Building Better Brand + Creator Partnerships with Bree Flemings

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Welcome.
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Welcome to another great episode of the Beyond Normal Podcast.
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We are in season eight.
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It is well underway.
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We've had some incredible founders that we've highlighted for this season and today we're bringing yet another incredible founder to you all.
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I believe I connected with our guest today, Bree Flemings, who is the CEO and founder of Jem Social in terms of why this platform exists.
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I'm gonna frame it for you all, but this is really.
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A tool that's at the intersection of the creator economy, which we all know is exploding.
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And while there's so much focus on the creators right now, the brands are really struggling to find the right creators, and Bree has built an incredible software, SaaS based platform to solve that.
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You know, without further ado, let's bring Bree to the stage so we can have this conversation for you all today.
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How's it going, Bree?
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How's it going?
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Thank you for the
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It's doing, going, going great.
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Yes.
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Yes, yes, of course.
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you're doing, you know, everybody wants to be a creator nowadays, right?
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And the platform that you're creating is really allowing people, you know, to really see if this is what they truly want to do.
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I think a lot of people go down that path of exploring being a creator, but it's not, it's not for everybody, right.
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It's not sustainable for everybody and not everybody has the right strategy.
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Not everybody has the grit, the resources.
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So we, we aim to be a platform that can provide that and make creating easier.
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so I'm happy to be on
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Yeah.
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with another creator.
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You know, podcasters are on the, like, rise, you know, with monetization.
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You know, we just released a stay of the influencer marketing report and I'm happy to tell you that you are sitting in the right seat.
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I appreciate that.
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podcasting is one of those things.
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for me it definitely started out as a passion and my, I think I did a tally of how much I truly have spent on podcasting over the last, say, five years.
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Like it is truly grown into something.
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I've invested the resources, but then I've also put in the time.
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So it's great to hear that you feel like podcasting is in a good space, but I want to, I wanna start this conversation off a little bit.
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I wanna talk a little bit about your background, operating, being an operator, project manager for some really cool brands, and then transitioning into being a founder.
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So, let the folks know a little bit about your background, what you were spending the years before you said, Hey, I wanna start this company called Jem Social.
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What were you doing?
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Yeah, so that is interesting because before I started Jem Social, I myself was a creator.
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I was in school number one for computer science, minored in marketing.
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I was a content creator and dj.
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my primary focus was DJing, like the actual work.
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but content creation came out the fact that.
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I wanted to get out of being a wedding dj.
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I was DJing for like a bunch of pakistanian weddings, Latin weddings and Caribbean weddings in Miami.
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And as much money as I made, I was not pivoting into the area that I wanted to be in.
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And that was gonna require a personal brand and content creation, you know, photo shoots, partnerships, brand partnerships, you know, to really show that I'm really in the know.
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so I did become a content creator and actually shortly before COVID, I.
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And then I continued being a content creator during COVID to continue monetizing while I lost over$30,000 in bookings.
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so I still saw, saw that content creating was also a, a business that was defensible during COVID.
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I wanna, I wanna, you know, make that very clear that.
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will always need content creators.
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They might not necessarily need the service providers that are in person during a time like COVID, right?
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So that's something good to note if you're a content creator listening that your work doesn't have to stop, right?
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When things like that happen, because I'm gonna be transparent.
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Those things, that can happen again at any point, any time.
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But you actually would, should be creating more if something like that happened.
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You know, again, so content creation is definitely a defensible business, and especially when done right.
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it helped me during a tough time and it was the reason why I created Jem Social, because I saw that gap between influencers or content creators or UGC creators finding the right, you know, the right, partnerships.
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Yeah, and I think like you, you just hit on something like during the last, what, five, six years, you know, content creation was a thing before that, but then it was like.
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At the beginning of the pandemic, it was like, nah, like this is, this is where you see companies funneling a lot of their resources, whether it's dollars, whether it's teens backing it, the, the, the foundation right around the content creation, because this is something that they see as a, a, the future kind of avenue for them to have conversations with their audience.
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It's, and it felt like the pandemic was like that moment where it was like, okay, something's un unlocked and it's not gonna be locked back up anymore.
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Right?
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And so a lot of times for creators there's always a need for like a service, right?
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Hey, I'll manage you, Hey, we'll be your distribution platform, but you really are, are touched on something with what you said.
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And then the Jem social platform as I reviewed it, right?
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What was the moment where you realized it needed to be a product and there needed to be a servicing element?
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Because in the past, I really have seen, just from an entertainment perspective, it seems like folks go headfirst into servicing and then a product itself is a afterthought.
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Why did you go with both?
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Hmm.
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So just so I can understand, you're asking why I started Jem, but also like I think I'm, I think I lost, got lost in the question.
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Like a complete, like a complete, you know, a lot of times when you think of, Hey, I like you mentioned a dj, right?
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Being a dj, right?
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You may have a manager, you may have somebody doing this and that, like a lot of times it's positioned as a service, right?
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But now you're taking Jem, social, and you're saying.
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We're building a product.
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We're building like this, this conversation between the creatives and the brands.
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Like why did you go that route versus saying, Hey, we'll just be a service.
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We'll be a service.
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You know, X solution as a service for,
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We
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yeah, like we see the, we see so many of those, right?
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were, that's so funny.
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And it's actually not often something I cover in my story, but I think it is worth covering.
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I did have a, a DJ booking service, hyper Miami DJs, and it's funny because I just had put on threads like DJs, you guys are worried about the wrong thing.
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You're worried about being popular, you're worried about this, this, and this.
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You need to worry about SEO.
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You need to be worried about showing up online, you know, but that does depend on.
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What kind of service are you trying to provide as a dj?
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There are so many, you know, private parties that you can do, private events, weddings, et cetera, that are big bags.
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And if you wanna get into that, even if it's a few times a month, you know, like anywhere from 500 to 2000 per service, know, per well.
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Per booking, then that is the way to go.
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So what I did, because I did go to school for computer science and SEO was a thing, I just challenged myself like, because I often had to give away gigs.
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'cause I was overbooked.
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I had challenged myself, well, why don't I.
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Start a DJ booking service, which I did, and I was, I had three DJs that were partnered with us.
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I don't wanna say under, because I, I believe in partnerships where I had their rates.
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You know, some of them were, one was beginner, you know, she was just kind of getting out there, but she was a solid dj.
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The other one was very intermediate.
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She was already, she was already known, but she did need some extra money.
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And somebody else was just straight up.
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They didn't do any of like the clubs, or the parties.
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They just straight up wanted some more events and they were stellar at it.
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So let's say like, you know, from the 50 to 75 an hour for beginner than the hundred, the 200 an hour for the.
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Intermediate and then straight up like the 300 plus an hour.
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But like they come with all the bells and whistles.
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They'll get the, the lighting and all that stuff that they need, like they insurance, you know, all the right things for a private event.
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So I had created a website and then I did all the SEO get people to call me when they needed DJs.
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And then instead of hiring myself, I hired other DJs and that's when I saw that I can make money.
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From booking other DJs and I have not had to leave this house.
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So,
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Mm.
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the profit margins were pretty good.
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My goal was if I'm making 200, you know, dollars to$500 per booking, what is the difference if I'm getting my behind up and making pretty much the same after my time and effort?
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Right.
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So that's when I realized there is actually a business in this.
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However, when I scaled to a marketplace, it was much harder because I didn't have the programmatic knowledge to do SEO globally.
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Building marketplaces is tough, and I had it for DJs, photographers, influencers, and videographers, and it was super hard.
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And I mean like terribly hard to satisfy all parts of the marketplace on both the brands and the creator side.
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But what we saw the most bookings was influencers and photographers.
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And a lot of influencers also happened to be photographers, a lot of, because they're content creators.
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Same thing with videographers.
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So we had decided, well, why don't we just make this a creator marketplace and we just focus on content creators.
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if they have other services, then they can have, they can add those on and people can book them, but they can promote that themselves.
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it, it's super simple start a local, you know, booking business for a particular niche.
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It is more complex when it becomes global.
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Multiple categories, right?
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So if you are a DJ or a photographer or anything like that and you, you know, a local business, right?
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Or a local service provider, shoot, that could be anything really like anything.
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Then you have a good opportunity to leverage AI for your SEO.
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That's where I had saw the opportunity, but I didn't realize, I didn't I any of the education on marketplace, SEO.
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so that, that was the, that's the real story.
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so there was a booking service.
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we didn't just pivot from that to just, you know, Jem social.
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but it was a very small time.
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I mean, when I tell you it was probably like three, four months.
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Before Jem Social was created.
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but it did, you know, there was that, there was that idea there.
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Like, okay, can make a transaction fee off of every booking and that's amazing.
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And that was originally the model, plus other upsells.
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that's essentially what Airbnb does.
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You know, they don't, they don't own all of the Airbnbs.
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They probably have less than a hundred of them around the world.
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With them being a billion dollar company, they're making the most from other people putting up their listings and they don't even know them.
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Mm-hmm.
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And I think that's, I think that's really cool.
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You, you, you mentioned Airbnb, you know, there's a, there's, there's a need for someone to like drive that experience, right.
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And the creator is in the mindset, like, like you said, a creator may be a videographer and they may be a creator.
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They're, they're wearing all these different hats.
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A lot of times they're trying to pay the bills like.
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They can't focus too much on the experience outside of just being a creator and making sure that the content gets out into the world.
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And so there is that, that layer that needs to be there to kind of help make sure that experience is at a certain quality.
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And that, that, that leads me to my, my, where I want to take this conversation next is.
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You mentioned you're creating a marketplace, right?
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And I can only imagine how hard, like you mentioned, SEO has gotta be a challenge for a marketplace because you're not just serving creators, you're servicing businesses as well, and those audiences need completely different things.
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Right?
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And so I'm curious from a brand perspective, the business side, right, that's looking for these creators.
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Like what is, you know, what are those brands facing now?
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Like what's the biggest hurdle for them?
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To trying to work with the influencers in this moment.
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it's the education.
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They, brands are always looking for creators, but I think it's super important to build a technology that educates them on the way.
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something that we're really trying to incorporate into our product is the education.
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for example, I just saw somebody, posting a complaint about working with a big creator, with a big following, that she got no sales after 15 posts.
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After 15, 15 posts.
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Now, she 15 for short, short form if this person just posted stories, you know, story, it was you know, spent and no money came back in.
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But that's where education that's where educates because posts and no, no conversions not the creator's fault.
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not the creators.
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15 posts and no conversions.
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It's the brand's fault, you know, and that's why we Know, and that's why we lean in like slash lead page?
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What does your website look like?
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on website look like?
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You know, brands look like, you know, just starting out, you if you're just starting out, you might not have that trust you might at this point.
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This might be a right?
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How brand, right?
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How can you to continue work with this brand to continue that's where the awareness?
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But like that's where the strategy comes in.
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A lot of them lack strategy.
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of people on our Majority of PI platform, are small businesses or they are small.
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which is why we try to, you know, sometimes upsell them on a Sometimes upsell them on a strategy call because that$200 much for a strategy call is much better than you blowing thousands of dollars, and now you've no strategy, and now you've wasted.
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the creator mad at the creator and the platform and well, the things, but it's like, well, are you mad at Facebook ads?
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Are you for your, like, yes.
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Well, for your, the for your failure in the campaign as well, because if you're not.
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Facebook Ads, influencer marketing, influencer marketing UGC, for a commercial on a podcast, commercial podcast, all these things are you at this point when are need admit that you need right?
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educated.
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Mm-hmm.
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it's my job It's my job as a marketplace be as helpful as possible.
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to be as helpful as possible.
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You know, with the rates, with this, with that, campaign, things this, that, you know, things that we can But with.
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to be ready to But people have to, that's to invest and that, that's another thing.
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needs the investment needs to be The, the perks need to the, the per to be So that's why solid.
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convince that's why we try to convince people to work with small creators.
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First.
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Nano influencers, people with the the, the people with the 10,000 plus followers and stuff.
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local you're like a global And you just need local you just need local Who cares about the who cares about the big skate?
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Get like 50.
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with a Small creators with a budget of like 1500 a month Give them and work with them, give them something to free.
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A small, a small payment, 30, 50 bucks.
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you know, Plus they get in, you know, a free, pass for the day.
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Do you know how many creators would do you know how many creators above a free, facial, a free facial?
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Mm-hmm.
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top of the fact, a free On top of the, on top of the fact that they got on top of the fact so they can post about it, that goes a lot farther a lot.
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than just up a Just, post or a random video on a Facebook a random video, do that because 30 to if you work with creators in a small creators, right?
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of them are, are bound to A few of them and are, are bound to go viral and, your and never Fossil never matters.
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a person with A 500, a person with 500 followers a can go more viral with a per than a person with 5,000.
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TikTok, because Pissed off because authenticity for authenticity on and experience on there, and that's what, But instead, people might just spend instead, people might just come$1,500 on one person like that no result.
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and over they, instead of, of working instead of working with creators like get maybe one video like for.
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one, Different profiles different profiles or maybe even 15 graders.
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And, and get two videos of that And now experience out.
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And now you're a month on 15 different on 16 different profiles.
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Mm-hmm.
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better as well, better as well, because up more and more now you're showing up more and more online on different profiles, which is way which is, which is way better than paying for pr, ad.
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paying for for a marketing paying for.
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have eliminated multiple things by working with that creator.
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So it's like it's worth learning because you're knocking out so much, so many different services.
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different purposes Working with creators, and working with aren't gonna go creators, and that's why creators aren't gonna go anywhere.
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But you need to have a if you don't wanna and if you don't wanna work with that many creators overwhelm you.
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you can So into the then we can get into the managed where services, come in.
00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:15.365
that's where offer we also offer these managed charge agency that we don't charge agency pricing own we're still using our own tools.
00:19:15.478 --> 00:19:18.305
a lot of manual it's not a lot of manual effort.
00:19:18.424 --> 00:19:20.765
The only thing we're really charging for is strategy and execution.
00:19:21.724 --> 00:19:25.565
We're not charging like 5,000 a month or any or anything like that.
00:19:25.565 --> 00:19:27.785
You just need influence to partnership.
00:19:28.123 --> 00:19:28.692
a month.
00:19:28.740 --> 00:19:29.720
99 a month.
00:19:31.512 --> 00:19:39.163
So a car payment A car payment at for a Honda at this point you in a Bugatti get you in a bug You know?
00:19:39.184 --> 00:19:39.904
if you do it right.
00:19:40.002 --> 00:19:40.535
gotta know?
00:19:40.535 --> 00:19:45.073
So it's like you gotta really think, too, and, and compound interest, right?
00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:46.029
right?
00:19:46.032 --> 00:19:48.462
with 15 I, with creators a month.
00:19:48.515 --> 00:19:56.038
to 20 a I'm month business especially, or a SaaS platform or anything that, you know, creative partnerships genuinely has to work for their competitors.
00:19:56.397 --> 00:20:13.714
Directionally, from month one to month From month one, month six, you might have over 70 to like 70 to like a hundred what you plus depending on what you offer online about your online about your business that don't even exist in their page.
00:20:13.798 --> 00:20:13.978
it.
00:20:13.984 --> 00:20:17.548
Other people are talking about it, doing name, service, that, isn't.
00:20:17.704 --> 00:20:18.660
all of that PR business.
00:20:18.688 --> 00:20:19.660
Facebook Mm-hmm.
00:20:20.097 --> 00:20:25.474
but you can combine the two But you can combine all that, every, out all that every, every month we can.
00:20:25.557 --> 00:20:26.637
this one did really good.
00:20:26.704 --> 00:20:28.115
Hey, this one did really good.
00:20:28.115 --> 00:20:35.525
You might wanna buy their content usage, right, and run the ad because over a hundred over a hundred thousand views.
00:20:36.005 --> 00:20:39.627
Over a hundred plus comment, 200 saves.
00:20:39.904 --> 00:20:40.894
200 save.
00:20:41.134 --> 00:20:42.125
Clearly people love it.
00:20:42.508 --> 00:20:44.877
take drive this, take this, content.
00:20:45.154 --> 00:20:45.849
this piece of content.
00:20:45.928 --> 00:20:47.285
usage Pay for the content.
00:20:47.285 --> 00:20:52.325
You just write first Agreed to like three months, six agreed to like three months, six months, 12 months.
00:20:52.347 --> 00:20:54.424
already But at this point you already know.
00:20:54.424 --> 00:20:54.605
And when.
00:20:54.867 --> 00:20:56.667
You know it You know, right?
00:20:56.690 --> 00:20:59.698
wins that to your booking page now.
00:20:59.698 --> 00:21:00.944
Now this is where people now.
00:21:01.160 --> 00:21:06.289
Now this is where people start getting a little in their feeling say, because not they might say, well, hey, it's not working.
00:21:06.289 --> 00:21:07.528
We just put, behind the a.
00:21:07.827 --> 00:21:11.089
Well, we know it's working because know it's working because they've got eng.
00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:12.420
They got a lot of engaJement.
00:21:12.778 --> 00:21:18.259
No, So now you have your tool now know that you, is blocking you, This your booking tool.
00:21:18.380 --> 00:21:19.400
This happens for a client.
00:21:19.647 --> 00:21:25.369
They were getting all the They were getting all the interest and stuff, but their booking tools, and did it we found out we went in.
00:21:25.438 --> 00:21:26.488
can a book, it's a block.
00:21:27.380 --> 00:21:28.009
It's a block.
00:21:28.009 --> 00:21:28.039
Mm.
00:21:28.857 --> 00:21:30.950
Oh my gosh, I never even Oh my gosh.
00:21:31.099 --> 00:21:32.180
I never even knew that.
00:21:32.180 --> 00:21:32.720
Blah, blah, blah.
00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:46.700
I'm like, but this are is why creators are amazing because they can drive so many potential conversions for clicks and, and then we realized, realize, it's your tool well, out of our and that's out of our.
00:21:46.887 --> 00:21:47.157
that.
00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:56.949
Yeah, I think this education idea that you're, you're speaking on, it's really powerful.
00:21:57.989 --> 00:21:59.390
I'm, I'm a really big advocate.
00:21:59.390 --> 00:22:05.000
I think we've talked once or twice around B2B businesses and, you know, just more of us creating, you know, more.
00:22:05.329 --> 00:22:23.934
Black founders going down this path, and it really ultimately is that education you're giving your customer at the end of the day, whether it's a small business or whether it's an enterprise, like their budget is their budget, but then there's that piece where they just want you to make it make sense for them.
00:22:25.339 --> 00:22:28.910
And once you make it make sense for them, that's the value that is unlocked.
00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:38.720
And to your point, the, the platform and all these different, whether it's Facebook, whether it's, you know, SEO, you're doing ads over here, all those things are really interchangeable at times.
00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:39.109
Right?
00:22:39.619 --> 00:22:46.429
But it's really important to focus on that education so that they know like what they're, they're getting into.
00:22:46.489 --> 00:22:48.189
Like, I work in tech, right?
00:22:48.230 --> 00:22:50.509
And so the big thing for me is like, what is that contract?
00:22:51.049 --> 00:22:59.930
That we're signing up for, and I'm going to that contract and having a conversation with the customer to say, here's how we get to that value that you agreed to.
00:23:00.298 --> 00:23:00.567
Yep.
00:23:00.740 --> 00:23:00.890
Right?
00:23:00.890 --> 00:23:07.160
It's really important in B2B, but it unlocks so much versus B2C.
00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:07.430
Right.
00:23:07.430 --> 00:23:10.309
The intention is like you, the product is so good.
00:23:10.309 --> 00:23:14.569
People can like, you know, open up the app and just start doing stuff in it.
00:23:14.569 --> 00:23:14.839
Right?
00:23:14.839 --> 00:23:15.500
And that's not.
00:23:16.680 --> 00:23:19.055
You, you can't take that model and go to B2B.
00:23:19.055 --> 00:23:20.795
You really gotta have that hands on.
00:23:20.795 --> 00:23:22.865
So that's a Jem you just brought.
00:23:22.865 --> 00:23:32.375
You just dropped talking about the education of these brands and these businesses because that's how they understand and really come to appreciate the creator, right?
00:23:32.375 --> 00:23:40.204
Like that's that they've gotta appreciate the creator after they know all this goes into making, you know, a relationship like this successful.
00:23:40.288 --> 00:23:46.347
And to take it a step further, you know, something that we do, like we, we are a product of our own service, by the way.
00:23:46.557 --> 00:23:46.798
Right?
00:23:46.798 --> 00:23:47.127
Or.
00:23:47.548 --> 00:23:48.867
A customer of our own service.
00:23:48.867 --> 00:23:50.488
I guess that that's the best way to say it.
00:23:50.488 --> 00:23:55.258
Like we leverage creators to talk about Jem, right?
00:23:55.258 --> 00:24:04.557
And we started investing in more in this, this month because we finally did a overhaul of our website, our SEO, like we did all the groundwork that we needed to do.
00:24:04.827 --> 00:24:07.317
And that's another thing that people need to be aware of.
00:24:08.218 --> 00:24:09.958
your foundation isn't set.
00:24:10.782 --> 00:24:15.492
You know, you, I'm not gonna say you're gonna waste I'm not gonna say you're with the results.
00:24:15.734 --> 00:24:34.470
gonna, say it's a waste of I never will creators to talk about your say, talk about your, is whether your website is Jack, your website's jacked up, but website, have Jack create, know, have gotten you clicks enough, more clicks, Because let's say they, that they can drive make drive.
00:24:34.542 --> 00:24:35.653
clicks in a month.
00:24:36.103 --> 00:24:38.099
Right, that, that's gonna be a Right.
00:24:38.099 --> 00:24:48.150
That, that's a lot of money on on Facebook unless you like doing have, But they but you a lot of they can drive you a lot of places.
00:24:48.192 --> 00:24:54.313
you simply might not get a sale that is your, that's a That is, Or they can Dr.
00:24:54.313 --> 00:25:00.798
Or your website might they can, your website might be like really valid of and they drive you a lot of Well, great.
00:25:01.589 --> 00:25:01.859
conversion.
00:25:02.053 --> 00:25:02.700
How Great.
00:25:03.042 --> 00:25:05.039
you work with How do you get more what.
00:25:05.053 --> 00:25:06.792
continue working with the same creators.
00:25:07.063 --> 00:25:12.930
But then there's the in the weeds stuff where it's like, maybe your website is Like maybe your website is the wrong good.
00:25:12.930 --> 00:25:17.910
Maybe you selected the wrong creative, okay as that's okay as well, right?
00:25:17.910 --> 00:25:21.480
Because work with why you need to work with more than one.
00:25:21.702 --> 00:25:22.182
it up.
00:25:22.654 --> 00:25:22.875
Hmm.
00:25:22.932 --> 00:25:25.835
make this a People make this a fun experience.
00:25:25.917 --> 00:25:28.198
my money, When I spend, a fun experience.
00:25:28.198 --> 00:25:29.759
I has to be a fun experience.
00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:32.910
I actually don't like spending my money on anything that's not experiential.
00:25:33.117 --> 00:25:35.230
my money I like spending my money on a good.
00:25:35.910 --> 00:25:39.119
My good condo, me a good experience.
00:25:39.298 --> 00:25:44.307
car, you know, my car, I'm getting the can it this weekend because that's Right?
00:25:44.460 --> 00:25:47.549
experience, Vacations, I do the Vacation.
00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:49.349
I do the same thing with my business.
00:25:49.377 --> 00:25:53.488
provide a good experience to gonna provide a good experience to my company, on?
00:25:53.700 --> 00:25:54.809
what are we spending this on?
00:25:54.944 --> 00:25:55.914
What is it for?
00:25:56.067 --> 00:25:56.755
of Mm-hmm.
00:25:56.758 --> 00:25:57.569
start lot.
00:25:57.897 --> 00:25:59.809
like thinking like that.
00:26:00.208 --> 00:26:01.384
is this What experience?
00:26:02.428 --> 00:26:06.230
What lessons is this gonna What lessons is this gonna bring to my company?
00:26:06.230 --> 00:26:09.890
You know, because this is important, you have to learn lessons.
00:26:10.018 --> 00:26:15.410
not everybody is not everybody is going to win from I'm Creative partnership.
00:26:15.508 --> 00:26:16.018
honest.
00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:17.299
be completely honest.
00:26:17.442 --> 00:26:27.950
a If you are like a SaaS pool creative you are running creative partnerships on TikTok and Instagram for your SaaS tool, that costs like a$15,000 a year.
00:26:28.212 --> 00:26:30.019
to tell you I have news to tell you.
00:26:30.732 --> 00:26:47.670
this might not This might not be the best idea with creators, and TikTok creators, it might be a but it might be a decent idea awareness on the brand awareness side to get a bunch of YouTubers your product to talk about your product and repeat what, like I mean, store and stuff.
00:26:47.910 --> 00:26:53.404
I mean, for people who give about it, make advice about sales scores, like for example, right.
00:26:53.488 --> 00:26:57.095
it should only, But it, think it's for brand the only, it's the only thing about it for branded wearing.
00:26:57.545 --> 00:27:05.525
Because at that point you to build a genuinely have to build a sales team, and stuff would trade shows and stuff to in that make more more sense in that capacity.
00:27:05.734 --> 00:27:08.038
You know, cold outreach, this isn't this isn't.
00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:13.839
a, a, this isn't something that particularly something that we just needed in every single industry.
00:27:14.008 --> 00:27:15.417
influencer partnerships.
00:27:15.688 --> 00:27:19.288
But content creation content in creation business.
00:27:19.420 --> 00:27:21.160
in every single just Mm-hmm.
00:27:21.298 --> 00:27:24.605
it's not, content is not content creation.
00:27:25.130 --> 00:27:27.478
Does not equal partnerships.
00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:28.519
partnership.
00:27:28.647 --> 00:27:44.772
else that we have And that's something else that we have to make clear YouTube on our, cetera, YouTube podcast, et cetera, oh yeah, because somebody was like, oh yeah, like you know, this content creator, blah, blah, blah, and I'm like a content creator does a content creator that's influencer.
00:27:46.492 --> 00:27:49.678
An influencer creates content, but a content creator.
00:27:49.738 --> 00:27:51.988
Not every content creator is an influencer.
00:27:52.317 --> 00:27:58.130
We work with an internal We work with an internal content reader right now that helps us with our content That strategy.
00:27:58.167 --> 00:28:11.803
helps us That also helps us give, our YouTube videos that gave us the right tools that we should use to, to get more views, like as, as well, like content it also creates content for our website, content tutorials.
00:28:11.914 --> 00:28:15.410
content things are All those things are important, especially.
00:28:15.792 --> 00:28:16.130
You Tool.
00:28:17.089 --> 00:28:17.329
Mm-hmm.
00:28:17.569 --> 00:28:34.609
Maybe, maybe for a, not important for a, a med spa or a, or, you know, or, you know, or something like that, but or something like that, but perhaps you know, a good idea, those you know, for those B2B staff businesses you know, or B2C.
00:28:34.633 --> 00:28:41.865
on So, it, it all depends on what you build, but there's just no way and no reason why you shouldn't be working with creators.
00:28:42.042 --> 00:28:46.032
or form, In some ways the best because they are the best wise.
00:28:46.279 --> 00:28:47.299
investment marketing wise.
00:28:47.930 --> 00:28:50.450
Affiliate partnerships are great.
00:28:50.674 --> 00:28:54.619
Two, has a Riverside is, has a great affiliate partnership.
00:28:54.619 --> 00:28:59.720
They are two four creators and they also leverage training more revenue for to help them drive more revenue for their team.
00:28:59.877 --> 00:29:04.039
they probably do Very like they probably do have a fund they to pay creators.
00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:04.609
In fact, we do.
00:29:04.609 --> 00:29:10.734
There's a creative partnership page that you could pitch we're actually, that that, that actually share, but.
00:29:10.798 --> 00:29:21.019
it is imperative to is imperative to know that you don't also have to do the, the, Hey, I'm gonna pay you for, to code.
00:29:21.019 --> 00:29:26.509
You can creators a thousand creators on our platform that or any platform for that care.
00:29:26.509 --> 00:29:31.528
You know, any email like that you can get, a put a thousand creators in a month, up every, affiliate.
00:29:32.278 --> 00:29:37.940
you gotta have the backend like, you gotta have the back end to educate them, going make sure there's a sequence going out.
00:29:38.127 --> 00:29:40.400
up, Like as soon as they sign up, boom, bam.
00:29:40.400 --> 00:29:42.440
Here's the best practices for TikTok Instagram.
00:29:42.867 --> 00:29:44.480
You know, even Mm-hmm.
00:29:44.720 --> 00:29:46.288
Posting the link.
00:29:47.127 --> 00:29:48.478
That's something we're building as well.
00:29:48.619 --> 00:29:49.910
That's something we're building as well.
00:29:49.910 --> 00:29:54.522
These things take time, so, Every but every compound.
00:29:54.769 --> 00:29:55.819
creators compound.
00:29:57.244 --> 00:30:13.805
Yeah, I like, like you just flipped it too, because I know earlier we were talking about the brands being educated, but now when they have that, that knowledge, right, and they have that context, they can go to the creators and kind of lay out.
00:30:15.065 --> 00:30:26.914
The expectations, like you said, is if the expectations aren't set, that you expect this amount in terms of followers, engaJements, and then ultimately purchases, there needs to be that conversation, right?
00:30:26.914 --> 00:30:31.115
And then that agreement on the, on the front end, but then you gotta see that through.
00:30:31.714 --> 00:30:35.525
And so that's really powerful that you, that you called that out.
00:30:35.525 --> 00:30:35.974
And then.
00:30:37.130 --> 00:30:39.559
The idea of like bigger brands, right?
00:30:40.279 --> 00:30:44.359
You know, maybe it's a brand that needs to leverage like a trade show or something like that.
00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:51.585
To your point, there's probably a certain segment of not just content creators, but influencers for that audience.
00:30:52.894 --> 00:30:53.194
Right.
00:30:53.194 --> 00:30:54.694
And they know how to speak that language.
00:30:54.694 --> 00:30:58.684
They know how to go to the, the conference on behalf of that brand
00:30:58.722 --> 00:30:58.942
Yep.
00:30:59.134 --> 00:31:01.984
and really talk to that audience and, and, you know, walk the walk.
00:31:01.984 --> 00:31:02.315
Right?
00:31:02.315 --> 00:31:07.595
And so I want to throw that out there because I have actually done that for brands before.
00:31:08.015 --> 00:31:15.934
And that's a definitely, those are still, that's still a viable option for folks that may necessarily, you know, they may be in like a.
00:31:16.954 --> 00:31:18.994
You know, like the tech space or something like that.
00:31:18.994 --> 00:31:23.105
And they gotta go, they gotta figure out how to leverage their content and maximize it.
00:31:23.105 --> 00:31:25.035
Like there's ways to really do that now.
00:31:26.354 --> 00:31:42.798
no really, no matter the industry and your tool, whether they're in a, a, a conference setting or they're online, like your tool is still that, that, that place where the conversation can have happen between the brand and the creator.
00:31:43.789 --> 00:31:44.150
With Jim
00:31:44.262 --> 00:31:45.012
funny enough, we
00:31:45.214 --> 00:31:45.634
Social.
00:31:45.958 --> 00:32:08.563
a, a few conferences with their creators program, and we even was, in A RFP with Dreamcon, which we're allowed to talk about just because of our, the agreement we had set up with them be, because that's another thing, having a creators program for, you know, these large events, summits, conferences, that drives a lot of interest to them again.
00:32:10.423 --> 00:32:12.462
You know, they are served
00:32:12.545 --> 00:32:13.204
They are
00:32:13.333 --> 00:32:19.303
you know, awareness, conversions, pr you will not find another service like that.
00:32:20.053 --> 00:32:25.603
on top of this, creators are their creators on their own production houses.
00:32:26.442 --> 00:32:27.853
you're getting all of that.
00:32:28.835 --> 00:32:29.105
production, all of that.
00:32:29.113 --> 00:32:33.163
you shouldn't be mad at when they, you know, someone just all quoted me$5,000.
00:32:33.163 --> 00:32:34.272
I wasn't even mad at them.
00:32:34.692 --> 00:32:36.740
I'm like, you know what, she I'm like, you know what?
00:32:37.093 --> 00:32:37.333
work.
00:32:38.742 --> 00:32:46.352
She, she gets the idea that there she is The idea that She has her own full-time editor, full-time strategist.
00:32:46.490 --> 00:32:54.200
Full time strategist, like why she I, I get why she charges what she charges of our out of we're a budget as we're the start.
00:32:54.410 --> 00:33:03.012
You know, that is literally like our entire know Like for, month, like fortnight for marketing, but like paying out developers, et cetera.
00:33:03.103 --> 00:33:03.492
Right.
00:33:03.853 --> 00:33:06.755
That's our That's our budget, so we own.
00:33:07.130 --> 00:33:15.319
Can't But in the future, but it is like when Jeff, like 10 x, they we would totally pay that because pay that.
00:33:15.343 --> 00:33:26.593
is taking over so They taking over different so on top of the money on top of the fact creator and has, has people working that it to deliver quality, you know, quality, and such.
00:33:26.690 --> 00:33:27.650
big just didn't stuff.
00:33:27.792 --> 00:33:27.972
for us.
00:33:28.190 --> 00:33:32.240
It just didn't make sense for us where we're because of where we're at.
00:33:32.240 --> 00:33:36.680
But a company like HubSpot cultivate and all creating cult made and all.
00:33:37.144 --> 00:33:44.289
Big platform that can afford her, even afford, you know, having or you can afford, you know, having someone You know, and et cetera.
00:33:44.337 --> 00:33:45.559
I You know, and I, I, I love it.
00:33:45.928 --> 00:33:46.077
love.
00:33:46.329 --> 00:33:56.884
I, I genuinely love a that I'm seeing if she's a black creator, may I have, I'd love to see that a black woman that and creator is charging that, and I'd love to support that one day.
00:33:56.884 --> 00:33:57.214
Right?
00:33:57.343 --> 00:34:01.595
I So someone, like I said, those hub spots and, you know, these companies that.
00:34:01.843 --> 00:34:15.994
in media, lot of money HubSpot just paid, I think bought paid, starter bought a for story out for millions of dollars'cause it was and say, I don't know what it was because it disclosed, but you know, 20 are leaning in 20 million.
00:34:15.994 --> 00:34:19.782
I dunno are if that's true or not, but millions are millions bought a YouTube channel.
00:34:19.954 --> 00:34:20.315
bought a.
00:34:20.773 --> 00:34:21.342
A YouTube.
00:34:22.932 --> 00:34:27.635
So look at what So are look at what the big companies are doing, right?
00:34:27.635 --> 00:34:30.664
Because they're investing in content the because they get it.
00:34:30.664 --> 00:34:31.775
They got the simple ideas.
00:34:31.864 --> 00:34:32.255
I do.
00:34:32.378 --> 00:34:34.954
different replacing so many different things.
00:34:35.675 --> 00:34:36.485
How can you not?
00:34:36.487 --> 00:34:38.208
can you, not even Yeah, creators.
00:34:38.208 --> 00:34:39.784
That's why I'm like, you all creative.
00:34:39.784 --> 00:34:40.085
That's why.
00:34:40.887 --> 00:34:41.788
But you gotta start
00:34:41.929 --> 00:34:43.730
But you gotta start somewhere.
00:34:44.034 --> 00:34:44.264
All right.
00:34:44.264 --> 00:34:44.809
That's facts.
00:34:44.809 --> 00:34:50.900
Like this, this space is, is definitely an interesting time for sure.
00:34:50.929 --> 00:34:53.150
And the value is being seen.
00:34:53.150 --> 00:35:00.829
You just have to make sure as a creator, like, like you mentioned earlier, like the test and learning that brands have to do, right?
00:35:00.829 --> 00:35:04.699
Where they, they sign up with one creator, well, why not sign up with another creator?
00:35:04.699 --> 00:35:07.820
And now you have this, this benchmarking going on.
00:35:08.224 --> 00:35:09.724
Creators can do the same thing.
00:35:09.724 --> 00:35:13.144
And that lets us know like truly what our brand is worth to the market.
00:35:13.744 --> 00:35:16.503
But now is a great, it is a, it is a great time to be a creator.
00:35:17.083 --> 00:35:18.514
that's why I'm still in this space.
00:35:19.054 --> 00:35:22.775
I want to talk to, I want to ask you a question really fast.
00:35:23.735 --> 00:35:30.635
What was harder building the tech behind your business or getting those first early customers?
00:35:30.652 --> 00:35:31.432
the get Well.
00:35:31.552 --> 00:35:32.739
So I, I will Well.
00:35:32.782 --> 00:35:38.152
I, we did have a pretty decent launch for where we were at, but I would say getting the first, early.
00:35:39.208 --> 00:35:40.947
Customers for sure.
00:35:42.146 --> 00:35:47.307
because a lot of, you know, because a lot of, you know, cus like some people think customers and they're not.
00:35:47.338 --> 00:35:48.739
I, like users, not.
00:35:48.829 --> 00:35:52.737
I, I, users, those paying getting those hard.
00:35:52.820 --> 00:35:53.179
was hard.
00:35:53.518 --> 00:35:58.730
The first, you know, year The first, Jem was year and a half, hundred a making a couple a month.
00:35:58.737 --> 00:36:01.880
I was even happy with And I was even happy success, to be honest.
00:36:01.980 --> 00:36:06.425
You know, I was, I was Jim was only my you know, Jim was was all my side hustle.
00:36:06.425 --> 00:36:11.255
It was just me, at the time a co-founder at the time who's no longer involved.
00:36:11.277 --> 00:36:12.688
it, I'll just be transparent.
00:36:12.695 --> 00:36:13.960
it, I be transparent.
00:36:14.199 --> 00:36:20.405
I was doing and all the work outsource then I would outsource when I a developer when I couldn't figure something out.
00:36:20.878 --> 00:36:23.554
so it was, it was very so it was, it was very low.
00:36:23.938 --> 00:36:24.538
what's the word?
00:36:24.538 --> 00:36:28.460
Like low Like low In the beginning, I cost.
00:36:28.639 --> 00:36:35.960
In the beginning, I probably was only paying a couple hundred bucks a month, you know, income that outta my personal income raised until I raise, raise some money.
00:36:36.177 --> 00:36:53.179
hard But the hard part was, and always will be and as mentioned and as mentioned earlier, especially for a marketplace, but I'm starting to see that marketplaces things that marketplaces are doing And to scale, and I see marketplaces that.
00:36:53.217 --> 00:36:56.929
be like, how is that I genuinely be like, how is that person, how are they making money?
00:36:57.739 --> 00:37:02.449
Like bounce, makes so much like bounce makes so much money and makes so outdoorsy.
00:37:02.503 --> 00:37:15.672
they, I have to remember, oh yeah, wait, sometimes I fly to New York and I can't go to my Airbnb right away, you know, and I need to, I don't wanna drag this suitcase all over the place.
00:37:15.672 --> 00:37:18.737
Like, let me at least put this suitcase down near my Airbnb.
00:37:19.617 --> 00:37:22.527
And they're working with like local FedExes and stuff, you know what I'm saying?
00:37:22.527 --> 00:37:24.418
So it, it's smart.
00:37:24.657 --> 00:37:28.318
But I, my idea was, well, how are they profiting?
00:37:28.648 --> 00:37:29.637
Are they even profiting?
00:37:29.938 --> 00:37:42.568
And also, how do they get all this distribution because they're growing so much that they raised a lot of money that they're o that they're opening offices in Portugal and Berlin and London and all this stuff.
00:37:42.568 --> 00:37:47.277
And I'm like, what the hell am I doing wrong?
00:37:48.538 --> 00:37:49.797
But I figured it out.
00:37:49.887 --> 00:37:52.601
I've recently figured it out and I got it, tested it a bit.
00:37:52.641 --> 00:38:09.447
I gotta test it a bit, but I'm, I've been reporting my, my updates on, my personal, I just started like really putting stuff in my personal YouTube, but my goal is to help people with the marketing distribution outside of the content marketing stuff, because naturally growing it to creators was not the problem.
00:38:09.657 --> 00:38:14.068
It was brands, creators are always looking to make money, especially small creators.
00:38:14.068 --> 00:38:15.717
So that's not the problem at all.
00:38:16.213 --> 00:38:27.822
It genuinely was getting brands to pay for the tool and it, well, and it always will be, you know, but we're staying, we're, we're, we've our strategy, we are doing much better.
00:38:27.822 --> 00:38:34.483
And that's why we as a company grew up 400% year over year because we, we keep pivoting our strategy.
00:38:34.483 --> 00:38:39.583
But the first thing was, what I just said last is that we didn't have a strategy when I first came out.
00:38:40.003 --> 00:38:43.932
I was so excited about building, building, building because building was tough back then.
00:38:44.338 --> 00:38:54.507
I was blessed to be able to even go from idea to, to launch within like a eight to 10 week timeframe that I didn't even really sit down and think about the marketing plan.
00:38:55.467 --> 00:39:01.737
then it was just, oh, have a personal brand on, on X and you know, post some product hum and woo.
00:39:03.538 --> 00:39:06.057
Boy, I tell you that ain't it.
00:39:09.344 --> 00:39:15.518
But now you, but now you have the blueprint that you're sharing with the world through, Jem, social.
00:39:15.699 --> 00:39:17.010
So I love to hear that.
00:39:17.789 --> 00:39:17.849
It.
00:39:17.862 --> 00:39:18.822
do build in public,
00:39:18.894 --> 00:39:19.315
Mm-hmm.
00:39:19.603 --> 00:39:23.293
and because I just, here's the thing, people, some people are like, I don't wanna build in public.
00:39:23.293 --> 00:39:24.603
I'm giving away all the Jems.
00:39:25.063 --> 00:39:25.603
No, you're not.
00:39:25.603 --> 00:39:25.992
You know why?
00:39:25.992 --> 00:39:29.742
Because 80, 85 to 90% of them are not gonna do it anyways.
00:39:30.432 --> 00:39:35.322
then another 10%, or maybe another 8% aren't gonna be doing the same thing as you.
00:39:35.382 --> 00:39:39.458
And then if the 2% who does it, who's to say that they're gonna really.
00:39:40.947 --> 00:39:41.577
Stick to it.
00:39:41.577 --> 00:39:42.407
Like, and who cares
00:39:44.840 --> 00:39:44.960
Mm.
00:39:46.099 --> 00:39:58.789
So I'm curious the, the, the way that you, the way that you think through your business, you think through Jem, social, I'm, I know that you're, you're getting feedback from the creators, you're getting feedback from the brands.
00:39:58.789 --> 00:40:04.639
And so as you iterate on the product, like how do you go about prioritizing these things?
00:40:05.300 --> 00:40:06.679
I'm curious like what's your.
00:40:06.748 --> 00:40:07.648
question because.
00:40:08.382 --> 00:40:20.713
We're currently working on this like feedback loop, so like we had in-app surveys, and we also are bringing on a product manager intern to really drive a lot more surveys as well.
00:40:20.952 --> 00:40:24.253
not annoyingly, but just like, you know, action based.
00:40:24.253 --> 00:40:26.702
Like if they canceled, you know, get the reason.
00:40:26.702 --> 00:40:30.612
if they don't wanna sign, if they don't wanna upgrade, get the reason.
00:40:30.882 --> 00:40:36.402
And then like, once a month or twice a month, send out, you know, to creators and to brands like.
00:40:36.717 --> 00:40:38.487
What's the next feature that you guys want?
00:40:38.487 --> 00:40:39.597
You know what I'm saying?
00:40:39.856 --> 00:40:41.307
but we have to build more community
00:40:41.514 --> 00:40:41.750
we have.
00:40:41.847 --> 00:40:43.438
And we did start with events.
00:40:43.467 --> 00:40:48.806
Events helped us because even though it was local, we did lean into partnerships.
00:40:48.838 --> 00:40:55.318
So we have had events in Miami, New York City, Houston, drive, gonna be driving some to LA soon.
00:40:55.347 --> 00:40:59.878
I'm going to, I just got invited to a really dope summit that I'm gonna be at in a few weeks.
00:40:59.878 --> 00:41:02.052
And, and at that moment, I'm just gonna be a student at the game.
00:41:02.773 --> 00:41:04.632
Learning from top people.
00:41:04.632 --> 00:41:05.353
You know, top
00:41:05.480 --> 00:41:05.900
People
00:41:05.983 --> 00:41:12.733
partnerships, partnership managers, marketing VPs, et cetera, from Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, all, all the places that we
00:41:12.869 --> 00:41:13.114
all, all the
00:41:13.213 --> 00:41:13.422
at,
00:41:13.505 --> 00:41:13.744
places
00:41:13.873 --> 00:41:21.822
we got invited, which I'm blessed to, to be able to be there because I'll tell you right now, it's not gonna be a lot of black women there
00:41:22.505 --> 00:41:22.954
black women
00:41:23.382 --> 00:41:23.503
a
00:41:23.824 --> 00:41:24.155
that own.
00:41:24.432 --> 00:41:24.822
right?
00:41:25.063 --> 00:41:26.413
So I'm happy to be there.
00:41:26.878 --> 00:41:31.952
And going to show up not just for myself, but for all black women that wanna be in the same position.
00:41:32.998 --> 00:41:35.728
But at the same time, I'm gonna be learning from them.
00:41:35.728 --> 00:41:36.987
How do you guys get feedback?
00:41:37.228 --> 00:41:45.447
And I wanna incorporate that into the product, but I also wanna update my state of influencer and marketing report, based off what I really hear in person.
00:41:45.447 --> 00:41:52.257
Because even Neil Patel's gonna be there, he's one of the, head people that's gonna be speaking and that, you know, if you don't, if you don't know.
00:41:52.563 --> 00:41:57.452
You do know now, you know, for those who listen, that is the king of SEO, the king
00:41:57.554 --> 00:41:57.974
Mm-hmm.
00:41:58.623 --> 00:42:00.320
sold his, sold his Sold.
00:42:00.663 --> 00:42:02.402
for a hundred million dollars plus.
00:42:02.552 --> 00:42:09.844
So So a lot of it, it, be there a lot of value's gonna be there and a lot of value that I wanna drive into our marketplace.
00:42:09.905 --> 00:42:12.784
But the biggest thing is how did they get feedback?
00:42:12.963 --> 00:42:16.505
a, did this man sell a, a tech company for a hundred million dollars?
00:42:16.925 --> 00:42:17.315
Right?
00:42:17.463 --> 00:42:18.302
to be from feedback.
00:42:18.545 --> 00:42:27.784
It had to be from feedback, you know, we currently do and how currently do get people, get feedback from people do have, you know, a, like different things to like.
00:42:27.898 --> 00:42:30.829
feedback, even if they wanna things to get their feedback, even if they wanna write it down.
00:42:31.010 --> 00:42:39.184
Some people don't like walk up to me like, Hey, like your product is this, people you know, like people genuinely especially when they to hurt my feelings, especially when they like me as a person.
00:42:39.327 --> 00:42:42.184
being But I, it's also being Like we about feedback.
00:42:42.349 --> 00:42:49.250
Like you have a partnership, with, Thursday with, this actual, the event called for the, in Houston.
00:42:49.333 --> 00:42:50.659
the most one of.
00:42:50.679 --> 00:42:56.224
Most popular, monthly events that creators and brand it's brand founders go to.
00:42:56.224 --> 00:42:59.284
But it's like a let moves of theme yourself kind of theme night.
00:42:59.652 --> 00:43:04.985
networking like a necessary networking event, but it does turn into networking because one, that's just Houston culture.
00:43:05.284 --> 00:43:07.534
You can go out, have a time and be networking.
00:43:07.632 --> 00:43:10.230
incorporate are gonna incorporate a convers.
00:43:10.242 --> 00:43:16.699
and And pitch, and we, really are gonna get and we really are gonna get straight to the as a what are your struggles as a creator?
00:43:16.760 --> 00:43:19.309
Why, why is it brand for you all to land a brand deal?
00:43:19.309 --> 00:43:27.829
Like all those things, you know, we're inviting people into that conversation and, and we're gonna compile that and, and really see what's going on, on and see how we can improve our product.
00:43:28.003 --> 00:43:30.204
are jump social users we, are going to.
00:43:31.092 --> 00:43:32.532
and invite people to get feedback.
00:43:32.532 --> 00:43:38.983
And sometimes it's in different ways, you know, Hey, like, you know, we, we have free drinks, we have free mocktails, we have this, like, we have that.
00:43:39.268 --> 00:43:44.217
You know, maybe say, Hey, if you give me, you know, product feedback, we'll give you this for free for a year.
00:43:44.217 --> 00:43:50.007
Like, because their feedback is worth more than what the price of the product might be.
00:43:50.007 --> 00:43:50.277
Right?
00:43:50.277 --> 00:44:02.458
So there's, you can do it traditionally with a survey where people are most likely gonna ignore it'cause they're like, I'm like adding more work to my workday or my weekend.
00:44:02.757 --> 00:44:03.958
But you can make it fun.
00:44:06.980 --> 00:44:15.204
Yeah, that, well first I wanna say, because you mentioned Houston, from what I've seen, like you can, a time will always be.
00:44:15.655 --> 00:44:17.605
Had in Houston, even if you're working.
00:44:18.884 --> 00:44:21.625
so, just from what I've seen this year, it looks amazing.
00:44:21.655 --> 00:44:28.375
I'm a little bit jealous that I don't have any events planned for Houston, but it's making me think I need to.
00:44:29.094 --> 00:44:29.545
Yeah.
00:44:29.574 --> 00:44:30.655
I'm, I, I, oh yeah.
00:44:30.655 --> 00:44:31.525
That is a good one.
00:44:31.795 --> 00:44:32.005
Yeah.
00:44:32.005 --> 00:44:32.965
I gotta, I gotta,
00:44:33.043 --> 00:44:33.327
gonna have
00:44:34.284 --> 00:44:34.764
yeah,
00:44:34.768 --> 00:44:36.378
there for sure.
00:44:36.775 --> 00:44:37.764
yeah, that's a great one.
00:44:37.764 --> 00:44:44.275
But yeah, I just wanna say the city of Houston is like, in one big party right now, so I'm not mad about that.
00:44:44.275 --> 00:44:45.534
But then you touched on.
00:44:45.934 --> 00:44:58.775
Even in a space where there, there's fun being had like that, that feedback pit, that idea of having some really good, honest dialogue from your users, like that's super powerful.
00:44:58.775 --> 00:44:59.659
Whether they're giving you.
00:45:00.994 --> 00:45:07.925
The ROS ist, the feedback or they're giving you like that feedback that says the product has some, has some opportunities, right?
00:45:08.585 --> 00:45:10.483
Both, both sides are needed.
00:45:11.103 --> 00:45:22.414
and so it's good that you're going into these spaces where people may be wanting to do, do a little bit of networking, some of that, but then you're also able to pull out something tangible that you can drive your business forward.
00:45:22.954 --> 00:45:23.644
I love that.
00:45:24.094 --> 00:45:26.405
So I wanna, I wanna say, um.
00:45:27.724 --> 00:45:35.164
I want to say thank you for dropping these Jems on our platform because you're really digging into something that's near and dear to us.
00:45:35.494 --> 00:45:37.324
I'm a content creator, right?
00:45:37.385 --> 00:45:40.483
Some people have said I'm an influencer in my space.
00:45:41.003 --> 00:45:44.554
and so I appreciate you for focusing on this.
00:45:44.914 --> 00:45:47.195
I've been in the Jem, social platform myself.
00:45:47.195 --> 00:45:48.724
It's a super clean platform.
00:45:48.724 --> 00:45:50.074
You mentioned the education.
00:45:50.375 --> 00:45:52.655
The education is there from day one.
00:45:53.079 --> 00:45:55.269
The discovery is another piece of it.
00:45:55.869 --> 00:46:03.039
I know you didn't touch on that, too much, but just the ability to discover others creators and see what's going on.
00:46:03.039 --> 00:46:04.239
I appreciate that.
00:46:04.900 --> 00:46:07.809
I wanna, leave us off with two things.
00:46:07.809 --> 00:46:18.099
First thing I want you to let folks know, what's the best way for them to tap in with the Jem, social brand, whether they're a creator, whether they're a brand or company, trying to tap in with creators.
00:46:18.099 --> 00:46:18.789
What's the best way?
00:46:18.813 --> 00:46:23.331
sure, I would definitely say, you know, go to Jem Social, but it's Jem.
00:46:23.351 --> 00:46:32.038
on our website, Jem Social App on Instagram, Jem Social App, pretty much anywhere you could find us.
00:46:32.157 --> 00:46:35.097
And when it comes to the educational piece.
00:46:35.443 --> 00:46:38.143
Go on our YouTube, check out our videos.
00:46:38.143 --> 00:46:46.663
You know, I have very non-traditional but transparent videos on Jem Social because we have a podcast called Content to Cash.
00:46:46.963 --> 00:46:50.382
We also just drop general knowledge and knowledge base on there.
00:46:50.592 --> 00:46:51.012
We are
00:46:51.175 --> 00:46:51.394
On
00:46:51.552 --> 00:46:52.411
playbooks.
00:46:52.791 --> 00:46:54.132
that is something very new.
00:46:54.492 --> 00:46:59.052
So if you want to, for example, be a podcaster who wants to
00:46:59.125 --> 00:46:59.614
podcast
00:46:59.682 --> 00:47:08.382
marketing, because that's a good way to scale, you know, without too much heavy lifting, there's a playbook on there about how to scale as a, you know, affiliate marketer.
00:47:08.382 --> 00:47:11.818
There's, gonna be playbooks on how to book the right creators,
00:47:11.855 --> 00:47:11.974
write.
00:47:12.347 --> 00:47:14.067
There's, that's already, out there.
00:47:14.106 --> 00:47:16.266
Check out the influencer marketing, report.
00:47:16.427 --> 00:47:16.967
Please.
00:47:16.987 --> 00:47:24.987
You know, the state of influencer marketing 2026 report is imperative to read because you don't want to be working as you did in the past.
00:47:24.987 --> 00:47:27.208
You don't even wanna be working as you did in 2025.
00:47:27.268 --> 00:47:31.606
We are in the now thinking five steps ahead, not last year, right?
00:47:31.786 --> 00:47:35.686
the same things that we did a year ago aren't always gonna work out now.
00:47:37.047 --> 00:47:37.067
proven.
00:47:37.068 --> 00:47:38.617
but you could find us there.
00:47:38.648 --> 00:47:41.347
You know, like I said, I'm very passionate about education.
00:47:41.617 --> 00:47:48.038
Please reach out, you know, and of course you can download the app, directly on your phone, in the app store.
00:47:48.117 --> 00:47:48.788
Jem Social.
00:47:50.903 --> 00:47:51.443
I love that.
00:47:52.123 --> 00:47:53.503
Jem social is on lock.
00:47:53.614 --> 00:47:54.215
If you Google it.
00:47:55.250 --> 00:47:56.539
You got it on lot Bree.
00:47:56.539 --> 00:48:03.019
So I, I always got a shout out founders who have figured out that that's such an easy thing to do and you definitely have done that.
00:48:03.440 --> 00:48:04.909
Lastly, last question.
00:48:04.909 --> 00:48:15.079
If someone listening right now wants to build in this creator economy right now, what's the hard truth that they probably don't want to hear but that they need to hear?
00:48:15.208 --> 00:48:16.677
you only need to solve one problem,
00:48:16.730 --> 00:48:17.300
us out.
00:48:17.338 --> 00:48:18.688
solve one problem.
00:48:19.378 --> 00:48:23.217
When I re-released Jem Social, like, and I, I genuinely
00:48:23.554 --> 00:48:23.795
And I,
00:48:23.818 --> 00:48:23.978
need to, like,
00:48:24.099 --> 00:48:25.264
I like
00:48:25.378 --> 00:48:25.858
clear.
00:48:26.547 --> 00:48:28.588
The problem and mistake I made when
00:48:28.610 --> 00:48:28.829
and
00:48:29.117 --> 00:48:31.918
Jem Social was that I was trying to solve too many problems.
00:48:32.637 --> 00:48:35.487
Too many categories, too many features.
00:48:36.237 --> 00:48:37.768
had to end up decommissioning
00:48:37.804 --> 00:48:38.195
to end up
00:48:39.027 --> 00:48:42.230
and re-roll out some of them as time goes on when we get proved.
00:48:43.467 --> 00:48:44.818
That it was a need, but
00:48:45.010 --> 00:48:45.369
it was a
00:48:45.597 --> 00:48:46.536
of the features that Jem
00:48:46.590 --> 00:48:47.119
half of the
00:48:47.307 --> 00:48:48.088
with that
00:48:48.159 --> 00:48:48.360
teachers
00:48:48.478 --> 00:48:48.867
need,
00:48:49.204 --> 00:48:49.630
that we don't need.
00:48:50.460 --> 00:48:51.309
That we can still,
00:48:51.568 --> 00:48:51.748
and we
00:48:51.894 --> 00:48:53.719
that we can now, and we don't need them.
00:48:54.327 --> 00:48:57.088
alleviating to note that you don't need to solve every
00:48:57.199 --> 00:48:58.699
you don't need to solve every problem.
00:48:58.708 --> 00:48:59.367
someone like me,
00:48:59.719 --> 00:49:03.679
and someone like me did, that's kind of hard because I'm always like, I'm a problem solver.
00:49:03.717 --> 00:49:03.958
that,
00:49:04.130 --> 00:49:05.420
So I naturally did that, but
00:49:05.427 --> 00:49:05.878
time.
00:49:05.989 --> 00:49:07.039
one problem at a time.
00:49:07.077 --> 00:49:08.157
I'll give you the exclusive,
00:49:08.210 --> 00:49:08.809
Well, I'll give you the,
00:49:09.057 --> 00:49:09.297
out
00:49:09.469 --> 00:49:10.894
we're actually rolling out something called
00:49:11.637 --> 00:49:12.717
and it's very simple.
00:49:12.985 --> 00:49:13.545
very simple,
00:49:13.617 --> 00:49:14.188
simple.
00:49:14.375 --> 00:49:14.905
very simple.
00:49:14.938 --> 00:49:15.657
social old
00:49:16.070 --> 00:49:17.480
Demos and old product.
00:49:17.690 --> 00:49:18.949
It's for content creators,
00:49:18.987 --> 00:49:19.708
content creators
00:49:19.730 --> 00:49:20.960
for big Begin content creators.
00:49:21.688 --> 00:49:23.188
Literally, you can record
00:49:23.210 --> 00:49:26.119
Literally, you can record a video up to 90 seconds.
00:49:26.128 --> 00:49:27.088
an inspiration link.
00:49:27.088 --> 00:49:31.077
So let's say like, you know, I'm a fan of Greg Eisenberg, in the tech world.
00:49:31.108 --> 00:49:33.358
Maybe you're a fan of somebody else in the podcast world.
00:49:33.358 --> 00:49:36.657
You love their, their edits and cuts when they roll out a podcast.
00:49:37.557 --> 00:49:38.137
very simple.
00:49:38.237 --> 00:49:40.177
You upload a raw, video.
00:49:40.757 --> 00:49:49.023
You upload an inspiration link and then the output would be your video edited with their cuts, transitions, et cetera.
00:49:49.262 --> 00:49:52.112
So it won't be the same B roll and all that other stuff.
00:49:52.202 --> 00:50:03.992
But it's just starting very simple because know that we spend almost$800 a month on video editors, and it's for short form content mostly.
00:50:04.737 --> 00:50:09.478
not to eliminate video editors, it's to put the money back into what really matters.
00:50:09.748 --> 00:50:18.568
And we would love to put$800 a month more towards long form content, but a tool for 30 bucks a month, that's something simple a virtual assistant can do.
00:50:18.958 --> 00:50:32.668
But you see how I'm only focusing on one problem, form content, money spent on editing, short form content, getting it out there faster, 30 bucks a month, few, you know, free trials and stuff like that, of course.
00:50:32.668 --> 00:50:33.927
But that's it.
00:50:34.827 --> 00:50:38.608
all we're gonna focus on until we get what you said, product feedback.
00:50:39.088 --> 00:50:47.307
So I encourage people to, to think more minimal, know, study minimalism if you have to, but think more minimal for a maximum output
00:50:50.489 --> 00:50:52.829
Oh, that's, that's, that's golden Bri.
00:50:53.059 --> 00:50:53.998
I appreciate that.
00:50:54.480 --> 00:51:01.110
and for those who have been listening in, thank you for tuning in to another great episode of The Beyond Normal Podcast.
00:51:01.110 --> 00:51:02.010
Peace.
00:51:04.813 --> 00:51:05.742
And don't leave it right.
00:51:05.802 --> 00:51:06.222
Don't leave it.
00:51:06.222 --> 00:51:06.612
Just keep it.