We recently connected with Ale Hickman and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ale thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

Being a content creator there is a lot of assumptions on what creators should and shouldn’t get paid for. There is such a fine line of selling when you are in the “influencer” category. If you are too salesy, you’re going to get unfollowed, if you aren’t advertising enough, people don’t understand what’s going on in your content. It’s serving your community with a clear message without bugging your viewer. In content creation, I have the power to make money many different ways. One way I make money is UGC (user generated content). UGC content is meant to be more genuine than an advertisement. The content feels more organic in UGC form. For brands that have hired me as a UGC, I create the content, send requirements to the brand, then they own and post the content. Most brands will ask if I want to collaborate with them to get the largest audience possible. My UGC accounts have long term contracts and are very professional. These contracts are very detailed. There are brands that just want 1-2 pieces of content with no contract. Those ones are usually a one and done kind of partnership. Other brands will do trade, meaning they give you free product for posting. This is how most content creators and influencers get started, in my opinion.

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.

Hi! My name is Ale Hickman. I’m a proud wife and mother of two. I am born and raised from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I am raising my children. Im a very proud New Mexican and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I’m a very involved parent coming from being a stay at home mom to a full time working momma in the last year. I have a blog called Always and Whatever. I am always doing whatever I want. And that might get me in trouble some times BUT I like to have fun. My blog is my resume, I became a full time content creator in 2023. I create content in many different fields and love to be behind and in front of the camera. My blog started with mom life and crafts and slowly morphed into food! I am a crafter to the extreme and have a “she shed” that is stocked full of supplies and ready to create at all times! It’s one of my favorite places, and my kids too! I love to make things cute and that goes for food too! If it’s not cute, it better be easy! Creating quick and delicious meals for the whole family and showing you how easy some daunting dishes is my favorite content as a working mom. I had a spinal fusion at age 11 and have hump on my back from scoliosis. Having a different body has giving perspective a lot of people lack. I co-host an alcohol-free podcast called Mocksicated where we normalize life alcohol-free. Mocksicated is a space for sober-curious, alcohol-free or anyone looking to take their life back. We chat anything and everything. If you really want to get to know me, that’s where you will find the the layers to this onion. I’m very passionate about my family and being present while having a very consistent presence on social media. I tell the world a lot, but I also save a lot of our life for ourselves. I’m always smiling and am told that my smile wrinkles aren’t going anywhere cause i’m just that happy. I look at everyday with a little positivity because I did the opposite in my 20s and wow what hard way to live always being pessimistic. Cheers to being our authentic self everyday!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is for people to understand that they CAN. They CAN do it all. There is so much going on in today’s society that is telling us what’s right and what’s wrong and I’m here to tell you, you CAN be anything you want. But you have to work very hard and it’s not always going to be good. And hustle culture might be leaving, but if you want to have to have your own business and enjoy your life, hustling might have to a verb in your vocab for a couple of years. Everything you do is art. So start acting like it.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I used to have a super cool craft kit company. I let one person that was jealous of me, cancel it. That was the last time I let anyone get that far inside my head. I know my mission and life is add joy to this world. Sometimes having a loud presence on social media can bring unsolicited advice and unwanted comments. People are very mean and hurtful. I have to pivot often and remind myself what a great life I have, living my authentic self and that the people being mean on the internet have a lot going on and are doing their best with what they are given. And quite frankly, haters gonna hate! So let’s keep living! They are going to keep judging, so lets give them something to judge!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alwaysandwhatever.me
• Instagram: alwaysandwhatever_
• Other: Apple Podcasts and Spotify: Mocksicated

Image Credits

All individual photos: Ashley Rose Turner
Family Photo: Klaus James