Creators are powerful voices in today’s world. Zaina Sesay is using hers for good.
Brit Starr sits down with Zaina Sesay, content creator, entrepreneur, and reality TV star with more than 220k followers. Zaina opens up about her transition from the corporate world to content creation, sharing candid insights into the entrepreneurial spirit that drives her work. Tune in to this inspiring episode and learn from Zaina's journey of resilience, self-love, and the power of authenticity in the digital era.
In Ep. 167 of Earned, CreatorIQ CMO Brit Starr sits down with Zaina Sesay, content creator with over 130k followers. To start, we dive into Zaina's journey from high school storytelling enthusiast to becoming a figure in the creator economy. Her unique background in casting and creative development at major networks like MTV and VH1 has equipped her with the experiences that now fuel her content creation. We explore her transformative transition from the corporate world to being a content creator, highlighting the entrepreneurial spirit that drives her. Zaina candidly discusses her participation in Snapchat's 523 program, which provided crucial support in her early creator journey. We also explore Zaina's impactful experience on Netflix's "The Ultimatum," which served as a catalyst for her personal growth and led to the creation of a guided journal addressing the five stages of grief. Her story is a testament to resilience and self love, demonstrating how adversity can be transformed into valuable resources for others.
Check out highlights from the episode below, or or tune into the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen!
The following interview has been lightly edited for concision.
Zaina Sesay on being an outside-the-box content creator: “We're in a space right now in content creation where everyone's niche is down. You have to fit a certain box, and that's so anti of who I am.”
Brit Starr: One of the things that I really admire about you is how entrepreneurially focused you are. I'd be really curious, since you have the creative hat but also the business hat, what can brands do to be better partners to you and other creators? What are you hoping to see more of from brands?
Zaina Sesay: When it comes to brand partnerships, just give creators more opportunities. I could be completely wrong about this and it's just my perspective, but I think we're in a space right now in content creation where everyone's niche is down. You have to fit a certain box, and that's so anti of who I am.
Don't put me in a box. If I want to pop out and do home decor—just because I don't have a track record of doing home decor doesn't mean that it won't do well on my page or it won't attract people. A real life example right now is that I'm doing a DIY project in my apartment and I want to create a content wall. So I reached out to a few wallpaper brands to see if we could collaborate,you know, it didn't even have to be paid. They didn't see a record of home decor on my page, so I was declined for opportunities like that.
I'm still going to do it, but brands really try to put creators in a box. Just try and give people a chance to prove otherwise. Maybe that could kick off a whole niche or mini series, we have no idea. So I think being more open-minded and just trying to build ongoing relationships instead of just one-off transactions. Lastly, I think a feedback loop [is important]. Brands and content creators move so fast. Even if they get you for one campaign, they may need feedback in that room for the relationship to grow and to nurture that relationship.
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