Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Shannon.
Hi Olivia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a Chicago born-and-raised lover of color, happy vibes, and social media. As a child, I grew up taking photos and videos of anything and everything and was always posting nonstop on Instagram. Now attending the University of Central Florida, I am thriving in sunny Orlando and working at Walt Disney World. This year, I took my passion for social media from a hobby to a hustle and have worked with over a hundred brands on content creation and marketing. I continue to find new ways to create, inspire, and build my dream life.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Social media will always come with its struggles because it’s out of your control. I can create what I believe to be my best content yet, and Instagram might decide that today is not my day and my engagement tanks. At the end of the day, all I can do is my best. I truly have been very lucky to have been selected out of hundreds of people to represent huge brands, and that I will always be grateful for. To be completely honest, the road has been smooth but long. While I’ve had lots of success working with brands, my growth has been slow and steady. I put an extreme amount of time and effort into my brand every single day, and it doesn’t always pay off.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
To put it simply, I create! I have always been deemed “creative” from a very young age, and my teachers advised me to pursue art or graphic design. I grew up drawing, then later editing, and finally using a camera to capture my artistic visions. Instagram has always been my creative outlet. Whether it’s finding colorful murals, creating an extravagant scene, or traveling to a stunning location, my passion has always been creating beautiful and intriguing photos. When the summer of 2020 rolled around, I was quarantined with my family, working a job I hated and simply bored of being bored. I decided I wanted to level up my social media. If girls I follow could do it, why couldn’t I? I started creating unique and colorful photos around my city to share with my small following of friends and acquaintances. Soon enough, I realized- ” I love this, I need to give it my all.” I spent the rest of the year planning, researching, and strategizing exactly what I would do to make this dream into my reality. At the time, my “dream” was simply to have an aesthetically pleasing feed and create content that inspired and delighted my audience.
In January 2021, I went for it. New year, new me. I became an ambassador for GoPuff (a snack delivery service) and started getting paid to create!!! I was shocked. I had no idea that my small following could earn me money for a post. I quickly started to focus on growth, reaching out to brands, and posting as much as I possibly could. Just like magic, it took off. I went viral on TikTok and gained thousands of followers overnight. I landed collaborations with brands who would pay me upwards of $100 for a post (while I only had 2,000 followers). I worked so hard and kept up with everything I possibly could. I struck gold when I was offered a brand agent position by a curly hair company. I ended up making over $3000 working with them on content creation and brand activations. I was over the moon, and I still am. I am so proud of how far I have come in a single year and am ready to take on 2022. I am on track to secure over $10,000 in income from social media, and I am hoping to hit 5,000 followers by the end of this year. I am truly living the life I dreamed of.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memories have always and will always be my family’s trips to Disneyland in California. I will never forget riding Tower of Terror with my little brother, spinning as fast as we could in the Teacups with my dad, or taking photos by the castle with my mom. I feel so fortunate I get to help create memories like mine for children at Walt Disney World. Being a cast member is my childhood dream come true.
Contact Info:
- Email: oliviasattic1@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivia.r.shannon/?hl=en
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@oliviashannon6?lang=en
