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

Daryn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about how you got your first non-friend, non-family client. Paint the picture for us so we can feel the same excitement you felt on that day.

I don’t think I would’ve got to where I was without mentorship. I’ve completed programs with Live Nation’s Femme It Forward, the Grammys, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And it was thanks to one of my mentors at the Recording Academy, Christopher A. Daniel, that I got my first freelance job.

At the time, I had been pitching a lot of projects to various outlets without hearing anything back. Having an experienced person in my corner helped me understand how to work effectively and have someone who was willing to co-sign for me. Like everyone says, your talent can get you so far, but the hard work and networking is what really sets you apart.

That said, I’ve noticed that there still can be an unnecessary emphasis put on networking, especially in the entertainment industry. But it’s more important to know what kind of group you’re working with because they might be people who don’t care about who you know. For example, I ended up interning for Scooter Braun’s company. Since he has so many big names attached to his roster, I would have never expected to get hired on merit alone. Genuinely having passion for what you do can inspire people to take a chance on you, too. I think it’s always worth it to take the shot because you might be more equipped for it than you believe you are.

Daryn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

It’s funny that I ended up doing what I do because I initially wanted to work in the medical field. When I started university, I got along the best with people who worked in the entertainment industry. I’d always loved pop culture as a kid, but I never knew people who were personally involved with it because I lived in a small town in the Midwest. So, finding my people was what opened my eyes to how many career possibilities were out there.

After I graduated, I started working in social media before adding freelance writing into the mix. Now, I’ve interviewed artists like Tyla and made content for other artists in pop, R&B, K-pop, and more. I think what sets me a part is my personal history with the work I do. Like I said, I just always loved music, movies, the internet, and basically anything that related to entertainment. Since I’ve consumed it for so many years, I feel like I’ve seen just about every angle out there. I have a really strong foundation of knowledge about what’s happening, what looks good, and what will miss the mark — and that’s helped me in almost every venture.

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

Most of my initial apprehension about working in the entertainment industry came from a lack of representation. Aside from not knowing anyone in my personal life, I didn’t see many people who looked like me — CEOs, content creators, actresses, or anything. While things have improved, I still feel like I don’t see as many people like me in front-facing positions as I would like to. As I continue to build my own brand, I just hope to be representation for someone, whether its my race, upbringing, or interests, because that would have gone a long way for me when I was younger.

How did you build your audience on social media?

So far, I’ve only built social media presences for other entities, like musicians and businesses. But the most important thing that I’ve learned is knowing that a one-size-fits-all approach won’t be successful. You really need to know the audience you want to attract and be able to cater to them in an authentic way.

If you’re starting from 0, don’t shy away from leaning into trends. The content that performed the best for me was from when I tapped into what was already viral. It helps if you can slightly alter it to be more aligned with your specific brand. It might seem easy to simply copy someone else’s work for quick views, but it never works out in the long run.

I also think everyone should engage with their followers early on. When you build a relationship with them, they’ll naturally want to support you again. You might even find someone who will move up the ladder with you and can count on.

As the industry continues to shift away from major corporations and towards entrepreneurship, I’m looking forward to implementing this strategy into my own branding.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @darynmcelroy
• Twitter: @darynmcelroy