43. "Influenza. Like sick?" Nope! Influencer. Like on Instagram - and how to be authentic! w/ Esther Kazungu & Maeve Sherryl

What does it take to become a successful influencer in today's digital landscape? In this Yespisode, the Yes Girls, Claire and Akumu, dive into the vibrant world of social media influencing, exploring the highs and lows of this captivating career path.Remember that this is Season 5, which means there is only one guinea pig, one challenge, and two fantastic experts.____Timestamps for Specific Segments:(00:00) Introduction: Saying Yes to Influence(02:30) Meet the Experts: Maeve Sherryl & Esther Kazungu(05:10) Kazungu's Influencer Origin Story(10:20) The Viral Moment & Breakthrough(13:55) Quitting Her Job & Going All In(17:45) Claire's Influencer Challenge Begins(20:30) Authenticity as the Secret Sauce(23:10) Therapy, Burnout & Creative Blocks(25:00) Results of the Challenge: Metrics & Milestones(28:45) The Female Gaze: Who's Watching Who?(30:15) Should Claire Become a Full-Time Influencer?(32:00) Closing Banter & Outro_____For this one, Claire embarks on a week-long adventure, and who better to guide her through this thrilling journey than the charismatic and seasoned influencer, Maeve Sherryl? Check out the video diary of her discussion with Claire on our YouTube Channel.Maeve is one of Kenya's best-loved and admired influencers who went viral on social media because of her ability to capture the hearts, eyes and likes of Kenyans on social. Apart from being a social media influencer, she is also a lawyer, an advocate in training, a singer/songwriter, and the founder and host of Cycles Podcast.In their engaging masterclass, Claire and Maeve delve into the secrets and strategies of the influencer industry. From curating the perfect Instagram feed focus to mastering the art of storytelling through reels, Claire gets a crash course in all things influencer. And Maeve generously shares her wealth of knowledge, revealing the tricks of the trade that have brought her tremendous success.In the studio for this episode is yet another big name in the world of content creation. Esther Kazungu is a renowned Kenyan content creator who describes herself on one of her bios as 'Your not so average Kenyan girl, short with a tall personality going about her life outside the ordinary lenses of life and being silly while at it.' She rose to fame with her skits that gently mock African politicians and her comedic prowess. She continues to entertain the world with her sketches as well as her light touch and down-to-earth attitude. So listen in if you're curious about what being an influencer means, what makes them tick, the specific challenges that social media influencers face, how to become an influencer on Instagram, the ins and outs of building a personal brand and connecting with an audience authentically, how to grow and make money as an influencer, the responsibility that comes with being a social media influencer, and the intricacies of influencer marketing if you're an outsider looking in. Tune in!__________________________________Important resources: Maeve Sherryl on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/maevesherryl Maeve's Cycles Podcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@MaeveSherrylEsther Kazungu on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/estherkazungu Check out Claire's Influencing efforts on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/halfbakedclaire ****************If you enjoy the podcast, we love you so much! And we'd like to ask you to rate us on Spotify - it will only take a couple of seconds, we promise! If you listen to us via Apple Podcasts, please take some time to leave a short review. We promise it will take less than a minute unless, of course, you have more to say. In any case, we appreciate you!Thanks in advance!_____________________For video logs, including the one with Maeve, visit https://www.youtube.com/@yesgirlspodcast For blogs, visit https://yesgirlspodcast.com/ Feel free to follow us across these platforms:INSTAGRAM TWITTERLINKEDINTIKTOK