Brand Storyteller
EARLY CAREER EVOLUTION
After graduation, I bopped around editing magazines for a bit, writing blurbs and interviewing celebs. Once the iPhone hit though, I shifted into copywriting and creative gigs at social media and digital agency start-ups—with a focus toward content creation and video production. All the while, I continued my path as a writer-producer for outlets like CBS Radio and TMZ, where I had a chance to work on breaking news, entertainment programming & live TV.
THE DISNEY DECADE
I’ve spent a majority of my career now at Disney, and not one year has been the same as the last. From receiving an education in UX and creative copywriting for Disney Parks digital; to living in China as we brought Shanghai Disneyland to life; to partnering with Imagineering on immersive experiences and interactive fun in the parks; to my current role as creative lead and story director for a content production team, it’s been an incredible journey. I’ve even gotten to create a Star Wars character! Full circle, at its finest…
UPDATE: In May 2023, I made a big career move—from Disney Parks, Experiences and Products to Walmart Connect. For more on this change, check out my LinkedIn or download my resume!
WHO AM I?
Hi there, I’m Elijah Bates: passionate surfer, seasoned brand storyteller, and journeyman content producer across a generation of media and communication. For the greater chunk of my life, I’ve plied my trade, honed my craft and evolved with the times—finding my career beginnings in print, before evolving into digital, social, broadcast, phygital, and everywhere in between. It’s been one hell of a ride… and from my POV, I’m just getting warmed up.
WHERE'D I COME FROM?
The long and short: I was born in Solvang, a charming Danish town near Santa Barbara, and grew up mostly along California’s central coast. Raised on a steady diet of Disneyland and Star Wars, I made the call at an early age to chase those tastes in my career—starting with my high school newspaper and video production classes, before studying film and creative writing at Cal State Long Beach, where I also ran shop as editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper. Truly, a cinematic college adventure!
