We were lucky to catch up with Sandy Pham recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sandy, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

I’ve made revisions!

Sandy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi! I’m Sandy and I’m the founder of a social media creative marketing agency where we help brands and entrepreneurs show up confidently and creatively online.

I’m a first-generation Vietnamese American, and a lot of the work I do is rooted in storytelling, culture, and empowering community-rooted brands get the visibility they deserve.

I got into this work pretty serendipitously. Back when my fiancé and I were both working at Apple’s advertising agency, we started a fried chicken blog on Instagram @Mothercluckerrr.

What started as a passion project quickly opened doors. I began creating organic content, got deeper into the LA food scene, met food bloggers, influencers, and a bunch of entrepreneurs. I remember being invited to their soft opening and meeting the real Dave and his co-founder—back before Dave’s Hot Chicken blew up.

Before long, people started asking if I could create content for their brands too. One thing led to another, and through word of mouth, I realized I could combine my background managing multi-million dollar ad campaigns with this new creative skillset, and that’s how Social Medusa Media was born.

In hindsight, it makes sense. I’ve always been a creative. I’ve been behind a camera since I was a kid. In 7th grade, my uncle even bought me a Canon point-and-shoot because he noticed how much I loved capturing moments (wild to think those are vintage now!). Creating and storytelling have always been in me. I just found a way to turn it into a 6-figure business.

Anyway, I saw firsthand how impactful a good piece of content could be, how it could drive traffic, build loyalty, and make a business feel more seen. Eventually, I took the leap and started my own agency.

Today, my team and I offer full-service social media strategy, content production (with photographers, stylists, creative direction, you name it), and ongoing account management. I’m proud to say we go beyond the “just post it” approach. Everything we do is rooted in intention, quality, and story. My goal is to create content that doesn’t just follow trends, but feels elevated and true to each brand we work with. At the end of the day, the client does get what they want though even if it means they just want to hop on trends.

What sets me apart? I’d say it’s the combination of strategy and passion. I care deeply about the work we put out and the people behind the businesses we support. I also know what it’s like to grow up not seeing people who looked like me represented in media, so a big part of my “why” is helping brands take up space, look polished, and be proud of how they show up online.

What I’m most proud of is the kind of client relationships we’ve built, ones based on trust (like when a client says, “I trust you, no need to run every shot by me”), creativity, and a shared love for good storytelling. I want potential clients to know that if you work with me, you’re not just getting content. You’re getting a strategic creative partner who genuinely cares, who will help bring your vision to life in a way that feels premium, thoughtful, and authentic.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’ve had to unlearn almost everything I was taught. Whether it was from what my parents taught me, what school drilled into me, or what society said was “right.” School taught me to follow the rules, stay in line, and not question authority. And while college was fun and gave me memories I’ll never forget, it didn’t really prepare me for real-life problem solving, creativity, or how to handle failure… all things that are non-negotiable when you’re running a business.

In Vietnamese culture, especially growing up as a first-gen daughter, I was taught to be agreeable, respectful, and to put others’ comfort first, even if it came at the cost of my own. We didn’t talk about money openly, and confrontation was seen as something to avoid. So when I started my business, I brought all of that with me: I over-delivered, undercharged, said yes to everything, and avoided hard conversations because I didn’t want to “rock the boat.”

But over time, I realized that playing small wasn’t protecting me… it was holding me back. I was exhausted, underpaid, and silently frustrated. I had to completely rewire how I saw boundaries, money, and my own value. I had to learn that saying “no” isn’t rude, it’s necessary. That asking for what you’re worth isn’t greedy, it’s fair. And that healthy confrontation is actually a form of respect, both for myself and for the people I work with.

Unlearning all of that hasn’t been easy, and I still catch myself slipping into old habits, like wanting to say yes to things outside the scope of work. But the more I practice setting boundaries, communicating expectations, and speaking up, the more aligned, confident, and grounded I feel in business and in life.

And the best part? My business has never been more successful. Clients feel more confident too, because clarity creates trust and we all do better when we know where we stand with one another.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One moment that really tested my resilience was when Instagram pivoted hard from photos to video content in response to TikTok. I had already built a strong foundation in photo content, and suddenly, it felt like everything changed overnight. In the social media world, things move fast, and it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind if you’re not growing at the same pace as others. I remember looking around and thinking, “Why am I not keeping up? Am I doing something wrong?”

At first, I really struggled. Social media is already a tough industry. The algorithms are constantly shifting, you have to adapt to trends in real time, and the demand to be always creating is nonstop. But with this shift to video, it wasn’t just a matter of picking up a new skill, it was like having to rebuild how I worked, from scratch. Video is double, sometimes triple the workload of photos. You’re thinking about movement, sound, editing, lighting, pacing, and the pressure to make it engaging within seconds. PLUS with social, you have to consider trending audio and trends.

I’ll be honest- I was overwhelmed and definitely had moments where I wanted to give up. But I knew I had two options: resist it and get left behind, or figure it out and evolve. So I chose to evolve, because failure was not an option. I studied, practiced, made terrible videos, learned from them, and kept going. And over time, something shifted. My editing got sharper. My storytelling got stronger. The process started to feel less like survival and more like self-expression, and now leading, executing and coaching others.

That was a major turning point for me, not just in my business, but in how I see myself as a creator. I realized that resilience isn’t always about pushing through chaos; sometimes, it’s about choosing to adapt, even when it’s uncomfortable. And now, I’m proud to say video is one of my strengths (on the other hand, directing… I’m still getting there haha). This is something I’ve taught myself through pure grit, curiosity, and a whole lot of trial and error.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.socialmedusa.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialmedusamedia/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phamsandy/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/social-medusa-media-los-angeles
• Other: fried chicken blog: https://www.instagram.com/mothercluckerrr