Minding Her Business: @rae.hersey
Welcome to Minding Her Business! Get to know your favourite content creators and learn how they turned their social media into their business.
Meet full-time content creator, Rae Hersey!
How did you get into content creation and what kind of content do you focus on?
R: It all started in Paris (as all good stories do)! I was studying abroad and started a Wordpress blog as a travel diary. My parents were the only people reading it, but I was having fun documenting the fashion faux pas I was making and all of the new experiences I was having. When I returned to NYC, I was recruited by Aerie and Abercrombie to be an on-campus ambassador. We did all sorts of fun activations around NYU like handing out sunflowers to strangers, but what I really enjoyed was creating content for social. Those partnerships during school were what drove my interest in creating the fashion and travel content I focus on now.
When did you feel ready to make the jump to being a full-time creator?
R: I'm celebrating my 1 year anniversary of being a full time creator on June 11th! Quitting my 9-5 was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I loved my full-time job, but it became harder and harder to balance the workload of both as I got promoted at work and saw my page growing. I thought to myself, "in 30 years, which would I be more sad if I had to give up: my 9-5 or my own business?" The rest was history!
What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
R: Trust your gut! Working by yourself as a content creator, you have to remember that nobody else will ever look out for your business with the care that you will. I've found my gut to be the best guidance out there. Managers, brands, and colleagues will all share their perspectives with you, but you have to stand your ground for what you believe is right for your business. You're the person who knows your audience best in the entire world! Don't let anyone push you to believe otherwise.
What are the best & most challenging parts of being a content creator?
R: BEST - The absolute coolest part of being a content creator is getting to have full control over the execution of a campaign. In my 9-5 job, I only got to work on tiny bits and pieces of digital campaigns. As a creator, there is so much you get to control from moodboards to filming to editing and outfit styling! It can be very rewarding, especially when you see brands using your content on their sites and social pages. It's the best feeling in the world seeing your hard work pushed out to the world. A video I created for H&M was shown on digital screens in stores in Asia and I sat in my bedroom crying when a follower sent me a video of it live. There's no better feeling :)
MOST CHALLENGING - The single hardest thing about being a creator is that there is no system in place for HOW to do this job. We're all just trying out stuff until we uncover what works best for us individually. With apps, algorithms and culture changing so rapidly, the best way to figure it out is just to get out there, research and learn from your mistakes as you grow. I'm so scared to look back at my first media kit or the pitch emails I sent brands when I first started. I'm sure they were so cringey, but I learned from practice.
What are your primary revenue streams as a creator?
R: The top revenue stream for me is 100% my brand partnerships on my IG and TikTok. I'm also the host of a show called Vintage In The City which brings in its own partnerships. I also host a tour called All The Angles where I take guests around my favorite photo spots in Soho and teach them how my friends and I shoot our content. I think it's really important as a creator to diversify your income as much as possible to avoid being dependent on a single app for income.
What are your must-have for running your creator business?
R: I am a crazy Type-A organization freak and I love using a Trello board to keep track of all the content ideas I have. I write down all random passing video concepts that ever float through my brain so when I'm feeling low on content ideas, I always have a list to pull from. My board also has the status of my videos from "filmed and need to edit" to "editing" to "edited, but waiting to post." This really helps me keep organized with the millions of things floating around in my brain during the day.
Why did you take the MYB course? What lesson did you find the most helpful and why?
R: As a creator, there are very few reliable resources for learning how to find brand partnerships. The primary reason I took MYB 1.0 was to learn proven methods of pitching brands. Cold emailing brands can be very scary! It's important to know how to send the most effective emails to increase the likelihood of getting a partnership.
Tell us about a “pinch-me moment” in your journey so far?
R: 100% it was the first time I saw myself on a billboard. A lot of our work is all on our phones and feel so temporary, but when I was standing looking up at a giant billboard of my face, my heart felt so squishy and I could not stop smiling ear to ear. My parents and I went on a roadtrip to go see one of them and it was so fun to share that memory with them.
What’s one #MYBTIP you can share with our community?
R: Get to know your fellow creators for support! Content can be a VERY lonely industry. It's something you don't hear a lot of people talk about. We all spend so much time on our laptops on our own, filming on our own and editing on our own. You need to put yourself out there and a find strong support group + people you love to be your coworkers to help in the tough times. There will also be nobody better to run ideas by and rant with you about the tough parts of the job.
Keep up with Rae on TikTok, IG and her show Vintage In The City!
Ready to turn your social media into your business? Learn more about MYB Courses here!
