Humans of Mac-KC-Teejay Hughes

This week’s Humans of Mac feature comes from Park Central apartments resident, Teejay Hughes. Teejay has been to 23 countries, and embraces a life of culture. He has gained 36,000 followers on Instagram as a lifestyle influencer. Check him out @TEEJAYHUGHES, and enjoy his interview below:

Who are you and how long have you been a resident at Mac?

Hi there, I’m Teejay. I moved into Mac Properties last October, so I’ve been here for about 6 months.

Where you from and what are brought you to KC?

I was born in Saint Louis, Missouri, and grew up in the suburbs – just outside the city. I came to Kansas City for school. I was originally going to go to California – where the majority of my family lives – but I was offered a full ride to the university here, so I figured: “No debt > +15 years of loan payments.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

So, I really like clothes & traveling, so I’m probably going to do one of these four things:

Roaming the webs/social media for style inspiration. I love finding new/unique/trendy brands. I wouldn’t say, “Fashion is my passion”, I just enjoy looking for a refreshing style. Something new, something different.
Taking pictures—mostly travel & style photography. I’m a social media influencer for a few different brands. Basically brands will pay me to wear and take photos of their items, and then post them online. Not in a blogger sense (I hardly do reviews) more of just a visual look-book feel. My studio apartment actually doubles as a photography studio. I’ve got backdrops – that actually hang from the ceiling – that I can just drop down and have a photo shoot, hah.
Planning my next trip. Travel is SO important to me. I love it. I’ve always told myself I’m going to touch the 7 (or is it 6? Eurasia) continents before I die. So far, I’ve been to 5!
I’m big on backpacking trips. If it’s not longer than a month, I probably won’t go. I lived in Europe for a year, and I backpacked for 3.5 months straight. I learned how important it is to soak up the culture of a place, and 1 week is not nearly long enough to do so. It was an amazing experience, and I think everyone should take time out of their life to travel. I’m about to embark on another 3-month trip to Asia in May!

Describe yourself in three words.

I’m Teejay Hughes 🙂

What’s your biggest strength?

Numbers. I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to math & analytic. I love interpreting numbers into meaningful information.

What’s your biggest weakness?

Spelling & grammar. Hopefully someone reads over this, because I’m positive there are various typos, hah.

What are the biggest contributing factors that made you the person you are today?

The people in my life, and my perseverance to get what I want.

I’ve had amazing teachers, friends, mentors, and family help guide me throughout my life. I appreciate it so much, now that i’m older.
As for perseverance; I believe that luck is the opportunity unveiling itself, courage is what it takes to actually do it, and perseverance makes you successful.

Tell me about one of your favorite memories or stories in Kansas City.

I think about the first time I went to first Fridays. That’s when I realized this city has a lot of hidden culture. It’s a spectacular time to live in KC. I’ve lived here for 4 years, and the amount the city has grown culturally & economically is just unbelievable. You can’t find very many cities that have so much momentum, that you actually feel the growth over such a short period.

What do you enjoy most about living in a Mac Building?

I love the style. The old KC building vibes, mixed with the super modern interior. It just has so much character!

What are your life goals?

Touch all 7 continents. Be a CMO (Chief Marketing Officer). Add more value to other people’s lives than what others have added to mine.

Tell us something interesting about your job, personal life, and/or charity work.

I work in a Social Media Advertising Agency and it’s awesome. I work on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube all day. Not many people can say that!

It’s awesome too, since I’m a social media influencer for brands. I can provide ROI (return on investments) to those brands, because that’s what I do day-to-day at work for huge companies.

What would you like to share to the world and the residents of KC?

TRAVEL. Dive into the world. There is so much this planet & the people of this planet have to offer. It’s not going to travel to you, you have to travel to it.

If you ever have any questions about backpacking, feel free to reach out to me on social media! I’d love to share my tips on how I did it! It’s @TeejayHughes for everything.

What would you say to someone looking to live in this area?

KC has its hidden treasures. Go out and look for them, and share them with your friends & family!

Thanks for being a resident with us, Teejay. We wish you luck in your travels, and don’t forget to give us a shout when you get back. We should have a few new buildings open in Midtown Kansas City by then!

Photo Cred: @tofutoan – Instagram