In this episode, I sit down with Sam—a former massage therapist and modern dance grad who discovered UGC on TikTok, landed her first creative strategy client from my free Saturday trainings, and more than doubled her business within 12 months. We dive into how she went from low-paid UGC gigs to becoming a $100/hr+ fractional strategist, all while balancing motherhood, setting boundaries, and avoiding burnout—while still delivering measurable ad results.

You’ll hear us talk about:

— What creative strategy actually looks like day-to-day (briefs, scripting, iteration, KPI reviews).

— How Sam pitched a UGC client into a retainer/fractional strategy role.

— Setting hourly rates, minimums, scopes, and when to delegate to a VA.

— Handling founder feedback vs. trusting your creative instincts (and how to win tests with data).

— Practical portfolio tips, “About Me” video must-haves, and how to get performance metrics.

— Burnout prevention for creators (boundaries, DND, weekends off).

— The tools & workflows we rely on: Motion, MagicBrief, Foreplay, Notion, Slack, ChatGPT, Meta Ads Manager.

This episode is for you if: you’re a UGC creator who wants to charge more, a freelancer ready to move into strategy retainers, or a brand/agency partner looking to tap into creator-led performance creative.

Connect with Sam on socials if you aren't already! Also, work with her if you're looking for a bad ass strategist. 🤩

— LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-stroheker-2b75942b9/

— Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam.stroheker/

Thanks so much for watching! As a little gift, I’ve added discounts to all of our resources—just for you. Use code “FLASH35” for 35% off our three video courses:

UGC University 🎓 https://go.ugc.pro/offers/6UKA46zT/checkout

Creative Strategy 🤓 https://go.ugc.pro/offers/oAbc82jW/checkout

Creative Strategy x Paid Media Master Class ✨ https://go.ugc.pro/offers/B9awpTFf/checkout

And join the UGC Pro Community and receive 35% off for life 🫶 https://go.ugc.pro/offers/doPLyYei/checkout?coupon_code=MEMBER35

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We also post EVERY MONDAY on our YouTube channel! Be sure to subscribe and turn on post notifications. I read all the comments + respond to them, so ask any and all Q's.

Channel here 👉 https://youtu.be/1g2I5DwL-EE

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