We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erin Argo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Erin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The more we talk about good leadership the more we think good leadership practices will spread and so we’d love for you to tell us a story about the best boss you’ve had and what they were like or what they did that was so great?

A leader in my life completely shifted the way I think about leadership and time management. She challenged a common phrase we all used: “I don’t have capacity.” Her perspective was simple but powerful, and it’s impacted how I spend every hour of my work week. Forty business hours a week is actually a lot of capacity. The real question is: How are we choosing to fill that time? She taught me to stop defaulting to busy-ness and start evaluating tasks based on strategic value, not just urgency. That mindset didn’t just change how I managed my time. It changed how I led others in their work as well. It’s allowed my team to shift from a fast-food drive-thru approach to marketing (I’ll take a logo refresh, two videos and a side of fries) to strategic, full-course “marketing meals” that deliver impact.

Beyond her strategic thinking, what made her truly exceptional was how she supported my neurodivergent brain. I’ve never felt more seen at work. She encouraged my questions, even the ones that came late, because I needed time to process. She didn’t expect me to show up with answers immediately. She gave me the space to reflect and return with clarity. That combination of high expectations and high support made her the kind of leader who didn’t just make me better at my job. She helped me bring my full, authentic self to work.

Erin, 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?

Hi, I’m Erin.

In my day job, I lead a team of 13 and serve as the creative director for our in-house studio.

My path into social media wasn’t traditional. I never set out to be an influencer or a creator. I realized that to really understand what works online, I needed to get my hands dirty. Social platforms and algorithms constantly change, and testing new features on my personal account helped me make better decisions for the corporate pages I managed. Like everyone, COVID gave me unexpected time at home to experiment, and that’s when Atypical Erin was born. What started as a way to sharpen my instincts and test things in real time turned into something bigger. The more I shared about my atypical brain, the more it resonated, and the more I learned about myself. Atypical Erin has become a brand in its own right and is now a core part of my personal and professional identity.

I’ve built a digital audience of more than 350,000 followers across social channels by being honest about mental health and finding humor in the chaos. My content is usually low-glamour and high-impact, more burnt out in bed than buttoned up. I share what it’s like being a neurodivergent brain in the corporate world, self-discovery, and glimpses into what I call “lifestyles of the busy and anxious.”

Whether I’m producing UGC ads for national brands, developing marketing strategies at work, or sharing travel tips and tricks, my goal is always the same: to make things that are useful, relatable, and rooted in real life.

Outside of work, I run a Poshmark closet with my mom (@at_the_archive), which has grown to over 55,000 followers. My husband and I also host an annual house concert series as a member of Folk Alliance International. It’s a true listening room experience that allows artists and fans to connect meaningfully. We are huge music lovers, and these shows have become one of our favorite traditions.

If there’s one thing I want people to know, it’s that you don’t have to fit the mold to succeed. I’ve built a career and a brand by doing things differently, asking questions and showing up consistently. I hope that by doing so, others realize they have permission to do the same.

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

When I first started, I tried to post every day. I varied the content to see what worked, from storytelling to lip-sync videos to viral trends. Learning what I was really good at took time and experience. My goal was to get to one thousand followers as fast as possible. At the time, an influencer told me to look at my follower count like a restaurant parking lot. Nobody wants to eat at a restaurant with an empty lot (just like it’s harder to get a follower when you have none). A lot of new creators will block their family, friends and colleagues out of embarrassment, and I did not take that route. I shared my content on my personal profile, knowing people would follow me just to see what I was doing. I knew I’d get shared in group chats, and I didn’t care or let it stop me, because what people think of me is none of my business. Every follow early on was one more car in my parking lot.

My two biggest takeaways for how I built my audience:
1. Do not be afraid to show your face on camera or speak directly to the camera. People want to see you. You don’t need a full face of makeup or a perfect setup. I show up as I am, in bed on a Saturday, burnt out, no filter. My page is rarely glamorous. It’s about being human, getting knocked around by life, and moving forward anyway.

2. You don’t have to feel trapped in a niche if you bring something valuable or interesting to the table. Good content will always perform. Last week, I posted a video about an experience in NYC where you can build your own Reese’s Cup. I don’t make travel content or food content, but it was interesting and had a good hook. It earned over 1 million impressions (and counting) and has accrued over one thousand new followers. Everything is content; just find the hook and make it interesting.

If you’re just starting out, focus on being authentic, posting consistently and thinking about what’s useful or interesting to your audience.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

For me, it comes down to consistency, psychological safety and showing up as a human first. My team knows I’m going to protect their space to speak honestly. They can always ask questions, ask why and say when they’re overwhelmed. When people feel safe to be real with you, they’ll show up for the work and for each other.

I invest time in bi-weekly one-on-ones and I don’t treat them as status updates. They’re about connection, clarity and removing blockers. I also look for ways to celebrate people beyond just performance metrics. I buy birthday lunches and give small thank you presents at Christmas. Last year I hosted an awards ceremony where I wrote and read short speeches for each person, complete with video PowerPoint presentation. One year, I wrote haikus and performed them dramatically in our team huddle. It sounds small, but intentional recognition matters. It tells people, “I see you.”

High morale isn’t something you turn on during hard seasons. It’s something you build every day by listening well and making sure your team knows they matter outside of what they produce. That’s what sustains high performance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://atypicalerin.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypical.erin/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinargo/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/river.revivals/
  https://poshmark.com/closet/at_the_archive

Image Credits

John David Pittman