We were lucky to catch up with Tsuki Fox recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tsuki thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career.

As a GenX in high school, my options were limited – go to college or go into the trades. I didn’t have the grades, the patience, or the funds for a 4-year school, and I didn’t want to become a mechanic. So I was left to figure it out on my own. I may have struggled to find myself, but I eventually landed in an industry where my earnings quickly surpassed that of my peers who had gone on to earn their degrees. That journey shaped me – and I’ve always been proud of it.

My struggle to find my place is why I wish faculty would do more to push alternative career paths for students. Luckily, young people today have the internet and you can learn on your own if you want to try something new. But I would love for the guidance counselors and teachers (and parents!) to help support those dreams – even if it means skipping the 4-6 years of additional education to earn a specific degree. There are so many other options out there that may better suit your students, rather than pushing them to earn a degree they’ll never use.

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

I found my current path very late in life – but I suppose it’s better late than never! I went from corporate life in the city, to moving to the country to start a hobby farm full of animals, to going into emergency medicine – and now social media.

I’d worked in Escrow for 20+ years and was very successful. It was something I thought I’d be doing until I could eventually retire. But when I turned 45, I had an experience which led me to volunteering with my local fire department. I witnessed a horrible car accident and helped rescue the victim trapped inside who was later airlifted out. The chaos of the scene was overwhelming in the moment, but stepping back and watching the professionals work together was incredibly inspiring. A month later, I had signed up to volunteer! They put me through EMT school and I found a passion for emergency medicine, which was way out of left field for me.

I had always been on social media (MySpace, anyone?) and kept up with the trends. So I took over my fire department’s social media accounts. At the same time, I started handling the pages for a local animal rescue, just as a way to donate my time when I could no longer take on foster animals. I continued my career in Escrow, as I was able to work from home, but I decided to turn my love of social media content creation into a side hustle. I started my Social Media Management business and took on a couple clients, and that’s where I’m at today.

I work full time, volunteer as an EMT with the fire department, and run several social media accounts. I’m 50
now, and time moves faster than ever. But when you look at the clock, you realize there are actually plenty of hours in a day if you plan it well! The only thing I had to cut back on was the farm – I miss it, but it required more attention than I could give at the time.

My focus with my business is helping other small business owners and solopreneurs save time with their social media – while still growing their community base. We’re in a very rural setting and there aren’t a lot of options for working with social media managers face-to-face. What I love most is when I can work directly with clients and create content that truly reflects their values and personality, focusing on organic growth.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

There are two things I always fall back on – for my own social media and my clients – authenticity and relatability. Too many businesses think they need to get on social media to sell. In reality, what works best right now is telling your story – as a business, as a business owner, and as a human interacting with others. There’s a quote from Simon Sinek that I love that says: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it.” And that’s so true! Especially in the past few years. We all went through Covid lockdown together and came out craving more genuine interactions. I think that is what you’ll see being most successful on social media. Tell your story. Help people relate to you, don’t just pitch them your latest product. You’ll end up building a community of people who want to see you succeed and will help you get there.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

For me, the best source has been word-of-mouth. I love shooting videos for my clients, so a lot of times it will happen organically while I’m out filming some B-roll. Because social media is still my side hustle, I’m not actively seeking new clients. But when people are interested in what or why I’m shooting, the conversation naturally flows to what I do. I’ve received several short contracts this way, which has been great! Throughout my life, all but one job I’ve ever landed was due to knowing someone who knew someone. So I would encourage anyone to spread the word about your own business and have others do the same for you. Your family and friends can be your best organic marketing team!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @forestfoxmedia