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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.”

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Featured image by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Vanity Fair

 

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