On ⁠World Storytelling Day, held annually on March 20, the American Influencer Council (AIC) held a lunch and learn⁠, at Pando Park Avenue, exploring career travel creators' unique business dynamics. This AIC Member-led event was hosted by ⁠Jessica Morrobel⁠, who moderated the conversation, and ⁠Gabby Beckford⁠, as well as Public Goodwill Committee Chair ⁠Nneya Richards⁠. Guests heard from our trio of Members and special brand guest ⁠Dupé Ajayi⁠, who has held impactful roles at ABC News, Airbnb.org, Bank of America, and MTV and had clients such as Mary J. Blige.

The conversation ignited insightful dialogues around travel storytelling and remote work and provided practical business advice for growing as new and seasoned storytellers in the creator economy. Per data released in ⁠December 2023 from Statista’s Research Department⁠, “[the] influx of visitors and a boost in U.S. travel spending, the travel and tourism industry contributed over two trillion U.S. dollars to the country’s GDP in 2022.”

Travel creator content is sought after by brands and tourism boards locally and globally. Such content entices tourists to book more leisure travel, and Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube act as extended search engines for discovery.

Watch the full replay on YouTube or listen to the conversation through our Creators with Influence Podcast. Listen whereever podcasts are available: Spotify, Apple, Google and more!

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American Influencer Council Member Gabby Beckford is a GenZ global nomad on a quest to empower young women from all socio-economic backgrounds to cultivate a passion and the financial means to travel. She is the creator of the blog PacksLight.com where she shares her many adventures from over 45+ countries, COVID safe recommendations, affordable hacks, and information vetted by tourist board partners worldwide. Gabby was selected for all of the highly competitive social media platform creator programs: TikTok Creator Fund, Meta’s We the Culture Black Creator Program, LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Program, and Pinterest Creator Fund. She is an entrepreneurial career creator wunderkind. As a business-savvy GenZ, Gabby has taken control over her personal and professional growth by being self-employed and touting herself as a full-time digital nomad since January 2021. Her unique thought leadership on solo female travel and remote work has earned her awards from Lonely Planet's Best in Travel: Emerging Voice Award, Wanderful’s Bessie Awards: Trailblazer Award, Traverse’s 12-Month Achievement Award, and she was named a finalist for Newsweek’s Future of Travel Award. Creators with Influence hosts Qianna Smith Bruneteau, and Karston 'Skinny' Tannis speak to Gabby about succeeding from anywhere.

The American Influence Council (AIC) produces the Creators with Influence Podcast. Visit the AIC: https://www.americaninfluencercouncil.com

CONNECT WITH GABBY

Website: https://www.packslight.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellebeckford

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@packslight

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/packslight

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/packslight

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The American Influencer Council (AIC) held its first in-person event of 2023 on the 20th anniversary of Safer Internet Day to kick off Black History Month (BHM). On Tuesday, February 7, a small intimate group gathered at Soho Works 10 Jay in Brooklyn to discuss the 'Creator Blind Spot, Navigating Algorithmic, and Moderation Biases.' The AIC is a Black-Founded 501(c)6 not-for-profit membership trade association that prioritizes diversity and inclusion 365 days a year. Federally recognized heritage months like BHM provide an excellent opportunity to bring people together from all backgrounds to embrace culture and share knowledge and drive awareness on topics impacting vulnerable communities. "This month, the AIC is driving awareness of the unintentional harms that come from automated decision-making," said AIC Founder Qianna Smith Bruneteau. "At the AIC, we believe awareness is the first step to finding solutions that will create positive change." 

Quotes of Note from our Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs): 

1. "Many people show up on the Internet for the metrics and the hype. They're not showing up to serve or to help someone. And you truly do see a difference in your reach when you are here to serve rather than to get the likes." —Asa Dugger, Moderator, AIC Member 

2. “You have to remember whom you're creating for. I have so many people that say, I want to be an influencer. What do you want to influence? It's not the number of likes you get that will keep you going.” —Nneya Richards, Travel Creator and co-Chair of the AIC Public Goodwill Committee 

3. "The algorithm of life is also about putting the phone down, going outside, and touching the grass. You know, that's the stuff that's going to rejuvenate you to create and be more productive." —Visuals by Pierre, AIC Founding Member 

4. "Algorithms tend to be living, breathing things that evolve based on product priorities, company priorities, and company goals." —Simone Oliver, SVP of Digital Content, BET 

5. “There's the algorithms on these platforms and there's the algorithm of life, too. What are you choosing to engage with? You change these stories, you change the culture and you change the world.” —Rumi Chunara, Ph.D., Associate Professor at NYU Center for Health Data Science 

6. "If you are truly putting yourself out there  and have a core vision of what you are doing in social media as an  influencer. Your impact in the world will always come through." —Sidney Madison Prescott, Former Global Head of Intelligent Automation, Spotify 

7. “So when publishing your content, think of what someone is looking for in the simplest terms. What are the keywords, and how can I be prioritized to the top?” —Brandon Smithwrick, Head of Content at Songfinch 

Engage with us on Instagram @americaninfluencercouncil @creatorswithinfluence; TikTok @creatorswithinfluence. Watch on YouTube.

Dallas-based lifestyle content creator and social media strategist Maryam Ishtiaq joins season two, episode two of Creators with Influence Podcast. Maryam is a multidimensional creator passionate about cooking, travel, beauty, and home. She’s not one to be defined by labels or a particular niche. Maryam’s creative point of difference is expressing her expertise on the many subjects she loves. Her career started in food and tech, working as a social media strategist for New York and San Francisco startups, where she executed brand creative campaigns and e-commerce development. These early defining experiences helped her launch a cooking website, itsactuallyspicy.com, and a YouTube channel with the same name to showcase her culinary skills. On these platforms, you can find recipes crafted by Maryam and her husband, Nabeel, including the Nihari Pizza, a community favorite. Maryam’s work has been profiled in top media outlets, including Southern Living Magazine, The Dallas Morning News, Hello Pakistan, and more. Some of her brand partners include Albertsons, Nordstrom, HerbalEssence, Aveeno, Grove Collaborative, and Dose & Co.

Product developer is also one of the many titles she holds. Maryam illustrated a book series for children, The English Meets Urdu, available online via Anchor and Oak Publishing. As an immigrant, she wanted to create stories that make it easy for parents to teach Urdu to their children. She also produces a timeless accessory drop in collaboration with Jewels By Sunaina.

In this episode, hosts Qianna Smith Bruneteau and Karston Tannis talk with Maryam about motherhood, sharing seasons of her life with her community, managing creator burnout, sharing traditions through food, and where she sees her career heading —and yes, it includes a cookbook and starting her own café!

The American Influence Council produces the Creators with Influence Podcast.

Visit the AIC: https://www.americaninfluencercouncil.com/

Nihari Pizza recipe: https://www.itsactuallyspicy.com/recipes/nihari-pizza

ENGAGE WITH MARYAM 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MaryamIshtiaq 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaryamIshtiaq1 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maryamishtiaqshah 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maryamishtiaq_

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Learn more: http://creatorswithinfluence.com 

Our Creators with Influence Podcast turned one on International Podcast Day, celebrated annually on September 30. Hosts Qianna Smith Bruneteau and Karston 'Skinny' Tannis welcome Supermodel, Author, and CEO Beverly Johnson to kick off season 2.

Known as the Face that changed it all in fashion, Beverly has graced over 500 magazine covers and was named one of the “20th Century’s 100 Most Influential People in the Fashion Industry” by The New York Times and listed as Oprah Winfrey’s “25 top legends.” She has been photographed by the most iconic names behind a lens, such as Francesco Scavullo, Arthur Elgort, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Patrick Demarchelier. A New York native, she secured a place in fashion history for being the first Black model to appear on the cover of American Vogue in 1974 and the first Black model to land on the cover of French Elle in 1975. But you don't need to be a fashion enthusiast to be captivated by Beverly's storied career. It's her entrepreneurial and abundance mindset that is equally noteworthy.

"You need this kind of connectedness to propel yourself further, faster...That’s what mentorship does. Of course, you’re going to fall down. We learn our biggest lessons from failure more than from our successes."— Beverly Johnson

Often, people associate career longevity with time. At the American Influencer Council, we believe a successful career is choosing the projects and people you want to work with—staying relevant means getting to a place where you are in control of how you share your talents and expertise. With a career spanning five decades, Beverly returned to the runways of New York Fashion Week in February 2022, on her terms, for Sergio Hudson and Bibhu Mohapatra. She closed the shows for both designers, who paid tribute to her incredible legacy. And she has done over 20 covers in the last two years. For the startup businesses listening, get inspired as Beverly shares how she continuously turns up her purpose, the impact of the supermodels on personal branding and why mentorship results in more remarkable career outcomes.

Entrepreneurship and accelerating a culture of lifelong learning within the career creator community are core to the American Influencer Council (AIC) mission and its membership. On June 30, 2020, amid the pandemic's height and on the 10th anniversary of Mashable's Global Social Media Day, the AIC launched as the sole 501(c)6 not-for-profit trade association dedicated to advocating for career creators. 

The Council's Founder, Qianna Smith Bruneteau, formed the association with the support of 12 Founding Members, who set out to ensure influencers know their small business rights and have access to resources. To mark the occasion and to celebrate the Council's continued growth, AIC Members, partners, and friends gathered at Soho Works 55 Water in Dumbo, New York, for an evening of knowledge sharing and community on 'How to Grow Your Career Creator Brand: Diversify Your Income.' 

From merchandise lines to co-branded products, podcasts, affiliates, NFTs, newsletters, and courses, our key opinion leaders (KOLs) on our panel dived into diversification as a growth strategy and why it is vital for an entrepreneur. Influencer content converges media, shopping, and entertainment. The creator-to-consumer brand narrative is more important than ever. Creators are taking the reins and diversifying their brands into products, services, and experiences. Sponsored content is one monetization option, and having a multi-channel digital presence is not optional. 

MEET OUR KOLS Patrick Janelle, Founder of the talent agency Untitled Secret and AIC Board Chairman; Blair Breitenstein, illustrator, known as @blairz, 1989 Sisters NFT artist and AIC Art & Culture Committee Chair; Aisha Beau Frisbey, podcaster and self-care diversity advocate; and Tiffany M. Battle, fashion expert and digital curator of The Werk! Place. The AIC thanks #SohoWorks55Water for their collaboration to ensure creative professionals have a platform to be seen and heard.

Engage with us on Instagram @americaninfluencercouncil @creatorswithinfluence; Follow us on Twitter @aic_tweets @creatorswithinfl; Join us on TikTok @creatorswithinfluence. #CreatorswithInfluence

The American Influencer Council – AIC celebrated its second anniversary on Global Social Media Day with an educational workshop. Members, partners, and friends of the Council gathered for an evening of thought-provoking conversations on the future of content and commerce as well as the business of influencing, hosted at Soho Works 55 Water in Dumbo, New York. The exchanges of knowledge, camaraderie, and community cultivated during the workshop reinforced the influence creators have on every aspect of digital culture. 

During the fireside chat, iPhone notes were in active use thanks to the thought leadership of Aliza Licht, AIC Board Vice President, and Kendall Ostrow, SVP of Business Development and Community at Candle Media, a next-generation creator-driven entertainment company. 

The AIC thanks everyone who attended parts I and II of our ‘Spring to Summer Series’ in person. As a learning and development-first trade association, the AIC strives to organize free and innovative programming specially designed for digital small businesses. The Council appreciates our friends at #SohoWorks for being a champion of the professional creative community not only in NYC but globally.

Engage with us on Instagram @americaninfluencercouncil @creatorswithinfluence; Follow us on Twitter @aic_tweets @creatorswithinfl; Join us on TikTok @creatorswithinfluence. #CreatorswithInfluence

Encouraging young professionals to care about their financial wellbeing, to find confidence in being transparent about rates with their creator colleagues, and democratizing access to financial education is mission-critical for the American Influencer Council — AIC. We align with impact partners that champion these same objectives.

The AIC joined forces with Clara for Creators and justKay Media for Make It Make Cents. It was an intimate conversation on creator rates and pay transparency at Soho Works 55 Water. Once again, our friends at Soho Works provide Creators with Influence Podcast with a platform for thought-provoking talks on the creator economy.

Creators with Influence assembled an all-star panel of key opinion leaders to discuss monetization strategies, the value of original content, closing the influencer pay gap, social proof, the next creator hack, and more.

Hear from Christen Nino De Guzman, Founder of the newly launched app Clara for Creators, a community that empowers creators through transparency, brand reviews, and discoverability; Tejas Hullur, a creator economy reporter featured in FORTUNE Magazine as the "Creator's Creator." Tejas is an advisor for CATCH'N Ice Cream, a creator-founded company that raised $1.5M in early 2022; Keasya Hudgins (moderator) is a host and digital content producer. She is also the Founder of justKay Media; Annelise Campbell is the CEO and Founder of CFG Talent, a marketing agency focused on diverse influencer talent and inclusive campaign strategies. In 2021, Annelise was recognized by Business Insider as one of the top talent managers for micro-influencers and emerging creators.

–Watch the full episode on AIC's YouTube.

–Discover Soho Works 55 Water, a collaborative workspace for people in the creative industries.

–Join over 10k creators on Clara and share anonymous brand reviews, insights and pay information! For iOS.

–Engage with us on Instagram @americaninfluencercouncil @creatorswithinfluence; Follow us on Twitter @aic_tweets; Join us on TikTok @creatorswithinfluence. #AICforALL #CreatorswithInfluence #AICEducation

In April 2020, the American Influencer Council – AIC launched This Is Ramadan, a cultural education initiative to encourage tolerance, build community, debunk media-perpetuated myths, break stereotypes in everyday life, and combat belief-based biases. The program is led by Summer Albarcha, Chair of the AIC Learning & Development Committee and a pioneer of the modest fashion movement. During Ramadan, Summer is taking over the Creators with Influence Podcast to “spotlight GenZ and millennial creators who are using their tech-savviness, entrepreneurial ingenuity, personal style, and diverse culture to reimagine what it means to be a modern Muslim,” she said.

Engage with us on Instagram @americaninfluencercouncil @creatorswithinfluence; Follow us on Twitter @aic_tweets @creatorswithinfl; Join us on TikTok @creatorswithinfluence. #AICforALL #CreatorswithInfluence #AICEducation

Until May 2, more than 2 billion Muslims across the globe are celebrating Ramadan. It is a time for reflection, personal development, service to others, and uplifting family traditions from dawn to sunset. Last April, the American Influencer Council – AIC launched This Is Ramadan, a cultural education initiative to encourage tolerance, build community, debunk media-perpetuated myths, break stereotypes in everyday life, and combat belief-based biases. The program returns for a second year with the theme: Our Collective Voices and the Value of Coming Together. 

Summer Albarcha, Chair of the AIC Learning & Development Committee and a pioneer of the modest fashion movement, once again provides leadership for this initiative. For the month of April, she takes over the Creators with Influence Podcast. For episode 9, Summer is joined by Dr. Hina Cheema MD of Story of Style. Dr. Hina Cheema is a Dallas-based obstetrician-gynecologist passionate about social justice advocacy. In this episode of Creators with Influence, Summer and Dr. Cheema discuss advancing women’s rights through healthcare. 

Learn more about #ThisIsRamadan and our 2022 collaborators: https://impact.americaninfluencercouncil.com/this-is-ramadan-2022 

Engage with us on Instagram @americaninfluencercouncil @creatorswithinfluence; Follow us on Twitter @aic_tweets @creatorswithinfl; Join us on TikTok @creatorswithinfluence. #AICforALL #CreatorswithInfluence