Jarry Lee is a social media entrepreneur and influencer (with over 750,000 followers across her verified channels) who consults for both brands and individuals on digital content creation and raising brand awareness. Based in NYC but originally from Wales and England, she graduated from NYU and Choate and is also an agency-signed model, actress, and musician. Before pivoting to social media and entertainment, she worked as a journalist and was a deputy editor for BuzzFeed News for 4 years. www.jarrylee.com

Can you tell our readers about your background?

My first jobs were in digital marketing for book publishing houses Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster. Then, I worked as a journalist and was a deputy editor for BuzzFeed News for 4 years, covering books and culture. In 2018, I changed careers entirely and pivoted to social media and the entertainment industry to work for myself. I’m now a digital content creator and social media entrepreneur with over 750,000 followers across platforms. (I also act and model professionally, but less so now during the COVID-19 pandemic.)

What inspired you to start your business?

I felt frustrated that I didn’t own the rights to my work — whereas now, any effort I expend on a project directly benefits me, and the payoff scales accordingly, which is incredibly motivating.

Where is your business based?

New York City, but I work with brands across the country and worldwide.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I first decided on a consistent aesthetic for my channels, and then worked on digital content creation and developing my unique personal brand. I sought out brand partners through both my connections and online research, and also focused on honing my editing, photography, and videography skills.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

My team does consistent, frequent partnership outreach to potential brand clients who could benefit from our consulting services, and who align with our values and content aesthetic.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

I didn’t have much knowledge about the industry before I made my career pivot so that obviously came with a bit of a learning curve — however, I find challenges to be highly motivating, and that only made me want to succeed more.

How do you stay focused?

I set aside time each week to visualize my current goals and the precise steps I must take to make progress towards them. Writing down a to-do list of these small next steps helps me stay motivated and narrows down my focus.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Our tactic to stand out from other influencers is producing diverse, professionally-shot content (both photo and video), since not everyone consistently employs high-quality photographers and videographers. We also make a point to showcase positive press we receive, which is something I've noticed other people aren't always comfortable doing — but reputation is important in social media, and you are your best publicist! Don't be afraid to highlight your work/achievements!

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Social media marketing is inherently part of my business — I've always viewed Instagram as a powerful platform for self-marketing.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Keep in mind that self-doubt is often part of the process and not a reflection on your ability to succeed. Sticking to a traditional career path and “playing it safe” is often actually a risky move because you can’t truly predict the potential success of your new business venture.

What's your favorite app? Why?

Videoshop is my favorite mobile app because it’s a powerful, intuitive video editor that lets me film and edit on the fly.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Squarespace is a fantastic tool for building any kind of website you may need, and it comes with some pretty useful built-in business and e-commerce integrations that I’ll be using for the apparel brand and jewelry brand I’m working on.

Who is your business role model? Why?

I admire Sara Blakely because of her tenacity and perseverance — she self-funded her unique idea into a company that’s now valued at $1 billion and is truly a self-made entrepreneur.

How do you balance work and life?

It can be difficult to maintain work-life balance because I don’t have formal workday hours, so I’ll find myself working all day and night if I don’t set breaks for myself. Establishing a consistent hard stop to the workday helps.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I like to unwind by exercising (long-distance running, weightlifting, or yoga), cooking or baking for my food blog (www.jarrylee.com/cooking), and petting my Bengal cat Potato. (He has his own Instagram: @potatobengal).

What do you have planned for the next six months?

I’m working on designing products for an apparel brand and jewelry brand I plan on launching in 2021 or 2022 with my partner. I’m also working on writing and recording new music for release later this year, and a couple of art projects as well (acrylic painting and experimental film).

How can our readers connect with you?

Instagram: instagram.com/jarrylee

Twitter: twitter.com/jarry

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jarrylee

Facebook: facebook.com/jarrylee

YouTube: youtube.com/jarrylee