Quantcast
RELATED

The creator economy is booming, and there are no signs of it slowing down anytime soon. And of those leading the pack of what is now a $21.1 billion industry is social media influencer Monet McMichael.


After landing on Forbes Top Creator list at number 47, the nursing school grad turned beauty, lifestyle, and fashion “It Girl,” the social media starlet sat down with the publication to discuss her trajectory and how she stands out among the sea of budding content creators in her industry.

How Monet McMichael Pivoted From Nursing School To Making $4 Million A Year As A Beauty Influencer

ou may be wondering how someone can go from being a nursing student to skyrocketing to online fame in just a year's time. In Monet’s case, it was all about showing up online and creating a corner of the internet that was safe and relatable for the women and girls in her community.

“I think with social media, nowadays, it’s like you never know what’s kind of like real, or not,” she says, “So I kind of feel like you always know in my corner that it’s just the realest.”

“I kind of feel like the big sister where it’s like you know you can look up to me whether you’re older or younger, it’s a place where we can all learn from each other,” she adds.

While she’s garnered a devoted fan base of 3.6 million TikTok followers on her own, Monet touched on the transition from being a full-time student and content creator to building a team that helps her manage brand deals and new opportunities.

“So I was doing it on my own for the first year and then once I hit my senior year of nursing school, I was like, I don’t know if I can balance this all by myself,” she reflects. “Even answering emails was taking up half my day.”

She continues, “I recently expanded my team, working with an agency now, which I’m super excited about because the possibilities are just endless.”

With social media being her full-time job, it can be tricky finding the balance between using the app for leisure and content inspiration, while keeping your mental health in mind. “I’ve been working on that work-life balance,” Monet says. “It’s fun, but it’s also work — so it’s like scrolling for inspiration but also trying to create that boundary of where it’s good for my mental health just to disconnect and be present.”

Before taking a full leap into content creation, Monet approached a “fork in the road” where she had to truly decide whether being a full-time social media influencer was the path she wanted to take. However, leaning into the full range of opportunities that her online platform has granted has led her to the life of her dreams.

“This being my career now is an absolute dream,” she reflects. “I'm definitely chasing it right now, but I’m so glad I graduated, so glad I got my degree, but I learned so much in nursing school that can never be taken away from me.”

“Believe in yourself, because I know, so many people, including myself, lived in so much doubt for a while where it’s like you stop yourself from so much,” she says. “You would never know.”

Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.

Featured image by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Vanity Fair

 

RELATED

 
ALSO ON XONECOLE
'We Had To Heal To Love': Taja Simpson And Ryan Easter’s Journey To Lasting Love

How We Met is a series where xoNecole talks love and relationships with real-life couples. We learn how they met, how like turned into love, and how they make their love work.

One of my favorite things about interviewing married couples and hearing their diverse “How We Met” stories is the way they affirm true love and integral beliefs. One principle that I wholeheartedly believe is that one must truly know and love oneself before effectively doing it for another human being, and Taja Simpson and Ryan Easter’s story affirms this.

KEEP READINGShow less
The One Thing That Leads To Happy Relationships Is Actually A Struggle For Many

Recently, while doing an interview for my latest “book child,” someone asked me to share what I found to be a constant issue within long-term relationships. One of the first things that came to my mind: “It’s really fascinating how many people will end a relationship for not receiving what they haven’t even been great at giving themselves.”

Y’all, I will forever-and-a-day say that if you don’t want someone else to hold you accountable (oftentimes in some very uncomfortable and unpredictable ways) and/or you don’t want someone to put an allegorical mirror in your face to reveal who you really are, to yourself, stay single.

KEEP READINGShow less
LATEST POSTS