I'm in the New York Times!!
There is life after influencing, and it is sweet AF
Read it here now!
I posted about it on my Instagram yesterday, but I realize (and love) that many of my readers do not use Instagram anymore, so I wanted to blast it out to anyone who might benefit from reading it.
I am pinching myself and can’t believe Samson’s butt got to be in the Times as well.
When the NYTimes reached out minutes after I posted my workshop, I of course said yes, let’s tell this story. What followed in the following weeks was 2 separate interviews and a photo shoot at my apartment and 2 different locations around New York City. I joked with the photographer that “I don’t do this often anymore” as photoshoots were a regular part of the job when I was an influencer, but now that I do marketing consulting for brands, I don’t have my photo taken anymore. In fact, I told the photographer “Can you send me these when you’re done” because literally I don’t have any pics of myself.
They also came to the workshop, which was stressful because now anything I said in the workshop could be put into the article. But it ended up being fine!
I am really excited that this story is being told, people are talking about it, and that this story might reach an influencer who is struggling BIG TIME. Because yes, influencers deserve love, care, and compassion for their jobs and their decision to leave (or to stay) is personal and important.
Probably the biggest anxiety I have right now is this feeling that I need to *~CaPitAliZe~* on the coverage and the pressure to become the face of this ‘movement’.
It’s very interesting how the influencer’s job is one where the public feels like they have the right to comment directly upon it as if they know them. Their audience feels like they get to have a say in their lives, solely because the influencer shares their life online. This is because the influencer’s job is directly tied into their community.
And right now, I am struggling with the dichotomy of wanting to get my story out there and share my experience to help others, but also just turning off social media for the rest of the week because the apps overwhelm me easily and I am enjoying my privacy and not having to make content.
But more on that later. For now, read the piece, and let me know what you think. Also, if you’re interested in more workshops, fill out this form.
Great article in the NYT. Thank you for speaking about these important topics with such thoughtfulness and nuance. I've followed you for many years and I respect you so much for prioritizing your health and your values, and for staying true to yourself. I quit social media last summer and it was one of the best things I could have done for my mental and emotional health. I wish you all the best. You are brilliant and have a lot to offer the world.
Oh, how I feel this: the “feeling that I need to *~CaPitAliZe~* on the coverage and the pressure to become the face of this ‘movement.’” I have retreated from the space of online entrepreneurship because social media just started to feel so gross. Instead, I started a Substack to write about my life, including challenges with infertility and mental health, and exploring adoption through foster care. But anytime we put ourselves out there to share our story, there does seem to be this tacit pressure to become the face of a movement. And yet, building an identity around to doing one thing is exactly what we are trying to escape from as writers!