We recently connected with Yasmeen K White and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Yasmeen K, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve not only been creating on social media for a long time now, but similar to everyone in my generation, I have also grown up with these platforms. For most of my younger years, I spent my time near sports fields or courts, but I have an attachment to making videos and editing pictures.

The day I realized I was going to be involved in something creative was when I was about 8 or 9 years old. My uncle was having his wedding on a beach in Southern California, and my parents decided to bring their Cannon T2i camera to snap some quick pictures for our family memories.

Once the wedding ceremony finished, our family went down to the water to watch the sunset and take pictures. Randomly, I took my parent’s camera and started snapping photos of the Bride and Groom on the oceanfront. Being able to capture precious memories like that was so much fun for me. Once my aunt and uncle saw the photos, they were shocked and told me the pictures I had taken were better than the professional photographers they had hired. From that moment on, I realized that I was going to be doing something that would involve a camera and surprising people.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Yasmeen White, but most people know me by Yasmeen K. I am a born and raised California girl learning to navigate life as an ex-colligate athlete and enjoying the world of social media. My journey started with me dreaming of being a social media manager. After learning platforms and algorithms, I decided to throw on the hat of a lifestyle influencer, and I fell in love. I’ve now personally worked with 40+ brands in categories such as skincare, fashion, tech, etc., with content collaborations, paid partnerships, and more.

Along the way, I also became a business owner and built my own brand called Kaution Kuriko. Everything I’ve stepped into has been a blessing. However, I’ve been blessed with the gift of creating strategies that receive partnerships and providing information to Nano/Micro- Influencers so they can monetize their platforms.

As a creator, I realized that it’s challenging to find information that will help monetize pages quickly and for a low startup cost. Once I discovered this problem, I wanted to become the solution. Since social media is such a new world for most, I think people fail to realize how lucrative and beneficial it can be to have a social presence. I love opening people’s eyes to what social media can do and how it can potentially change lives because once you get started and realize your potential, you’ll be hooked.

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

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned and am still learning is the only validation I need is from myself. As I mentioned before, I grew up and spent most of my life as a student-athlete, and when I reflect on the experiences I had, while some were honestly highlights of my life, there are things I learned along the way I wish I didn’t.

As athletes, we are trained to be coachable and satisfy others’ expectations to receive validation. After most games, I would sit in the car with my parents and usually get a report of how I played on the car ride home. This started from the age of 8 until I was 15 or 16 years old. One day, we were going home after my game, and instead of my parents telling me how I played, they asked me, “How do you think you played?” For years, I had been told how I played by my coaches, opponents coaches, teammates, and other parents, but just like that, they wanted to know what I thought of my play. I had been playing soccer since I was four, and I don’t think I had ever heard that question. To most, that’s probably not a big deal, but I genuinely didn’t know how to respond, and I responded with “Good.”

Looking back on it now, I see how that mentality crept into my adult life. Early in my influencer journey, I would get frustrated when I felt like something I worked hard on didn’t get the validation or recognition it deserved. Social media made me quickly realize the only person’s opinion that matters is mine. Over time, I’ve somewhat reprogrammed my brain to realize that as long as I am satisfied and happy, that is all that matters.

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

I’ve always been comfortable getting things wrong and trying again since I was little. That’s how I’ve learned to do my nails, hair, and even play sports. Being comfortable with failing and just trying again until you get it right is rewarding. However, when you can take your lessons and pass that information on to someone else so they can be successful, that’s magical.

Like I said before, it’s somewhat like jumping through hoops to find information on how to monetize your platform. At least for me, it was. I have the privilege to share the lessons I’ve learned over a long period to make it so someone else doesn’t have to go through the struggles that I did.

Since I was young, many of my family members have significantly impacted their areas of expertise. Watching that growing up taught me that information is meant to be shared. It warms my heart to watch people succeed with something I’ve assisted them with. It’s rewarding to know that the trials and tribulations I went through made it that much easier for someone else to reach their goals!

I am not perfect. My posts aren’t viral. I’m just a girl who decided not to be scared anymore. I am learning every day and getting better step by step. Not only can I show people that you don’t need thousands of followers to get a brand’s attention, but I’m being myself in the process. I know that everything I’ve been through will help somebody in the long run, and that is my ultimate prize.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beacons.ai/therealyasmeenk?fbclid=PAAabawM-HbYkShYErNSV29lxbJmNKm3IN6i6yyx26qSF3b_dI4W8V-SrL6M8_aem_AaWZ-u69WtWTo-Uf73zONaArtTUt8TR4eLzjGJqSMlxZdqtVF8FrSA9T0k4jdD-1zyU
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/therealyasmeenk?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@therealyasmeenk?si=MuFzYRCDbQRRiJjr
• Other: Kaution Kuriko https://kautionkuriko.myshopify.com/