We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Morissa Schwartz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Morissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I’m definitely happier as a business owner, although I’ll admit there are moments when a traditional job feels tempting—steady paychecks, clear schedules, and maybe even the occasional leisurely coffee break.

Recently, I found myself seriously considering what life might be like with that kind of structure: predictable income, benefits, and maybe even weekends without email. But the more I imagined it, the more I realized what I’d lose: the freedom and flexibility that entrepreneurship allows. Running my own businesses means I can take time during the day for family, dedicate an afternoon to creative pursuits, or pause to play with my rescue pups. Those are things that no traditional job could fully accommodate.

Ultimately, while owning a business certainly has its stresses, the freedom, creativity, and ability to live authentically align perfectly with my values. It’s a trade-off I’m happy to make every single day.

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

I’m Dr. Morissa Schwartz, a writer, entrepreneur, AI trainer, viral content creator, and someone who once broke a Guinness World Record for making the world’s longest chain of bracelets (because why not?). My work lives at the intersection of storytelling, innovation, and digital intelligence, and I like to bring a little fun and humanity into everything I do.

I founded GenZ Publishing, a book publishing company that’s produced over 15 Amazon bestsellers by diverse, powerful new voices. I also run Dr. Rissy’s Writing & Marketing, a top-ranked digital marketing and PR firm where we help brands and creators grow through strategic content, media outreach, and social media that actually *connects*. My personal social media content reaches millions across platforms where I blend humor, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into my work and life (and yes, sometimes my dogs make cameos).

I hold a doctorate in literature and a master’s in communication, and I’ve been featured in *Forbes* (30 Under 30 in Media), *The New York Times*, *Entrepreneur*, *Entertainment Weekly*, and more. I also contribute to the development of AI systems, evaluating how these models handle philosophical and ethical reasoning, which feeds into my research on how **intelligence and consciousness move through different mediums**.

I’m probably most proud of the fact that I’ve built a career that lets me combine creativity with impact, whether that’s helping a new author launch their first book, training AI to think more ethically, or making someone’s day with a ridiculous video that somehow goes viral. Also proud of singing on MTV once, though that’s a story for another time.

At the heart of everything I do is the belief that words matter, positivity is powerful, and there’s always room for a little weirdness on the path to greatness.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

What helped me build my reputation is a mix of where I come from and how I work. I grew up in my parents’ mom-and-pop carpet shop in New Jersey, and I carry that small business mentality with me in everything I do. I treat people like people. I actually care. Whether I’m working with a client, an author, or a collaborator, I want them to feel like they’re part of something, not just a line on a to-do list.

At the same time, I’ve always been multidisciplinary by nature. I never wanted to be boxed into just one thing. I’m a writer, an entrepreneur, an AI trainer, a speaker, a marketer, and I love moving between those worlds. I think that range is part of what’s helped me stand out. I can connect with different types of people, solve problems from different angles, and bring a creative, human-centered perspective to even the most technical work.

But none of it works without consistency. I’ve always shown up, done the work, and tried to do it with both empathy and enjoyment at the center. That’s what I think people remember and why they come back.

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

My social media journey started way back in 2009—though honestly, I barely used it at first. It wasn’t until 2015, when I started writing for Entertainment Weekly, that I really got active. They required contributors to tweet about our articles, and I begrudgingly complied. But then something clicked: I discovered hashtag games like those on the Comedy Central show “@midnight,” and suddenly Twitter became genuinely fun. My first minor viral moment was a pun—Harry Potter and the Chamber of Commerce—which, okay, got maybe a couple dozen likes tops, but that was enough to reel me in.
Early on, being a broke college student, I didn’t have an ad budget for my indie publishing company, GenZ Publishing. So instead, I turned to Twitter, especially the #AmWriting hashtag. This allowed me to organically connect with indie authors—many of whom later became my company’s first signed writers. Without social media, there’s no way I could’ve discovered those early talents who helped get GenZ Publishing off the ground.
Fast-forward a few years: when social media algorithms shifted dramatically, it was tough for everyone, myself included. But I quickly realized that video content was getting far more engagement. I’d never considered myself a “video person,” but I took a chance and started sharing playful, positive videos, simply posting what genuinely made me laugh or smile. Within a year, my audience exploded from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of followers. That’s when I had my big revelation—rather than chasing trends (like when I covered shows such as Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, even though it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea), I adopted a sort of Tarantino-esque philosophy: making content that I personally wanted to see. I didn’t try to please the algorithm; I just shared videos, philosophy, indie art, crafting projects, and of course, plenty of cute animals—basically, the social media buffet I’d enjoy if the internet catered exclusively to me.
And that authenticity worked. So my best advice to anyone just starting out is this:
* Authenticity is your superpower: Don’t chase trends you don’t enjoy. Share what you’re truly passionate about.
* Experiment openly: Videos changed everything for me, and I’d never have known if I hadn’t tried.
* Make meaningful connections: Social media is about community and genuine engagement—not just likes and follower counts.
* Curate your own positivity: I actively filter negativity, creating a cozy, quirky, authentically positive corner of the internet.
Growing your audience doesn’t come from gaming the algorithm—it’s about consistently sharing your genuine self, connecting meaningfully, and having fun with it along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: drrissyswriting.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morissa_schwartz/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morissaschwartz
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorissaSchwartz
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/morissaschwartz
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@morissaschwartz?lang=en