Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Ricciardi.
Hi Jenna , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My work in content creation in the influencer marketing space started almost a decade ago. My educational background is in TV & Radio (undergrad) & Counseling (graduate). I loved working as a counselor, but resigned when I became a Mother. As I was raising my daughter, & then my second daughter, I started becoming a local resource of where to go when looking for events that were happening, fun places to take the kids & people trusted my opinions. I started organically sharing a lot of what we were already doing in our life, as I created my business, brand & channels, & it grew at a slow, steady pace. I learned so much, & am still learning about this ever changing world in the social media space. I find it incredibly rewarding in so many ways & grateful for the impact it’s made on my family.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There is never a smooth road, at least for me. I had friends (or people who I thought were friends) say things like “she actually thinks shes going to make money from this” and that was very hurtful at the time. No one understood the business of social media, my family, my friends, & they really still don’t for the most part which is ok. I tell them things here & there when it makes sense, but I definitely think there are people who assume you just take photos/videos, post them & find success and that is the furthest thing from true. You have to learn to wear so many hats, take on so many roles, most of the work is happening off of social media, and that is such a small part of it. I would say the struggle for me was always that no one really understood how much I did, from nothing, completely on my own, to build this from the ground up.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
If someone asks me what I do, I would say I am a content creator in the influencer marketing space (I would NEVER say I am an influencer, ick). I share parts of my life online. I am a girl’s girl, a millennial mom’s girl, & I think my content reflects that. I would be considered in the general category of lifestyle, & within the I share tons of wellness, self-care, travel, beauty, skincare, & fashion finds. It’s a little bit of everything like my actual life. I never “niched down” because that did not fit me or who I am. I hope what stands out about me is that I am down to earth and very relatable, I am most proud of what I have been able to build over time & what its been able to do for my family. We have had such great experiences because of my career & thats what truly makes me the proudest.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Stop comparing yourself to others. I work in a world full of competition. People are always looking at someone wondering why they got a job over them, why they deserve it more, why not me, & that is a terrible way to live. They will try to find fault in a competitor, they must be this or that, to help them justify why someone got something they didn’t or a success they did not achieve yet. Comparison is truly the thief of joy. There is NO need to be looking at what everyone else is doing, with a negative jealous eye. You will be a much happier, successful person to collaborate vs compete, network vs bring others down. Negativity will not get you far.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jennaricciardi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejennaricciardi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejennaricciardi
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thejennaricciardi
