We were lucky to catch up with Kaylee Muchow recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaylee, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I didn’t always want a career in social media. It’s something I took a few classes on in college, and coincidentally ended up with internships, projects, and then full-time work. Social media is a topic that is hard to teach and be taught unless you’re in the right headspace. Social is not all sunshine and rainbows and creative work all the time. It’s also spreadsheets and bar graphs, and wondering what the hell you did to get almost no views on a video you spent hours on. It’s posting with a purpose, not just for fun.

I did not know any of these things when I entered my first college class on social media. I was shocked to be learning about analytics, KPIs, and strategy. I thought I’d be learning about influencers and how to create fun graphics and videos. Maybe today’s kids aren’t as naive as I was…

And to be honest with you, I didn’t learn a whole heck of a lot about social media at all until I was actually working with businesses. There’s unfortunately, only so much a textbook and the words of your professor can teach you (though they were absolutely fantastic and I still keep in touch with several of them, do not get me wrong). But this is a skill you can truly only learn and get good at through hands-on work. And failing hands-on. Not every post lands. That was a hard lesson to learn – and something most social media professionals still experience every single day.

But to get any better, you just have to keep doing it. And you just have to keep failing. And you have to just keep asking yourself WHY. Because to know and to understand the why is how you get better and how you start creating content that actually resonates. And to do this, you have to work with a lot of businesses/people/clients, across all industries, if you can. And I hate to say it, but at the beginning of your career, you’re going to be doing a lot of this for free or for dirt cheap. But what you’re getting out of it is VALUABLE, so stick through it.

I was fortunate enough to land my first big-girl job at an agency. This was a great way for me to learn under a team of experienced social media strategists, how social media works hand-in-hand with other marketing efforts, and work with a variety of business types. I was lucky. That job taught me a lot.

And about a year into working at the agency, I started freelancing to get even more experience. And also to see if I truly knew what I was doing/talking about and could stand on my own two feet in the industry. I could.

While I do believe I could make a full-time living working completely on my own, that’s not something I’ve chosen for myself (at least not yet). I love my full-time social gig (I’m at a law firm now – if you told me this is what I would’ve loved doing 5 years ago, I would’ve laughed in your face). It also allows me to be more selective in who I work with on the side, and makes my work outside of my 9-to-5 feel more impactful.

All-in-all, if you’re interested in learning social media, I truly believe ANYONE can do it if they’re in the right headspace. Traits I recommend developing: thick skin, an eye for data and trends, confidence, charisma, and a creative eye. One of my passions is helping budding social media specialists find their way in the industry, so if anyone ever wants to chat, please send me a message. I’m always happy to help. There’s room for us all.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a social media guru. I specialize in strategy, organic growth, and engagement. I have a background in influencer marketing, employee advocacy, and social listening as well. I spend most of my social power working full-time, but I do take on several clients per month to help them add value to their business and content. I offer strategy build-outs and consultations as well as monthly retainers for ongoing strategy work, content creation, analytics, and consultation. I really try to work with each of my clients on building out a personalized service package so they’re getting exactly what they need and would be of most value to them, depending on their marketing/business/social goals.

I also do small speaking events (mainly on the topic of LinkedIn) and have a passion for helping young minds find their way in the industry.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

LinkedIn! I can’t believe I’m saying it, but LinkedIn!

I know the platform used to be considered “cringe” (the word and feeling of “cringe” is out in 2026, by the way), but the platform has truly come a long way the past few years. It is genuinely my most used social media app; I’m posting there almost every single day.

I got my first freelance client on LinkedIn several years ago, and I’m still continuing to grow my business on that platform. I have made countless amazing connections on the platform, and I feel like it’s a great place for thought leadership.

I definitely recommend making sure LinkedIn is a part of your personal content web.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being a creative is seeing the strategy I’ve built continue to be executed long after I’ve stopped working on a retainer. I love building systems for my clients that pack a punch, are packed full of value, and most importantly, are long-lasting. Setting them up for success is the best thing possible for me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayleemuchow
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayleemuchow/
• Other: Substack: https://substack.com/@kayleemuchow