We were lucky to catch up with Jenna Ricciardi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jenna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I have been a full-time Content Creator for 5 years now & earn substantially more than I did in my last position as a School Counselor. Every year I have almost doubled my income from the year before, & that is beyond rewarding to see all my hard work paying off. I tried to study the business side of Influencer Marketing before making it something I do full-time, so I could be as prepared as possible for growing in this field. Creators usually have multiple streams of income & that is important as well. There are sponsored posts, affiliate income, & usage being the biggest ways Creators can earn. I think above all else though, you have to remain true to your brand as well as your audience and still be selective in the work you take. I could have made a ton of money in sponsored posts for things that would not work well for me, my audience, or just things that I think are not good to promote. If you keep your integrity, the right projects will come  your way.

From day one, do not EVER work for free. There are plenty of companies & brands that try to take advantage of Creators and not pay them fairly (or at all). I know when you are new, you want to have some projects under your belt, but you are doing yourself a disservice to not charge fairly for the work you do. It takes hours to create content, edit that content, & prepare it for a website or multiple social media accounts. It is also important to read your contract thoroughly – make sure it is fair & balanced.

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?

For those may not know me, my name is Jenna – a born & raised Brooklyn, NY girl who now lives in the NJ suburbs. I have been married for almost 13 years to my husband (together for almost 17) & we have two beautiful daughters, as well as yellow lab named Hendrix. While this seems like the ordinary suburban family setup, I feel like our life is anything but.

I went to school for TV & Radio for my Bachelors, & Counseling for my Masters degree. As part of my Counseling degree, I completed concentrations in School Counseling as well as Mental Health Counseling, Growing up in Brooklyn, your mentality is a different in lots of ways. I can spot authentic people vs fake, lies vs truth, & who is REALLY there for you easily. I loved growing up in the city & it made me who I am.

I have been a Full-Time Content Creator for more than 5 years. My content is a true reflection of our life, from travel, to fun experiences we try, & all thats in-between. We are a BUSY family. We travel usually once a month, & love exploring new places as well as returning to our favorites. I am so proud of all of the experiences I am able to give my family through my work that we would probably not have otherwise. It is a wildly fast-paced but extremely rewarding life. I love having an audience that is engaged in my content & gets as excited about our adventures as we do. I have helped some of them plan their own trips & activities – having them trust me is so fulfilling.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

When I first started as a Content Creator, I had “friends” question (behind my back of course) if I ever expected to make any money in this. I also had many people say “I wish I could just post pictures and get stuff for free.” I have also had “friends” question who or why I choose to share certain things – with one friend over another (as a Creator I have had opportunities to share exciting experiences with friends & family). The things that have come to my attention, or said right to me in the last 5 years is just mind-boggling.

Since I do not have a “regular” job, I feel that many do not understand what I do (and that is fine). It is when people make rude remarks or demean my hard work that I have issue with.

Content Creators do the work of 10 people.

We need to learn marketing, public relations, graphic design & coding, copywriting, photography, videography, editing, sales, & grow and engage with our community. I work 7 days a week, including holidays & on vacations. Work days are not 9-5 but from waking up until bedtime. I try to be very present for my daughters when they are home so I make the most of their time in school & then from their bedtime until mine to get a chunk of work done.

Our work is so much more than “posting pics for free stuff.” I work hard, until my eyes are dizzy from screens. People may see certain “perks” from the outside looking in, but what you do not see is all of the work behind the scenes that leads up to posting those pictures.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal in this journey is to someday become an on-air personality or radio show host. I would love to be able to use my background in TV & Radio and merge that with being a Content Creator. I am developing a podcast that is heading in that direction & from there we will see what happens. I am excited to see what the next 5 years look like. The world of social media is always changing, and as Content Creators we have to be able to be fluid, and always ready for the next wave.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jennaricciardi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejennaricciardi
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejennaricciardi
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejennaricciardi/

Image Credits
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