THE BACKSTORY
How I got started…
How I got started…
I grew up in the small Texas town of Port Lavaca before moving to Austin in 2007 to go to school at the University of Texas at Austin (hook’em horns!). Within the first year, I realized that the system had failed me and I wasn’t a fit for the traditional 9-to-5 path.
I worked 4 part-time jobs through college (including scooping Dippin’ Dots at UT football games for $8/hour) just starting to save up cash to buy a camera for my new food blog, A Taste of Koko.
After graduating, I struggled to find a job. A Taste of Koko started getting traction in 2014, and companies like Whole Foods and even UT Austin invited me to come speak on entrepreneurship and social media. But no one will hire me full-time.
I was in the right place at the right time in 2015 when Austin was called the “new silicon valley” and social media advertising kicked in. IKEA featured my house renovation in national outlets, including flying me to LA to film a commercial for the Oprah Winfrey Network. I signed a 2-year contract with Carnival Cruise Line, was the face of Miami tourism for New York Times, and before I knew it all the big brands started reaching out.
Since then I’ve worked with over 600 brands on influencer marketing campaigns.
