Welcome to our Champion the Creators interview series with influencers of all niches to highlight their journeys, share their insights and inspire! Today we are talking all about influencing with Chelsea, a millennial lifestyle influencer.
Meet Chelsea, a millennial lifestyle influencer in the San Francisco Bay area. She has been a fashion, lifestyle, travel and beauty blogger for more than 14 years. Chelsea is active on all major platforms, like Instagram, where she has 35K followers, and YouTube, where she has almost 15K subscribers. She more recently became interested in retro gaming on Twitch, where she streams a few times per week.
“My content is centered around fashion, beauty, and travel, mostly for the millennial woman for living large in little ways, however your budget or schedule allows,” Chelsea said. “So a lot of the articles and content I create are all around just maximizing — getting the most out of life.”
The pandemic inspired Chelsea, 36, to take a pivot into new formats and platforms, like Twitch.
“During the pandemic, I had a big pivot. A lot of content creators, we were testing different things. We were stuck at home and feeling very creatively stifled. So I took that time to learn new skills. I started live streaming and just exploring other revenue opportunities, and I feel like that’s one thing that sets me apart as a creator. I’m not afraid to try something new and switch it up sometimes,” she said.
She keeps a consistent schedule, streaming on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, so her followers know what games she will play — from Final Fantasy games to Sonic. Over time, she has improved and built a community of retro game fans.
Chelsea shares the most rewarding aspect of Twitch streaming: “Definitely the interaction with the audience and the community, knowing that a piece of content really touched them or really helped them or provided them entertainment or some kind of fulfillment that maybe they were lacking.”
“I think that’s one thing that really just always touches me and almost brings a tear to my eye when people say stuff like that because we’re all just going through it.”
@chelsegapearl When it comes to Team Sonic Racing, who are you playing as? 🏁 #rougethebat #sonicthehedgehog #metalsonic #amyrose #teamsonicracing #playingwithviewers
♬ original sound - ChelseaPearl • Retro Streamer
Chelsea’s advice for aspiring creators is to diversify their income opportunities.
“I just feel as a creator, you need to diversify your income stream. Anybody in life, it would definitely help to diversify your income streams because everything’s so volatile as a creator, we saw that with COVID-19, a lot of sponsorships being paused or postponed, and a lot of creators being left high and dry for their earnings. So I really want to get in that TikTok Creativity Fund. I feel like that would really help just diversify my income streams even more than they already are.”
She also encourages trying new things.
“Don’t be afraid to try something new. It’s really easy to want what the top tier and successful and the famous creators have, but there’s only one you, and you have something special,” Chelsea said. “You have a story to tell, and there are people out there that are looking for that life advice, whether it’s like the big sister advice or just a quick review when they’re in line at CVS trying to figure out which lipstick to buy. You’re providing value to somebody out there, whether it’s educational or entertainment or community.”
“You have something special to offer. So just if you haven’t found your stride yet, try something new. I think that’s the beauty of being a creator. There kind of are no rules. You could do it however you’d like, and there’s space for everyone as well.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Marette Flora is IZEA’s Content Manager. She writes and edits content about influencer marketing and all the latest #TeamIZEA happenings. When she is not at work, she can be found writing her personal blog, crafting personalized gifts or exploring Chicago where she lives with her husband, two daughters, dog and plants.
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