We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Malana Bouarouy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Malana below.

Malana, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

If I could go back in time, I would have wished I had started my creative career a lot sooner than I had. I started creating content back in March of 2020 when the covid pandemic began. At this time of my life I was working at a retail job that I was able to acquire new skills and challenged myself to be in a management position. The longer I had stayed at this job, the more I was craving to do something more creative that felt more to my calling. If I had taken this leap sooner, I believe I would have been able to really master my social media skills before the social media industry got more competitive. My experience would have changed if I started sooner by being more authentic and not being afraid to put myself out there on the internet. Looking back, I still wish that I had started sooner because I have always been interested in the social media industry but didn’t have the courage to start. By the pandemic happening when it did, it allowed me to have the time and space to really think about my choice and finally press the record button.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! I’m Malana, a 25 year old content creator based in Tampa, Florida. I got into the social media industry by watching YouTube videos growing up and seeing how social media changed some Youtubers lives for the better. Growing up, I was always interested in taking pictures of everything and documenting my life too. I provide UGC (User-generated content) services such as unboxing videos, testimonials and reviews, and social posts or sharing. I help brands market a product or service that they would like to market to an online audience. I believe what sets me apart from others is my honesty and positivity when I am working in this business. It is easy to let the small things get to you, but I believe it is always important to focus on the good and always tell the truth. I am extremely proud of myself so far for getting monetized on YouTube. It has always been one of my biggest dreams to become a YouTuber myself, and I was finally able to make that dream a reality. If I had to share one thing to people who have never seen my social media pages before, it would be that I will always stay true to myself and I will always have a safe space for people to come to.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is being able to test my skills and really see what type of creative pieces that I can put together. From the idea, to the scripting, to the filming, color grading, editing, and post production it really is a one woman show. I also really enjoy meeting new people along the way that share the same goals. By meeting similar creators that are in the same niches as myself (beauty, fashion, lifestyle) I am able to connect with them and gain their support to continue my creative journey.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think that there is a common misconception when it comes to content creators that this job is “easy.” From the surface level, it may look like a lot of fun but in the background there is a lot of work that actually gets put into this job. For most people such as myself, we have our regular 9 – 5 jobs and we try to make content on top of our busy schedules. In order to be a successful content creator that still has a 9 – 5 job, being able to plan thoroughly and have great time management is a big factor. Starting out most people are doing every single job themselves. From the research of what is performing well in their niche, up to date trends, the idea or concept of a creative piece, the scripting, planning, editing, post production, and keeping up with the engagement of similar creators to start. Maybe in the long run it does get easier for some creators as they get into a rhythm, but in the beginning it definitely takes a lot of hard work to build a successful social media platform. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that does not always get shown on social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: @malanabouarouy – https://www.tiktok.com/@malanabouarouy?_t=8sRlBR4Oy3K&_r=1
• Instagram: @Malanabouarouy – https://www.instagram.com/malanabouarouy?igsh=NGUyeHJsaTVuOHo%3D&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: @Malanabouarouy – https://youtube.com/@malanabouarouy?si=_rLDukLa19oGozke

Image Credits

First 3 images done by @savoremedia or @juliaabudaif