Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Tracey.
Kayla, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I went to UCF for marketing and graduated in 2019, but if I’m honest, filmmaking was always the dream. My family steered me toward the “secure” route. Sometimes I wonder what film school would’ve looked like, but I truly believe that path gave me the business background that shapes everything I do now. I’ve been working in marketing since 2017: a whole lot of internships, a few businesses I started and “failed” at, and plenty of trying again. My first big-girl job had me running marketing for a law firm and a production company at the same time. After eight months of being burnt out and underpaid, I saved what I could, took the leap, and quit. A few months later I landed a role that more than doubled my income.
I was creating content for the companies I worked for, but I was scared to do it for myself. I had the fear of being perceived, the fear of people from high school watching me get two likes, all of it. I started posting marketing tips in 2023, but it was inconsistent and didn’t feel like me (I’m naturally goofy, and those early videos were not giving that). Then in early 2024, a friend pulled me aside on a trip to Jamaica, in the middle of a club, no less, and told me to stop playing and take content creation seriously. So that March I did what I call a 1-2-3 jump. I posted on TikTok for 30 days straight as Thee Content Queen and hit 1,000 followers by the end.
That momentum turned into UGC, influencing, clients, and eventually Create & Yap, a workshop I founded to help creators treat their content like a business. I hosted the first in-person Create & Yap in August 2025. The next one is February 20, 2027, and a course and Discord community are launching this November. At the start of 2026, a breakfast with a friend of my sister’s reminded me it wasn’t too late for filmmaking. This year I’ve been volunteering on sets and short films, shadowing directors and DPs, and working on my own projects. Now I’m y going to be collaborating with a colleague on a short film, and my long-term goal is to make a feature film. I’m certified as a digital marketing expert through the American Marketing Association, but I’m always learning, and I’m proof that the safe route and the dream route can lead to the same place.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not even a little bit, lol. The first struggle was letting go of a dream before I ever gave it a shot. I wanted to do filmmaking, but I was told it wasn’t a “guaranteed” career, so I chose the safe route and put film on the back burner for years. I don’t regret it, because that path built my business brain. But there was a long stretch where I felt like I had missed my window. By the time I was almost 30, I’d convinced myself it was too late.
Then there was the grind of my early career. I did internship after internship and started businesses that didn’t work out. My first real job had me serving as marketing director for two companies at the same time, and I was burnt out, overworked, and underpaid. Quitting without another job lined up was scary. I lived off my savings and a part-time job for a few months, and I knew that money wasn’t going to last forever. I never claimed brokenness, though. I kept speaking positively and trusting God, and He came through better than I could have planned. You can’t tell me there’s no God!
Honestly, though, my biggest struggle was me. I had the skills, the tools, and the ideas, and I still found every excuse not to be consistent, because I was scared to fail. When I finally did start posting, I was trying to be someone I wasn’t. I’m a naturally goofy person, and my first videos were stiff and boring because I was hiding that. It took a 30-day challenge and a lot of “1-2-3, jump” moments to get out of my own way.
Looking back, none of it was a coincidence. My faith is my foundation, and I truly believe God has been putting people and opportunities in my path for a reason, even the bumps. The road hasn’t been smooth, but I’ve never walked it alone.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a content creator and content producer here in Orlando, and my sweet spot is behind the camera. I love creating content for other people, whether that’s small businesses, brands, or creators, and making them look and feel their best on screen. I also run Thee Content Queen, where I teach people how to treat their content like a business. I’m the founder of Create & Yap, a workshop for creators who want to stop playing around and get strategic with their content. On the marketing side, I offer social media audits and content strategy sessions through Thee Digital Marketing Queen.
What sets me apart is that I think like a filmmaker. Filmmaking has always been my first love, so when I’m shooting content for a business, I’m not just pointing a camera and hitting record. I’m thinking about framing, composition, lighting, and color grading, the same way a director of photography would on a set. Then I pair that with almost 10 years of marketing experience. So the content doesn’t just look good. It has a strategy behind it and a reason for existing.
What am I most proud of? Honestly, it’s anytime I do what I said I was going to do. This year I had a small idea to film three teasers for my Create & Yap workshop, and I executed all three on time, exactly how I pictured them. It sounds simple, but for someone who spent years letting fear and excuses win, following through like that means everything!! Those teasers are some of my favorite work, because they show both sides of me, the marketer and the filmmaker, in one place.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Right now I’m reading Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks. I’m still in the middle of it, but it’s already given me a few aha moments about storytelling, which matters a lot when you’re trying to make people care about a 60-second video.
I also love Creator Tea from Jayde I. Powell. She’s a creatorpreneur and social media strategist, and she talks about the creator economy in a way that treats creators like real businesses. That’s the same mindset I teach in Create & Yap.
My biggest source of inspiration, though, is YouTube. I’m drawn to creators who are creatives first, the ones you can tell aren’t just trying to be influencers. They have an eye for framing and storytelling, and their vlogs feel like little films. A few I love are King Ashli, This Is For The Late Bloomers, Vuhlandes, Chamar Moore, Joel Roac, and Kvyem. I could be here all day, honestly. Watching how they get their shots and structure their stories is like free film school, and it pushes me to level up my own work every time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kaylatracey.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theecontentqueen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/106719591323546
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylatracey/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theecontentqueen
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theecontentqueen
