We were lucky to catch up with Kim M. recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kim, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

When I first started my journey as a content creator, I was working in the mental health field and I was told by my supervisor at the time to make my social media private.

I took the risk of navigating a professional world but also sharing another space in a creative field. I’m happy and thankful I continued to do what I wanted with social media since it’s brought many amazing opportunities for us but also has helped smaller businesses. I’m truly thankful that I didn’t stop doing what I love.

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

My name is Kim, I was born and raised in Sacramento, California. I share restaurants, wineries, accommodations and fun things to do in the city and in nature. I share family outings, date night adventures and solo activities too. I don’t stick to one niche, since I have many interests, but I do enjoy sharing Sacramento and other California gems.

I got into this passion, because I have always had an eye for fun adventures on the weekend. People would constantly ask where I had gone or places we had hiked, so I finally decided to share it with the world.

I work with restaurants, businesses, organizations and create visuals to represent their business in a creative and meaningful way.

I was informed by Tube Tahoe that the discount code I shared was used a lot for the video I created for them. I feel grateful and delighted to hear that businesses benefit from creators like myself. It’s a risk a business may take, but it’s rewarding to support a business and to see the outcomes of the shares, use of discount codes, and visibility the videos create for businesses.

What sets me apart is my authenticity that I share on my platform. I share beautiful places but I also share my honest reviews of what I enjoyed and what wasn’t my preference, in addition, I share stories that my audience can relate or inspire them. I never want to create the facade my life is perfect, sometimes I share older videos, or share a few of my struggles. I’m a regular person, whether I have 4 followers or earn a million. It’s essential to remain true to myself, aspire to always be humble and kind. I also love to give back to my community. Some days I check in with my supporters on how they’re feeling and if they’re not doing well, I surprise them and send them a Starbucks card. Other occasions I host giveaways to my community. It’s essential to give back to others and empathize with the world. You never know how much a small gift can impact someone’s day.

I am most proud of myself for not allowing hurtful comments on social media to impact my mental health anymore. I also am confident in my ability to share my creativity with the world. I’m proud of myself for not giving up, even when there is days where the algorithm is not on my side.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I often see alot of negative comments or hate towards influencers or content creators. People tend to put them in all the same category and think they’re all the same. I believe it’s essential for people to not put people in a box, avoid the black and white thinking, and allow their minds to be open.

Sometimes it’s discouraging when people or businesses don’t appreciate what creators do and they do not want to compensate them for their work. It takes gas, editing, skills, paying for parking at times, and creativity to do content creation. Sometimes it takes me 3 hours or more to make a video. From editing the videos, adding the text, coming up with the words to describe the caption, including voice overs that take continuous takes, and arriving to the business to capture and film the scenes. I had a video I created for a business and it wasn’t a collaboration, but their video gained them thousands of followers and financial gain. I didn’t hear from the smaller business or receive any acknowledgment. I hope more people can appreciate what we do.

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

Yeah, make connections with other creators, be kind, don’t gatekeep, help one another, support each other and uplift each other. I have shared information with bigger creators and smaller creators to help optimize their business. I’m thankful for the people who genuinely support my content. I would hope someone would do the same if I needed help.

Be authentic and yourself always!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Explorewithbk
• Other: Tik tok : Explorewithbk