Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyla Sherwood.
Hi Kyla, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was 16 years old when I first was introduced to making money through Instagram. A family member came up to me at a Christmas party and asked if I knew anything about Instagram. I said yes and he offered me a job. I worked for him for about 2 years. In those years I read all about the Instagram algorithm and how things like hashtags, following others, and posting good content helped a user grow their account. I started going on photoshoots with my friends using our iPhones and posted them to a new Instagram account. In 2018, it was much easier to grow on Instagram. I quickly gained thousands of followers and explored the opportunities that came with that. I practiced reaching out to companies and learned how to make partnerships with brands I loved! In 2020 I bought my first camera. I had been collaborating with photographers to make awesome content but I didn’t like relying on others. I started exploring self-portraits and loved being able to take my own photos and edit them. I grew a lot as a photographer this last year and am continuing to learn. This year I was hired to be a social media manager for a business in Utah called Felt Right. My job is to mainly make Instagram Reels, Tik Toks, and do the Influencer Marketing. I have such a unique background having made content before and have communicated with many different brands. I have seen many different ways businesses run their Influencer Marketing which gives me a really cool perspective for my job! I love balancing my life as a Social Media Manager, Photographer, Model, and Spray Tan Artist!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I would say there have been two main struggles with working so closely to Instagram. The biggest for me now is keeping up with all of the algorithm changes! Instagram is a very different platform than it was in 2018. The second challenge would be making sure that I am not compromising my standards or beliefs because I have a lot of eyes on me. I tell myself over and over that people have different opinions and I will never be able to please everyone. I try to be my genuine self on social media and help encourage others to do the same. My goal is for my followers to find inspiration in the content I create or gain some sort of information. I see so many influencers who almost feel like they’re trying to intimidate others or put them down by only posting the absolute best of their lives. I want my followers to see me as a human and not better or less than anyone else! I like to delete Instagram every now and then to just be more present in my own life. I also have to be very intentional with cheering on others’ successes and not making that mean that mine are any less.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Because I work so closely with social media, I know what is “trending” and am able to capitalize on that; whether that be for Felt Right or my own Instagram. I want to get more into creating UGC for other brands. User-generated content wouldn’t need to be posted to my social media page, but it would be some sort of video that I can give to brands in exchange for monetary compensation. These videos are often used in a brand’s marketing plans! I feel that I would be a huge asset to brands in this sense as I have been making these videos for years and have all of the lighting/photography equipment to return a great video. I would also like to pursue being a consultant and helping brands know how to upgrade their social media presence! I love the phrase “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Little insights can completely change the success of someone’s page. I absolutely love working for Felt Right and think my boss, Talley Goodson, is great. I can see myself working there for a while.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Cameron Brunt was my first boss that hired me to help him grow other people’s Instagram accounts. Through those two years, I learned how to research hashtags, create graphic design posts, learn different websites, and the importance of networking. I would absolutely not be where I am today without such a great opportunity early in my life.
Kelly Christensen was my next boss. He runs a catering company that offers pretty much any service you can think of. I worked over one hundred weddings. Some days were very fun and others were frankly exhausting. Either way, I learned how to work hard and problem solve. I often helped run events and delegate jobs to other employees. There was just work and we needed to figure out how to get it done! I love thinking about how I can do things the most effective and efficient so this job was very fun for me.
Talley Goodson is my current boss. I have read a few books about business, mindset, and finding happiness in any circumstance. Talley is one of the greatest examples I’ve seen of someone who actually lives their life like these books talk about. He makes all of his workers feel appreciated and creates such a good workspace. He is so good at delegating and has all his aces in their places. An example of something he does is interrupt the work day to talk about the new Top Gun movie. Logically you would think he is losing money by distracting his employees from their work. According to books like “The Happiness Advantage,” interruptions like this will help his business thrive in the long run by creating a happy, uplifting space for your employees.
Contact Info:
- Email: heykayfaye@gmail.com
- Website: https://kylasherwood.mypixieset.com/portfolio/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylasherwoodd/
Image Credits
@lizastandishphotography
@haileyann.photography
@lizotto_photo
@carleelewisphotography
