UGC Pro

Yesterday this Reel had under 10 likes and every part of me wanted to archive it. 😭

I left it up anyway… I honestly forgot about it until just a moment ago and genuinely couldn’t contain my excitement so I filmed this reel on the fly to show you the outcome a day later.

24 hours later:
19K+ views
15K+ viewers
100+ saves
and a skip rate that was lower than my avg.

This is your reminder that early engagement is not always a verdict on your content!! Just like ads, sometimes Instagram needs time to distribute a Reel, test it with different audiences and figure out who actually wants to see it, which is exactly why constantly deleting or archiving posts too early can work against you.

Post it. Leave it alone. Let the algorithm do its job.

This video would have never reached 19K views if I had listened to the embarrassment I felt when it had 10 likes. 🫡

Instagram growth, Instagram Reels strategy, social media strategy, content creation tips, creator growth, personal branding, organic reach, engagement strategy.

My love language is apparently Shane Murphy | Technical founder ✨◻️ building my ideas. 💡😭

A few weeks ago I posted a video asking the internet to help me find my fiancé his “better half” business partner, and somewhere along the way I was reminded that I really am his better half in business too… which probably shouldn’t have surprised me considering we’ve already built multiple things together. 😂

We’re almost comically complementary. I’m constantly throwing ideas at Shane, thinking about the positioning, audience and weird little angle that could make something interesting, and he’s the person who can take whatever is living rent-free in my head and actually make it real.

Which is exactly what happened with Open Relationship 🥹

The idea started as a place for us to talk more openly about being a couple who are also founders, especially after a year where Shane left his job to go all in on AI while I became the sole income provider and we had to figure out how to stay a team through all the uncertainty that came with it.

Then the name became too perfect because of Shane’s love of open source, the AI/OpenAI play on words and, obviously, the fact that “Open Relationship” makes you stop scrolling and wonder what the hell we’re announcing. 😂

Now we’re working together again while also building toward what we want our life and businesses to look like long term, and then this man casually texts me “I have a surprise for you” and sends me the fully built website.

So yes, I cried. 😂 Mostly because I felt this overwhelming sense of gratitude that the person I get to build a life with is also the person who takes my weird little ideas seriously enough to actually build them.

He really is my better half in every way. ❤️

It’s always “when’s the wedding?” and never “did you get accepted into Launchpad?” 😂💍

So while these photos may look like we finally have a formal announcement to make, the actual update is that TODAY is supposedly the day we find out whether we made it into Stan — Your All-in-One Creator Store Launchpad!!! 👀

We interviewed earlier this week, have spent an unreasonable amount of time thinking about all the things we’d do if / when selected… and now we’re officially in the part where there is literally nothing left to do except refresh our inbox and pretend we’re being normal about it. 😂

So no wedding date, but potentially a two-week entrepreneurship reality show. Priorities!!! Stay tuned. 🤞🏼🥹

📸 shot by Oregon Wedding Photographer & Videographer | PNW + Destination (color corrected by ME 😜)
💐 gorgeous flowers by The Floriographer ™
👰‍♀️ beautiful dress by Bella Brides | Bend Bridal Shop
🤵‍♂️ handsome suit by SuitShop | Wedding Suits & Tuxedos

Random fact about me (no. 1): my first-ever freelance creative client was Bob Proctor in 2014, which is objectively kind of insane considering I was teaching myself cinematography, filming on a DSLR + my iPhone, and learning Adobe Premiere Pro as I went. 😂

Side note: the photo in the Hook of the video is us each wearing one of Bob’s $,$$$ cashmere sweaters he gifted each of us when we “got cold” at his house. 💀

I talk a lot about UGC, content creation, creative strategy + building a career in the creator economy now, but there are SO many random chapters from the last 12 years that somehow led here, and apparently we’re entering my “f**k around and actually tell you guys about them” era.

If you’re a UGC creator, freelance creative, content creator or just someone building a weird nonlinear career on the internet, stick around because random fact 2 involves me winning a Kid’s Choice Award... totes said VMA. But to be fair, I attended the VMAs as a guest in 2018. 💀

One of the few people with a massive audience who I feel has stayed genuinely real through all of Meta’s constant changes is Instagram Growth Coach. I have no idea what his stance is on Edits specifically, but regardless, he actually comes to the table with pros AND cons, actual thoughts, actual opinions, and doesn’t just lick Mark’s boots hoping the algorithm rewards him for another lap-dog post about how editing inside Edits is ✨the best✨ when, in its current state, it’s far from consistently usable.

And maybe that’s what annoys me most about this entire era of social media “education”… every new feature immediately becomes THE HACK, THE SECRET, THE THING YOU HAVE TO DO, and suddenly everyone is parroting the exact same talking points because god forbid we acknowledge that a Meta product might actually suck at something. 😂

Maybe instead of spraying and praying new launches, features + updates, we master one really good update first. And while we’re at it, maybe stop making creators feel like every minor thing they do “wrong” is the reason their content gets 3 views because I am TIRED. 😭

The easiest extra content to film at literally any shoot. Simple before and after transitions. Literally just cover the lens with the outfit → cut to you wearing it → uncover the lens. Done. ☑️