Member Spotlight: Dr. Zayna N. Bizri, owner of Aytch 3 Productions
Celebrating our Ohana!
We are proud of our OE Ohana! The Office Evolution Hillsboro business center is full of amazing entrepreneurs and remote employees who work hard and embrace the value of community. Throughout the month of July, we are celebrating Dr. Zayna N. Bizri, owner of Aytch 3 Productions. Zayna creates YouTube videos and written content on historical topics and digital teaching for college students, graduate students, and professional academics.
About Aytch 3 Productions
Online Learning Without Barriers
Aytch 3 Productions is an academic production company, where we produce academic level content freely available to all audiences. We are committed to educational equity and provide access to high-level academic work without a university credential.
Get to Know Zayna Bizri
Tell us more about your profession:
I’m a professional historian. I have a PhD in History, and my area of specialty is women in the US military in the 20th century. I focus on military society and military gender – that is, the structures of daily life in the military, and the unique forms of masculinity and femininity within that society. I’m a digital pedagogy specialist as well – I specialize in teaching online and its unique requirements. All of this is great, but it’s focused on the very small world of academia, and I know there’s a lot of interest in what I do outside of a university setting. Aytch 3 was born from my desire to share my work with a much wider audience, one that doesn’t have access to a university library or academic journals but still wants to learn about history. Aytch 3 launched officially in May, and the YouTube channel officially launched June 15. New videos post weekly at 9 am on Wednesdays – so as of July 1, there are 3 videos available for view, with a new one posting on July 6.
What is your favorite thing about your business?
My favorite part of Aytch 3 is the complete freedom to work on any topic I like. My interests are eclectic, and even though I studied a unique topic for my dissertation and first book, I enjoy learning about societies in general. There’s a video on the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty in the works, just because I think they’re fascinating.
What led you to your profession?
I went back to graduate school after a successful career in real estate – specifically title insurance. I was very good at my job, and I got to use my historical skills to clear titles. I got into the field a few years after college, after some time as a temp and as a legal assistant – and right at the start of the real estate boom of the early 2000s. I was still in the field when it went bust between 2006 and 2008. I decided that was the time to return to graduate school for at least my masters degree, to see if I still wanted to be a historian. Turns out I did – I had even more questions when I went back, questions that other historians weren’t even asking, much less addressing. That lends itself to what I’m doing with Aytch 3 – a lot of people don’t think about the questions I’m answering, but they want the answers anyway.
What is the best career advice you have received?
The best career advice I’ve received is to let other people tell you no. Don’t decide before trying that it’s not going to work. Take the chance – and all you’ll really have lost is the few hours of preparation for that opportunity.
How long have you been an OE Member?
I joined OE in January as I prepared to launch. I’m still teaching part-time, so I spent the first several months teaching while also working on the launches. I’m looking forward to being able to focus on Aytch 3 this summer, as I’ll be back to teaching in August.
What might we find you doing on a day off?
I recently moved to Oregon from Virginia, right outside Washington, DC, when my spouse took a promotion here. We arrived a few months before the pandemic hit, so It’s been a strange introduction to the community, to say the least! One of my favorite things so far is the incredible number of outdoor spaces. I enjoy hiking in my down time, and sometimes I’ll take a break in the middle of the day to go outside for an hour.I’m also a gamer – I’m currently playing Horizon: Forbidden West, and I really enjoy cooperative board games. I also play Dungeons and Dragons. My spouse is our DM, and if you’re looking for a game, let me know!
Bucket list item?
Visit every state in the Union. Current count: 37, including Washington DC.
Find Zayna ⬇
YouTube Channel: Aytch 3 ProductionsPatreon: aytch3Twitter: @gunsandgams
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