Bria Jones doesn’t describe her entrance into the creator economy as destiny. She describes it as the moment she chose growth over comfort.

After graduating from college, she followed what felt like the responsible path, accepting a position in healthcare and stepping into a traditional career. Entrepreneurship wasn’t part of her plan. In fact, it felt deeply intimidating.

“I thought becoming an entrepreneur was terrifying,” she says. “I had never seen that kind of path modeled around me.”

Her shift away from corporate life didn’t happen overnight. Instead, it unfolded quietly and deliberately. Bria began working behind the scenes, assisting a major creator in Kansas City and learning the industry from the inside. At the same time, she noticed a striking gap in her local market.

“In Kansas City, there wasn’t really a community for influencers. Even the word itself felt unfamiliar.”

Rather than waiting for that space to exist, she built it. Bria founded a grassroots creator community, hosting meetups and quarterly events that quickly gained momentum and brought together a new generation of digital talent.

By 2018, she made the leap into full-time entrepreneurship, but success came through determination, not instant visibility.

“I had multiple side hustles just to stay afloat,” she recalls. “I was DoorDashing, pitching myself to boutiques, doing whatever I could to create content even when I couldn’t afford it.”

What followed wasn’t a viral breakthrough, but something far more enduring: steady, hard-earned growth built on resilience.

“It was an incredibly busy and challenging start – and I’m truly grateful for it.”

Today, that foundation of grit, community-first thinking, and long-term vision continues to shape Bria’s approach, proving that meaningful influence isn’t built overnight. It’s built with intention, perseverance, and purpose.

Rejecting the Niche Formula

Bria did not initially set out to become a content creator. Discovering fitness influencers and early mommy bloggers sparked the realization that there might be space for someone like her.

But she struggled with the concept from the start.

“I had a hard time with the niche. And it definitely isn’t helpful when you’re trying to grow online to be like, ‘I don’t know what my niche is.’”

Instead of forcing herself into a single vertical, she leaned into her personality. “I really tried to dive into sharing my life and all the phases that I’m going through, whatever they may be.”

Trying to “pick a lane” made her feel boxed in. “I really had to learn I’m not that kind of person.”

She adds with characteristic candor, “I also have ADHD, and my interests change every six months. It’s just who I am. So I want to develop a community that’s like, we’re here for Bria at the core of who she is, not something specific.”

That philosophy has shaped her longevity. Her audience follows her through life stages rather than content categories.

A Strategy for Balance

In the early days, Bria’s approach was rooted in passion, persistence, and an unwavering commitment to showing up.

“I focused on being present and consistent,” she shares. “I didn’t start with some grand master plan, I just did my best every day and trusted that consistency would lead somewhere meaningful.”

As her platform grew, so did her vision. What began as organic content creation has evolved into a thoughtfully structured business. Today, Bria collaborates with a dedicated management team, works with support staff, and plans her content strategically month to month.

“I now have an assistant who helps manage the day-to-day details: community engagement, responding to messages, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks,” she explains. “It allows me to focus on the creative side and the bigger picture.”

Together with her team, Bria approaches each month with intention, identifying themes, brainstorming impactful content, and exploring brand partnerships that align authentically with her voice.

“We look ahead and ask, ‘What stories do we want to tell this month? What opportunities feel right? What will resonate most with our audience?’”

This transition from spontaneous posting to purposeful planning has empowered Bria to think long-term and build not just content, but a sustainable brand.

What Does Success Look Like?

Bria’s relationship with metrics is cautious.

“I don’t like to validate myself through metrics personally.”

She acknowledges milestones are meaningful, but says numbers fluctuate unpredictably. “You might go through a season where you’re growing by the thousands every single day. You might go through a season where you’re losing followers, and you don’t really know why.”

Instead, she evaluates success through two questions: Is her community responding? And is she proud of the content?

“Am I proud of this? Is this something I wanted to make? Do I feel like this is worthy of my effort and posting?”

That internal barometer has become especially important in the last year.

Motherhood and a Business in Transition

In March of last year, Bria welcomed her first child, a life change that reshaped both her content and the way she runs her business.

“The first three months were all about navigating a complete life shift.”

As the fog began to lift, she faced a deeper emotional adjustment. “I was like, ‘What is this?’ I don’t know whether to call it postpartum depression or anxiety. It was probably all of the above.”

The impact on her workflow was immediate. “I used to be able to just make content on the fly and stick to a schedule. Now that’s so hard to do, even when I plan it, because my baby doesn’t care what my plans are.”

Today, she batches content whenever family can help and works around naps and evenings. “I want to be present for these moments too, because he’s so small. I’m never going to get that time back.”

Motherhood has also expanded her audience. Her “Pregnancy ABC” series drew in new followers who were pregnant, trying to conceive, or newly postpartum, tackling topics rarely discussed openly.

“So many women go through pregnancy – why aren’t we talking about the hemorrhoids? Why aren’t we talking about the symptoms we all actually experience? I will.”

That candor resonates. “The content that performs best right now is when I’m completely raw. I say things directly. I’m very transparent about what’s going on and how I feel.”

At the same time, she has become more intentional about privacy. “I used to share way too much. Now I’m very selective, especially when it involves my son.”

Her guiding principle is simple:

“Don’t give away too much, because you can’t take it back, but you can always choose to share more later.”

Brand Alignment and Representation

On the monetization side, Bria approaches partnerships with intention, prioritizing authenticity and alignment above all else.

“It has to be something I genuinely believe in and actually use, or something I can realistically see people like me using.”

As a Black creator, representation is a fundamental consideration. “A major red flag for me is going to a brand’s platform and not seeing any Black representation.”

Equally important is creative alignment. She values brands that understand her voice, audience, and content style before initiating a collaboration. “I appreciate when a brand has taken the time to understand who I am and how they can integrate naturally into what I’m already doing.”

One of her most meaningful partnerships to date has been with Dyson. “Everyone knows how much I love the Dyson Airwrap, so working with them felt like a dream collaboration.”

Looking ahead, Bria is focused on building deeper, more strategic relationships with brands rather than participating solely in campaign-based activations. “Ideally, I would love to be more involved behind the scenes, rather than simply delivering a campaign that goes live.”

She is particularly interested in contributing to product development and brand strategy. Bria hopes to “have a seat at the table, helping shape the product and overall concept, especially for brands looking to better serve mothers, and offering insight from the perspective of someone living that experience every day.”

Platform Uncertainty

Bria is also watching the broader industry closely. On TikTok, she senses instability.

“I don’t know what’s going on with TikTok, to be honest with you, but it’s frustrating from a creator standpoint to feel like you don’t really know what to post at this point so that it will reach your audience.”

She references ownership changes and updated terms of service as concerning developments. AI adds another layer of uncertainty.

“While AI is helpful in ways, it’s also kind of a red flag because we’re already seeing creators getting their content stolen.”

She believes the industry may shift toward simplicity. “I think it might get to a point where people will appreciate more simplistic forms of content like writing and Substack.”

Looking Beyond Social Media

The question of where she sees herself in three years makes Bria pause.

“There are a lot of things that I would like to do that don’t even involve social media, but still involve media in a sense.”

After years inside social platforms, she is considering broader creative outlets. “Maybe tapping into other elements of media and just kind of letting my creative juices flow in other ways.”

Yet her core advice to aspiring creators remains grounded and direct. “A lot of people want there to be a formula for this job so bad.”

Her answer is simpler.

“You turn on the camera, and you start going as everyone of us did. But you can ask every creator, we probably have a different story. So I think that it’s important to remind people there’s really no right answer to how you’re doing any of this. It’s growing, and it’s becoming something every single day. So just get in it.”

Photo credits: Sydney Taylor Photography

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