Dr. Janine Lee moves between two worlds that rarely intersect: academia and content creation. As a UC Berkeley professor with a doctorate in education from USC, a Certified Executive Coach, and a travel content creator who has visited more than 100 countries across six continents, she has cultivated a unique career that brings together her business expertise and passion for travel.

“I was born and raised in Oakland and never lived anywhere else but the Bay Area, which is why I had the travel bug,” Janine explains. “I’ve always been curious about other cultures and what’s out there.”

This innate curiosity, combined with early travel experiences with her family, sparked a lifelong passion. “My family loves to travel, so I’ve been to six continents with my parents and brother. They introduced me to it at a young age,” she says. Behind this drive to explore the world lies a profound personal motivation – her own brushes with mortality.

“I’m a near-death survivor,” she reveals. “In ninth grade, I almost drowned, and at 17, I had heart surgery. A lot of my life has been about living fully because I know how short it is. If my heart surgery hadn’t been successful, I wouldn’t be here today, I wouldn’t have traveled to all these places, and I wouldn’t have gotten my doctorate.”

From Travel Diary to Strategic Creator

Janine’s career in content creation began organically, long before the term “influencer” became a recognized career path.

“Initially, my blog and Instagram were just personal accounts of where I traveled, places I’d been, and food I’d eaten. More like a diary,” she recalls. “This was before influencing became a thing. You were just posting for fun.”

The transition from personal documentation to professional content creation happened gradually. “Over the last couple of years, I started introducing food more. Food is more accessible than travel. That’s when I became an influencer, because that’s when I started getting invitations and paid work.”

With an MBA and doctorate in education, her experience teaching at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and her background as a certified Executive Coach, she brings analytical rigor to her creative work.

“I’ve taken a lot of classes in communications marketing, and I leverage that when working with businesses,” Janine explains. “I see myself as a strategic partner, helping their business grow, understanding their goals. It’s not just about what content to create, but the end result. Are you trying to drive views or bring more customers to the restaurant?”

The Business Mind Behind the Content Strategy

Janine’s approach to content creation mirrors the business principles she teaches her students. For each collaboration, she focuses on identifying what she calls the “unique selling proposition” (USP).

“We talk about USP in business school – what’s special about your business that people should know?” she says. “When I visit businesses or highlight events, because I’ve traveled and eaten so widely, I can see what’s unique, whether it’s a dish or the ambiance, and feature it.”

Her content planning process begins with thorough research. “I go online and research the business,” she explains. “I look at Yelp or Google for favorite dishes, check their Instagram presence, and see what they’ve already captured.”

This preliminary research informs her content strategy. “I do a needs analysis and plan what I want to shoot when I get there. Sometimes I’ll also think about a script, what’s unique, or a hook I want to film.”

Equipment decisions follow this planning phase. “I think about what equipment to bring. Maybe a drone for outdoors, or microphones for live filming,” Janine details.

While she arrives with a structured plan, she remains adaptable. “Sometimes I arrive, and it becomes spontaneous. I see something cool, like a sign or a dish, and I want to feature it,” she says. “Sometimes what I planned goes out the window, but I always come up with a plan.”

Her academic background in storytelling also shapes her content. “I teach leadership and communications, where students practice pitches and storytelling,” she explains. “I’ve incorporated that into my content: having a strong hook, then a beginning, middle, and end.”

Two Professional Identities

During her doctoral studies at USC, Janine created a separate social media account @drjaninelee to reflect her academic identity. “That’s when I felt I had more credibility as a doctor,” she says.

This second account, focused on her professional expertise, is where she shares career guidance. “I’m actively building it with career tips as an executive coach and educational content like how to improve your resume or interview for a role.”

Initially, she viewed these identities as separate, but her perspective has changed. “I created a personal mission and vision statement. My mission was to inspire leaders to reach their potential,” she explains. “Since then, I’ve expanded it to inspiring individuals to live their full potential personally and professionally.”

Rather than compartmentalizing these aspects of her identity, Janine now embraces their integration. “The bigger learning is: how can they work for one another?” she reflects. “I’ve been able to leverage networks on both sides. If a business school student has a connection to a collab, why can’t I ask them and share my influencer work?”

Her publicist, Gardenia Zuniga-Haro, reinforced this approach: “She said, ‘You should pitch both. That’s who you are, not just an influencer, not just a professor and coach.’”

Promoting Minority-Owned Businesses

Janine’s content has an intentional focus on supporting minority-owned businesses in Oakland, connecting directly to her own childhood experiences there.

“Growing up in Oakland, I’m grateful my parents could send me to private school. Otherwise, I would’ve gone to a school with a 50% dropout rate,” she says. “Education has opened a lot of doors for me, and not everyone is blessed with that.”

This awareness drives her commitment to community support. “I feel a responsibility to give back. I wanted to support minority-owned businesses in Oakland because the city has so much potential. It has a bad reputation, but it’s a cultural melting pot.”

For businesses with limited resources, Janine often provides services pro bono. “If someone has a smaller or no budget, I try to offer pro bono or trade, because it’s important to give back and support these businesses. Many told me that after I created a reel, their businesses took off.”

Her approach to featuring these businesses focuses on their unique stories. “I present them in a way that highlights what makes them unique,” she explains. “I also interview owners, which brings in the personal flavor of what the business means to them and the love they put into their dishes.”

Building Relationships Beyond Transactions

One of Janine’s most meaningful partnerships illustrates her relationship-centered approach. “I’ve really enjoyed working with Chef Rene Johnson. As a Black female entrepreneur from Oakland and a single mother, her food is phenomenal,” Janine says. “We’ve become like family. When she was invited on KRON 4 News, she said, ‘Janine’s coming with me.’”

This partnership exemplifies how Janine’s impact extends beyond content creation. “She calls me part of her team now. I’m invited to every monthly event, and she’s like family to me,” she says. “She told me, ‘You’re coming on the news with me. Whether you’re eating a biscuit or just standing there, I want you on TV, because much of my success is from your videos.’”

When measuring success, Janine focuses on real-world impact rather than digital metrics. “For me, it’s less about impressions and more about results for the business owner,” she says. “I follow up a week or so after a post, share metrics, and ask if they’ve seen increased foot traffic.”

Even when content doesn’t achieve viral metrics, she finds value in providing businesses with quality visual representation. “Sometimes a post doesn’t perform as expected, but owners still love the content. They say, ‘this really represented our restaurant and vibe.’”

Creator Community and Shared Growth

Unlike the competitive stereotype often associated with content creation, Janine emphasizes the importance of community among creators. “I feel blessed to have a community of friends who are also creators. We hang out, not just film,” she shares. “Every day, someone texts me, invites me to something, or shares a paid opportunity. We do that for each other.”

This collaborative approach extends even to potential competitors. “If I see something outside my niche, I’ll send it to a friend in beauty or skincare. She’ll send me food and travel opportunities,” Janine says.

She views this supportive network as essential to success. “Building a community where you have real friendships is key. Even if you’re technically competing, you’re different people with different niches and styles.”

Her advice to fellow creators reinforces this perspective. “We create this community. I hope all creators continue to welcome new ones and create a space where we belong and uplift each other rather than compete,” Janine says. “You can go farther together than alone.”

Influence and Genuine Advocacy

Looking toward the future of content creation, Janine acknowledges industry challenges while maintaining her commitment to meaningful content.

“I hope influencing doesn’t head toward controversy and drama as the only way to grow,” she observes. “That’s not where I want to take my account. Mine is about lifting voices and empowering people.”

She sees AI as both a potential change and a tool. “Do you need creators if AI can make videos for you?” she wonders. “But people connect more with a real person in a restaurant than with a bot.” Rather than viewing AI as a threat, she has incorporated it as a productivity tool. “I use AI to edit my copy before posting or to help brainstorm. It’s like a thought partner to learn about a business before visiting.”

Janine hopes the creator economy will evolve in a positive way. “I hope every creator makes inclusive content and diversifies their coverage,” she says. “Not just the same businesses, but a variety of owners and backgrounds, so more voices are represented.”

For those seeking to make their content more impactful, Janine stresses the importance of being genuine and purposeful. “Know your strengths and superpowers,” she advises. “What are you really good at? What’s worked before? What do people associate with you? What makes you unique as a creator?”

Through her dual roles as professor and content creator, Janine continues her mission to inspire others to live their fullest potential, both personally and professionally. “Your team is your community and support network,” she advises fellow creators. “If you try to go far alone, you won’t go far at all. You need friends, family, and other creators to grow.”