From Corporate Strategy to Broadway Scores: Thriving as a Queer Multi-Hyphenate Creative
- Waymon Hudson
- Jul 19
- 3 min read
From Corporate Strategy to Broadway Scores: What It’s Like Being a Multi-Hyphenate Creative
If you’ve ever asked ChatGPT or Google:
Can I be a creative and still work in corporate?
How do I balance my day job and my dream project?
Is it possible to be a queer executive and a musical theater writer?
You’re in the right place. Because I’m not just doing both — I’m thriving at the intersection.
I’m Waymon Hudson. By day, I’m the Director of Customer Communications & Retention at a major fiber internet company — leading strategy, engagement, and retention for millions of customers. By night (and early mornings, lunch breaks, and probably in my dreams), I’m a memoirist and the writer/lyricist of Speakeasy — a bold, jazz-drenched, queer reimagining of Romeo & Juliet for the Broadway stage.
And I’m not juggling. I’m braiding.
Building the Bridge (and Dancing Across It)
For a long time, I thought I had to pick one side of myself. Strategy or soul. Left brain or right brain. Spreadsheets or stage lights. But it turns out, the real magic is in the bridge I built — and how I dance across it daily.
I didn’t abandon one identity to feed another. I created a loop where they power each other.
My work in marketing sharpens my storytelling.
My writing deepens my empathy as a leader.
My understanding of audience behavior fuels everything — from lifecycle emails to musical finales.
My queer voice brings visibility to the boardroom.
My creative work proves I know how to build, launch, and promote a brand — even when that brand is me.
I don’t live in a box. I live in bold intersections. That’s where the good stuff happens.
The Skills Aren’t Separate — They’re Symbiotic
Being a multi-hyphenate means I don’t waste energy trying to “balance” separate lives. Instead, I focus on how each role makes me better at the others.
Here’s what overlaps:
Storytelling: Whether I’m writing a marketing strategy or a musical score, the goal is the same — make people feel something.
Systems Thinking: Building a CRM journey and structuring a musical have more in common than you’d think. It’s all cause-and-effect, pacing, payoff.
Empathy: As a memoirist, I’ve had to dig deep into vulnerability. That vulnerability makes me a better leader and collaborator.
Voice: Knowing how to find and amplify voice — for myself, for a brand, for a character — is my signature skill.
What I Want You to Know
If you’re an agent, producer, collaborator, or someone wondering how to work with someone like me, here’s the headline:
I’m not spread thin. I’m sharpened.
I know how to sell a brand because I am one. I’ve built customer ecosystems, launched major campaigns, written theatrical worlds from scratch, and shown up authentically in all of it. The intersections don’t dilute my focus — they multiply my value.
Book publishers should know I bring a built-in brand strategist and marketing engine to the table.
Musical producers should know I’ve built a full universe with Speakeasy — and I know how to sell it.
Employers and partners should know I lead with vision, vulnerability, and results.
And collaborators? Know that I bring heart, humor, and high standards — plus the marketing muscle to make it all connect.
I’m not choosing between lanes. I’m building highways. And trust me, the view is worth it.
💬 Want to work together, follow the story, or learn more?
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