We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jasmine King. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jasmine below.

Jasmine, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Honestly, entrepreneurship is not for the weak. You have to be okay with failure, months of making little to no money, times when business is extremely slow, and moments when all your clients have ended their contracts. Right now, I am battling with myself, questioning whether I should continue to ride this out or return to the corporate world.

A little back story about me, I started my social media agency after being laid off from Twitter in 2022. I’ve experienced high points where I was bringing in a lot of money, as well as low points where I wasn’t making anything. At this moment, I’m living through the latter. Owning a business is incredibly hard and mentally challenging because your income depends entirely on how hard you work for yourself. There’s no “set” paycheck coming in; you have to constantly improve, sell yourself, and market your services every single day to stay ahead.

Right now, I’d love to find a balance between being a business owner and working in corporate America. If there’s one thing the economy has taught me, it’s that you can’t rely on just one source of income. To truly thrive in life, you need multiple streams of revenue and passions because, honestly, nothing is guaranteed or stable. Layoffs are happening everywhere, and with AI becoming more prominent, some companies believe they can replace jobs with artificial intelligence.

What keeps me hopeful is the community I’ve built across my social channels, especially on LinkedIn. LinkedIn has been a lifeline for me — it’s where I connect with clients and other professionals in my industry, learn from their journeys, and share in their challenges.

Despite all the ups and downs, I’m proud to be a business owner. I’ve built something that’s my own, created a supportive network, and gained the flexibility to show up for myself and my clients on my own terms. This journey isn’t easy, but it’s rewarding in ways I never imagined.

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.

I’m the social creative behind Socially Hooked, a social media agency I started after my layoff at Twitter. Originally from St. Louis, I now call Houston, Texas, home. I’ve always loved social media and had a passion for content creation, storytelling, and building a community online. So, I took my own interests and turned them into something tangible once I noticed the rise of social media managers and brands wanting to show up on social for their audiences.

Socially Hooked offers social media management, social strategy, content creation, and community management services. I’ve honed these skills working for myself and freelancing through several marketing agencies. When it comes to my clients, I always strive to push my agency’s principle: “be social on social.” That means connecting with your audience on a deeper level by showing up as relatable and conversational. It’s about understanding what your audience is interested in, as that’s the best way to market to them.

I take pride in the work I do in social media and have been fortunate to collaborate with brands like Milkadamia, Harman Kardon, Epicutis, and WAWM Sauce. I want people to know that I don’t label myself as a “social guru” or a know-it-all, but my agency will care about your brand as much as you do and I’ll help bring your vision to life.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Growing my personal brand on LinkedIn has been the most effective strategy for growing my clientele. That’s where all of my clients and business have come from, both for my agency and freelancing work. I started by simply showing up as myself, not conforming to the typical “professional” tone. Instead, I created content that resonates with people in my industry, reported on cool things I noticed in social media, and shared brand collaboration ideas to showcase my creative thought process.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I know I’ve spoken about this a couple of times already, but a time when I had to pivot was when I was suddenly laid off from Twitter in 2022. I had only been with the company for seven months. It was literally the perfect dream role and company. I still stand by that to this day. My team was amazing, and the leadership was exactly what you dream of when you think about your ideal job.

I was not prepared to wake up one day and be fired from Twitter. I thought I would build my entire professional career there. Losing stable income and benefits made me feel like I didn’t have a purpose anymore. I had to pick myself up out of that funk and really think about how I could take the time I spent at Twitter and apply it to my future. That’s when I launched Socially Hooked because I felt like I needed to take back control of my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sociallyhooked.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sociallyhookedllc/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasminemkingg/