Are you ready to be inspired? Grab a cup of your favourite beverage and get comfortable because I’m about to take you on a special story about my journey from a unappreciated, under paid overworked 9-5er to the heights of becoming a full-time, 6-figure influencer. And guess what? I achieved it all by monetising my small audience (under 10k!) in record time. So, let me share my story and insights so you too can turn your content creator dreams into reality.
Let’s start from the very beginning
It’s 2015 and I’m a mid-20’s girl in London working her butt off in a job that gave me so much hope on paper but a few year in I was, like many other women my age, disengaged, underpaid and longing for more…
From 9-5 I was a talent manager in Fashion Photography – glam on paper but actually soul destroying (think devil wears prada but without the designer wardrobe 😑). From 7-9am, 12-1pm and 5-9pm I was a part time content creator finding my real happiness and fulfilment going all in on my beauty blog, YouTube, and Instagram.
But fate had something else in store for me and despite not feeling ready to go full time one day I was unceremoniously fired from my corporate job. (By this point I had only earned about £750 from my IG). I was thrown through the loopiest of loops but looking back, it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me. You see, sometimes the universe has a way of pushing us toward our true calling and although I was working super hard on growing my following, going full time felt a while away for me (i kind of need money to live ya knowww!)
& then I was fired
At first, it felt like a devastating blow. I had just a few weeks’ worth of savings, no backup plan, and the rent was due on my shitty Clapham flat in less that 3 weeks. But little did I know that this setback would turn out to be the greatest blessing in disguise. Losing my job was the wake-up call that pushed me to step into the mindset of a full time influencer so I could give my all to monetising my small audience and transforming my life.
Now just a note here – this was definitely not the traditional step into a full time influencer career. That choice was taken away when they kicked me out the door of my 9-5. The situation had all the signs of me crumpling into a ball of helpless depression and in the first few weeks I seriously considered going and finding another corporate job and repeating that hellish cycle. But you know when you want something SOOO bad you’re willing to do anything to make it work? That’s the way my mind went and so…
Breaking through the barriers
Armed with just a few weeks’ worth of savings and a burning desire to start earning from my teeny audience ASAP, I immersed myself in the world of monetising my small audience. The last few months had been spent building up a really warm brand network – they knew who I was because I was posting their product and going to all their events. But now it was time to pitch.
And guess what? My background as a talent agent turned out to be the perfect training ground for my new career as a full-time influencer.
Pitching brands, negotiating contracts, and building lucrative careers for my talent—these were skills I had honed over the years. With razor-sharp negotiating abilities and insider knowledge of how brand partnerships work, I was determined to become the talent myself. Failure was never an option, especially when my dreams were on the line.
I remember that morning like it was yesterday. Sitting at my tiny kitchen table in my south London flatshare at 9 am, I embarked on my monetisation journey with 8,000 followers. I tweaked my media kit, created my first rate card and pitched relentlessly, reaching out to every brand in my inbox – I didn’t care who they were, I just wanted to know if they wanted me to make content for them. The “No” responses didn’t deter me; (it was all networking at the end of the day) instead, they fuelled my determination to hear those magical words—”Yes, let’s collaborate!”
Tripling My Income in 2 Months
By the end of that first month, something incredible happened. I landed my first £5,000 gig made up of blog, social post and usage rights, proving to myself and the world that success as a full time influencer was within reach (even with a small following). But it wasn’t just about the money; getting that first brand deal helped me understand a few key things:
POST LIKE YOUR F*CKING LIVLIHOOD DEPENDS ON IT: Posting to grow your account isn’t enough. You have to post as if you have nothing to lose, as if your message, thoughts and insights are teh hottest takes and most raw POV’s out there!
GET FRONT OF MIND! You will hear a lot of “no’s” but thats okay because all those seeds I planted a huge chunk of them came back to offer me paid work within the next 6 months.
SIZE DOES NOT MATTER: Its your determination and how you present yourself to brands to see you as a viable influencer partner, despite a small following creating content with resonance, having a personal brand and knowing how to sell yourself could still open doors to unimaginable opportunities.
And now, I’m here to share those lessons and insights with you. I’ve distilled all my failures and triumphs into a powerful frameworks and programmes that will help you navigate the skills and knowledge required to build yourself a magnetic and profitable platform. All so, like me you can work from wifi, design your own schedule and earn yourself some serious life upgrades you never imagined.
Do you want this too?
Inside The InfluenceHER Society membership you will fast track your transform from ‘instagram hobbyist’ to magnetic ‘creator brand’ ready to land paid brand collabs with access to a community of content creator besties who get it, expert support, fresh new masterclasses and workshops every month and my signature training programmes and strategies.
Being an InfluenceHER Society member means you’ll wake up each day feeling in control of your INFLUENCER DESTINY AND success, ready to create content that not only resonates with your audience but also opens doors to exciting, profitable brand collaborations with a community and mentor cheerleading you every step of the way.
Sound like something you want? Find out how we can turn your small, platform into an influential and monetised success HERE.
And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Don’t let your small audience hold you back. There is power in being a nano creator and I can show you how to become a highly-sought after creator even with a thousand followers!
Remember, success favours those who take action. Don’t wait for the perfect moment-create it!
Your influencer big sis,
Emily
