Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Courtney Weimer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Courtney, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I think what someone needs in order to be successful in a creative field is to have a passion and drive. Especially if you want to become successful in the online space/social media, it’s SO important to actually like what you’re posting and talking about. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen people wanting to become service providers or content creators/influencers make videos about things they don’t even like. And let me tell ya, you can ALWAYS tell who’s being authentic and who’s doing it for a check.

For example, I went to school for fashion and marketing. I ended up getting a job in my field right out of college in a big city, and while you’d think I would love what I did, I simply didn’t. I loved fashion but I wasn’t passionate about working under a company that didn’t allow the creative freedom I need and craved. I then later got involved in Social Media Management and ended up realizing the passion I needed to be successful in my career was freedom. Whether that is freedom of time, working hours, vacation or just creative freedom, I knew I need that to be successful in a career.

And while, making money isn’t a bad thing, and I’m not going to shit on anyone trying to make a living or themselves, but in order to make your business and brand sustainable and have longevity, you need to really lean into YOU. what do you like? What are your passions? Post, create and talk about that – you will never regret it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi, I’m Courtney! I am a Social Media Manager and Content Creator who currently lives in Chicago, IL. I went to school for Fashion Merchandising & Marketing and received my Bachelors for both in 3.5 years after graduating from Youngstown State University (located in Ohio) in December of 2019. Yes, right before the pandemic 🥴

After graduating college I moved to Chicago two weeks after and started my Visual Merchandising position for a luxury department store. And while it was an amazing opportunity and learning experience, I just had a deep feeling that it wasn’t a career that made me light up. I worked in the retail and fashion industry in college and even did and internship with GUESS? in Los Angeles at their headquarters, but it wasn’t until I was completely done with school and living on my own that I felt a little unfulfilled.

3 months after I started working in my field, the pandemic hit – and I was unemployed for several months. (with no pay keep in mind haha) It was truly the first time I was able to take a second and think about what I truly wanted to do. I started to up cycle clothing and sell it on Depop, but right around August 2020 I discovered the term “Virtual Assistant”. I was aimlessly scrolling on TikTok one night and came across a girl named Jessica Hawks and she was talking about how anyone can start an online business making $30/hour. I honestly felt like it was too good to be true, but even after a week I for some reason couldn’t get it out of my head.

So I did it. I became a Virtual Assistant and booked my first client a few days after making my business Instagram. I just decided I wasn’t going to fail. I had a taste of what my life could look like if I was my own boss, and I was able to make money in the comfort of my own home, and I realized going back to my old job made me feel sick. So after making a name for myself in the online business space I decided I wanted to transition into being a Social Media Manager and start running people’s business accounts. Since I was already offering a lot of social media based services as a Virtual Assistant, it was a pretty seamless transition!

Right now I work with all online creatives – so this can be Brand & Web Designers, Photographers, Fashion Brands, Beauty Brands, or really anyone who aligns with me and my business. People tend to reach out to me based on the way my social media looks aesthetically. (for anyone who is reading this who wants to become a social media manager, ALWAYS put the time and effort into your own feed, that’s how I’ve booked the majority of my clients since the very beginning) My overall goal is to make my clients to get out of their head and feel confident in social media, while working with me, and after working with me.

I feel like I share a lot of my own personality in my business and I think that’s what sets me apart from everyone else. The same goes for everyone, that’s the perfect strategy to have as a business owner. No one else can be you!

With the freedom I get from my career I am able to put energy into different endeavors. In the beginning of the year I started posting more on TikTok and my personal Instagram as a Content Creator as another passion of mine. I realized that I still love fashion and wanted to really express my creativity through that again without as many restrictions as before, I also recently started posting vlogs on Youtube as well last month. And if you would’ve asked me last year if I would’ve started this, I would’ve laughed in your face.

That’s just the thing with having a career online and on social media – the possibilities of what you want to achieve and do are pretty endless. As long as you have the passion backing you up, you got it.

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

As a Social Media Manager, I built my reputation based on staying consistent and building a community within my online audience. I cannot stress this enough when I say that relationships are one of the most important things you can nurture as a business owner, new or established. The people I’ve met while working with or working beside have helped me get to where I am now. Also, working from home and online AND for yourself can get pretty lonely, so connecting and checking in with others, always helps you have a better sense of direction in all aspects of your business.

Staying consistent and being my unfiltered self with social media has also helped me create a name for myself in my industry. If you want to stand out and go all in, be yourself.

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

Ugh there’s too many to choose from! Something rewarding as a creative is working beside the people you looked up to for so long. As a Social Media Manager I work with people that were the reason I started my business in the first place. I also get to pick the brains of so many different types of creatives as well.

I’ve also had the opportunity to travel to different places to meet up with other creatives in person who I’ve known for years online. Some are even now lifelong friends.

The last thing that I would say that has been super rewarding is being able to make a good living off of social media, and not work myself to death. I think our culture is so stuck on thinking the only way you can make good money is signing your life away to a 9-5 job. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. I have never had so much work-life balance in my entire life. It’s amazing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.courtneyweimer.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyweimer/ & https://www.instagram.com/itscourtneyweimer/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyweimer
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@courtneyweimer
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ilovec0urtney?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Image Credits
Photography by Jackie Sterna – @jackiesterna