Carlos does landscaping. His social media was the same as every other landscaper's: before/after photos, seasonal tips, promotional posts. Fine, but completely forgettable.
He took an intro journalism course because his daughter was considering journalism school and he wanted to understand it. The instructor spent two weeks on finding story angles—looking at the same event or topic from unexpected perspectives.
How he applied it
Carlos stopped posting standard content and started looking for angles. Instead of "Spring Cleanup Tips" he'd post "Why your neighbors hate your magnolia tree (and what to do about it)." Instead of before/after photos, he'd tell the story of why the client let their yard get that way in the first place.
He found angles in everything: the economics of native plants versus exotic ones, how weather patterns three years ago affect what's dying now, what landscape choices say about neighborhood demographics.
What happened
His content got shared. Other landscapers followed him. Local news picked up one of his posts about drought-resistant yards. His business inquiries increased 45% year-over-year.
The skill? Curiosity structured by method. That's what journalism teaches.