Today we’d like to introduce you to Sami Jo.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Sami Jo. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.

I knew from a young age that I wanted to work in entertainment. I was fascinated by pop culture and magazines, blogs, and award shows on TV. I spent all my time on the computer as a kid, and dreamed of living in Los Angeles or New York when I grew up. So, I made it happen.

I got my Bachelors in Communications from the University of Iowa where I took on as many internships and relevant opportunities as possible. I interned at iHeart Media doing radio promotions, Live Nation doing marketing and booking for concerts, and even ran the official Facebook page for my favorite childhood celebrities, Nat and Alex Wolff (which I made happen by networking and doing what I love!) Everything I involved myself in, no matter how small, lead me to where I am now.

Three weeks after I graduated, I hopped on a one-way flight to Los Angeles to start my adventure. 48 hours after I landed I was heading to my first interview, which would become my first LA job. The position was at a YouTube Multi-Channel Network where I would connect brands and YouTubers for sponsorships. This was the first time I was exposed to this new field called “Influencer Marketing” and saw firsthand where digital advertising was heading.

Five months later, I found a company that specialized in the same type of “influencer marketing” but beyond just YouTube – Instagram, Snapchat (at the time), Facebook, etc. There was more opportunity for growth at my new company, a female boss, dog-friendly office, and Kombucha on tap. I was living the LA life.

As a kid, I used to make YouTube videos with my best friend for fun. Our videos got thousands of views, but this was before monetization and ads, so being a “YouTuber” wasn’t a job because there was no money involved yet. Working internally in this space has opened my eyes to how many creatives were making careers doing what I do for fun, which inspired me to start creating again. I began posting YouTube videos, and I made short-form shareable videos and memes for Instagram that got reposted onto some massive accounts (10M followers). Each time I create a piece of content that makes me laugh, I get a natural high for sharing it with others. So that is what I did until I stumbled into my most life-changing opportunity.

One year ago, one of my YouTuber friends with a popular channel asked me to be in a video where I would play the role of his friend’s girlfriend. I had no idea what I was in for but gladly accepted. My on-screen “boyfriend” for the day quickly turned into my real boyfriend and is now my husband. Being a part of Sugar Pine 7 has helped grow my social media presence the most over the last year which I am grateful for. Now, when I post something that makes me happy, I have the pleasure of reaching a larger audience who I hope will appreciate it too. It’s been the adventure of a lifetime learning and creating with my best friend and husband, who inspires me daily.

June 23 marks my three year LA anniversary. I could never have imagined being where I am now, doing what I love, with the love of my life in such a short period of time. I moved to LA on a one-way ticket, with no apartment, no job, and no plan. Just passion for doing what I love, and enough belief in myself that I would make it happen.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?

Moving to LA was not easy, but NOT making a big move to chase a dream would’ve been even harder. My advice for other women, particularly young women starting their journey, is to believe in yourself so much that there is no way to fail. My mom gave me the best advice – she told me to view moving to LA as “entertainment grad school”. To give it two years, and if it wasn’t for me, I can always move back home, change my mind, or try something new. I got a month-to-month apartment lease, a three-year car lease, everything was temporary until I wanted it to be more. Nothing is really permanent, so don’t be afraid to try!

We’d love to hear more about your business.

I create content with a positive outlook. I want my videos, photos, tweets, whatever I’m posting, to make my audience laugh or at least feel good afterward. I’ve always been passionate about anti-bullying and boosting others self-esteem – especially women. I recently partnered with the hair brand Aussie to make a handful of curly hair videos. I didn’t realize until afterward how much of a positive impact this had on my fellow curly-haired followers who also struggled with hair confidence. I’m also known for my dad jokes, puns, eating too many cookies, and healthy love!

Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?

“The Secret” (book & movie) changed my life. It’s about the law of attraction and how powerful our thoughts are. I live my life by this and truly think that everything has fallen into place because of it. I highly recommend it!

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Image Credit:

Instagram.com/samijo