Conversations with Christen McGregor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christen McGregor

Hi Christen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
During these last two decades two of my biggest passion points have been technology and Japan. I came into adulthood when you needed a University e-mail for Facebook. New technology continued to emerge and not long after Facebook came the original iPhone. I remember watching the keynote in my dorm at the University of Michigan, in awe at this cool new piece of tech that I just needed to get my hands on. I knew from that moment that I wanted to surround myself around technology but didn’t quite know how my new-found love for Japan would fit.

Fast forward to graduating in 2009 with a B.A. in Psychology and two study abroad programs under my belt, but I didn’t have a job lined up. My heart was set on working in Japan for at least 1-year. Most ex-pats begin their journey as an English teacher and that’s exactly what I did. I knew this wasn’t going to be a long-term job and living in rural Japan wasn’t helping my chances getting into a larger organization. So, after 3 years in Shiga Prefecture and meeting an amazing friend, who also happens to be in a major Japanese rock band, I packed up to move to Tokyo.

My first few months in Tokyo felt like a fever dream. That rock-band friend and I spent many evenings that turned to mornings, discussing our philosophy on life, career, and what truly drives us. One of these mornings is so etched in my memory that when I recall it, it’s like I’m still sitting in the cab driving towards Shibuya station with the city beginning to bustle around us. What we concluded from this conversation was our aligning desire to help those around us anyway we could.

I remained dedicated to merging my two completely different worlds of tech and Japan by using that pivotal September conversation as my North Star in life and career. It paid off in 2017 when I got the call from Apple that I was accepted into the Apple Store Leader Program, after a three month process and one intense group interview, Finally, after seven years in Japan I felt content in my career and personal life.

After 11-years in Japan, I decided it was time to say goodbye. Now that I’m beginning to settle in Michigan, I want to maintain those internal flames for Japan and tech by sharing content on those subjects on YouTube and TikTok. In particular, I want to bring recognition on these outlets to local Japanese cafes and restaurants in Southeastern Michigan. Although I primarily focus on video content, I’m expanding into the world of photography as well, with the goal of showcasing local food and small businesses.

There are still some nuances that I’m working through but I’m excited for this new journey.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest struggles recently have been finding a niche/target market and time constraints. I’m trying to find a balance for sharing both personal/lifestyle content centered around Japan and Michigan as well as tech related news/reviews.

As for time constraints, I work full-time as a Project Specialist and have a 2-year-old son. It can be difficult organizing the time to properly plan, edit, and upload content.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Outside of making content, my main job is working as a Project Specialist. I work cross-collaboratively with Project Managers and Engineers to setup and kick-off projects for our customers. This career ties in very well with my side business creating content because I utilize similar hard skills when planning and organizing my video backlog.

Prior to my Project Specialist role, I worked for 6-years at Apple. A majority of that time was as a manager for retail stores in both Japan and California. Through my tenure at Apple, I honed skills in developing direct reports by utilizing Korn Ferry competencies and leading internal and external hiring. What makes me the most proud of this time at Apple is the numerous times colleagues reached out for development consultations and interview preparation. It’s amazing seeing someone grow in their career and being part of that journey to provide support and guidance.

My goal is to utilize these experiences to grow my business. My skills in a customer-facing role will allow me the ability to connect well with local businesses and potential clients. Since I’ve been surrounded by tech in my professional life, I can easily talk to new and emerging technologies in an easy-to-digest manner, which is prudent for the video content I intend to continue creating. I’m also bilingual and can communicate on a business-level in Japanese, which will be immensely useful when approaching local Japanese businesses.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Technology and social media are constantly shifting and changing. Some of these are geopolitical changes, which could impact myself and other content creators who upload to TikTok.

AI will also cause changes for content creators, and already has to some extent. Specifically, GenAI has been a major topic for creators because there are some great advantages to it but also extreme drawbacks.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.christenjane.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techychristen/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@techychristen