We were lucky to catch up with Jaime Canada recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jaime thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

As someone who has always enjoyed social media and loved seeing the creativity during the YouTube era and start of Instagram, I wish I would have started much earlier. I think the fear of people I know judging me for posting on social media outside of an occasional life update held me back at first- but I’m so glad I started posting on Instagram and other platforms over the past three years and have created a small community to share my work and experiences with :)

Jaime, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi I’m Jaime! I am a food and lifestyle content creator and full-time physical therapy student. I began creating content primarily on instagram at the start of the pandemic in 2020 as a creative outlet after being off of work for almost three months. At first my content focused primarily on fitness and wellness- but I found that sharing my lifestyle and activities to be more fulfilling, therefore I began sharing my experiences at local coffee shops, restaurants, travel and life as a student. I have continued to remain active on Instagram and Tiktok sharing my experiences as well as working with local businesses to showcase their food, coffee, aesthetic etc. Aside from social media, I also create user-generated content for brands to share on their own socials which has been so fun and a great way to earn while as a student. Overall, it has been amazing to continue to grow connections with local businesses, other creators and lots of brands through social media. I am continuously navigating how to expand my love for socials into a future business professionally post grad school. I strive to remain genuine in everything I create and am excited to see how my future as a creator continues :)

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I would say the biggest resource I wish I knew sooner as a creator hoping to collaborate with brands and businesses was where to look. I have found the best place to find gifted or paid collaborations is via marketing platforms. Some of my favorites I currently use include Aspire IQ, Minisocial, Skeepers, Activate and Trend. Additionally, I’ve learned that if you are interested in working with a certain brand or creator sometimes all you have to do is reach out! Some of the best opportunities I’ve had including restaurant collaborations and hotel stays have been due to reaching out the right contact via socials or email. I’ve also been rejected so many times, so being told no is going to happen but it doesn’t mean you’re a bad creator.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think there is a large misconception from non-creatives is that people who create content are self-absorbed or obsess over getting photos or videos instead of enjoying the moment. What I feel is truly the reason that myself and many creators enjoy social media is that it provides a way for extra income and resources while providing a creative outlet like any other art form. Plus, I love being able to look back on all of the wonderful memories I’ve made on my camera roll and how I’m able to make a vision come to life through content creation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mydaybyjay.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mydaybyjay
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mydaybyjay
• Other: Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@mydaybyjay Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/mydaybyjay Amazon: www.amazon.com/shop/jaime