Today we’d like to introduce you to Kellyn Mcmullan

Hi Kellyn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

Back in high school, I signed with a modeling agency, and they told us to get on Instagram and Facebook to build our personal brands. I started posting my photoshoot pics, but got teased at school. This was when everyone was just taking pics of their bagels with filters. But I quickly fell in love with creating content and connecting with other models, photographers, and creatives.

When I went to college in Indiana, I couldn’t take modeling jobs in Chicago anymore because of the travel. Brands started sending me clothes to shoot myself in, so I learned photography to take pics of my sorority sisters and host little photoshoots. We thought it was so cool to get free clothes from brands!

I started doing this more and more, and landed a social media internship in NYC. It was in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and I made $9/hour running socials for a jewelry brand—just enough for a mattress on the floor of a basement room in Bushwick for the summer. I fell in love with running brands’ socials and being in NYC.

After going back to college, I finished my Fashion Merchandising major (Marketing minor) and graduated with a buying role near Chicago. I knew I’d leave for NYC as soon as I got a chance. I applied to jobs, got accepted by Ross Stores, and they relocated me to the Big Apple to be an assistant buyer. I worked there for 3.5 years full-time, while also running my personal social media and building my following and skills.

Eventually, a startup needed someone for retail sourcing and social media, so I took a leap of faith and quit my buying job to go into social media full-time. That gig lasted about 6 months before the startup went under, but I started freelancing and helped another startup successfully. I also took on freelance social media clients, strategizing, creating, filming, editing, and managing their TikTok channels for a flat rate each month.

A few months later, I found a job posting on LinkedIn that excited me—Social Media Strategist for a wellness brand. I applied, did the interviews, and got the offer! I worked there for 2 years and recently switched to a beauty brand as their Social Media Manager. I’ve still been freelancing and growing my personal social media as a side hustle, but I love being on the brand side of social!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

I believe anything worth having doesn’t come easy! I had to hustle for years, working nights and weekends to get where I am now. I actually still do this! I remember feeling jealous of friends who could binge-watch TV shows, party every night, and take vacations, while I was running around the city with my camera, filming content. But it eventually paid off! The scariest moment was when I first switched to social media full-time, only to become unemployed a few months later. With NYC rent to pay, I started to wonder if I made a mistake. But it turned out to be exactly what I needed to find my path!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I’m a social media manager, specializing in utilizing analytics to build strong social media marketing strategies. My background as a content creator allows me to combine my analytical brain with my creative brain to craft the best strategies and engaging content for brands.

What I’m most proud of is ending up in this field, even though it wasn’t a job option 10 years ago. I love doing it as a fun project – but not something I knew could be monetized. Social Media is not something I went to school for, but I managed to find my way here and am proud that I’ve been able to build the life I have with just an iPhone and laptop.

What sets me apart is my two-sided brain! Having both analytical and creative skills can be hard to find. I meet a lot of social managers who prefer to stay behind the scenes and creators who love to create but don’t know much about metrics and KPIs. Mastering both is my unique skill set.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kellynmelon.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyn_mcmullan/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KellynMcMullan
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kellyn_mcmullan