity in a different way. You have to figure out what’s going to pique your audience’s interest. Both jobs let you do a little bit of creative writing. Here, we have to figure out how we’re going to get people to watch or engage with our content or brand.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: I love to travel and explore. I want to visit all 50 states and all seven continents. Right now I’m at 29 and four. I also love to read, see concerts, spend time with my family and friends, hang out with my dogs, and I’m currently teaching myself how to play the ukulele.
Q: Where’s the last place you visited that you fell in love with?
A: Costa Rica. I just went in May. We went inland to the jungle for a few days, and then we visited the coast. It was beautiful. I would love to spend more time there. It’s just a different pace of life, and there’s just so much beauty out there.
Congrats on this new chapter, Konah! We can’t wait to see the dynamic stories you capture on behalf of our clients. We’re confident you’ll still find time to check a few more destinations off your bucket list when you’re not busy producing awesome videos for our clients.