From influencer to entrepreneur, Stacy Kim’s portfolio continues to diversify.

The third-year business economics student said she started content creation on Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic because she had extra free time. Focusing on travel, fashion and beauty across many apps, Kim has since grown her following and has been featured by Business Insider and LinkedIn News. She said she wanted to use social media as a way to be creative.

“When I got asked what my weakness was, I always used to answer creativity, which was why I thought that it would be kind of cool to try and turn my weakness into a strength,” Kim said. “That’s actually why I started posting. I thought it’d be kind of a fun way to turn that into a hobby of content creation and getting to work with brands.”

Jasmine Kim, Stacy Kim’s close friend since middle school, said Stacy found many mentors at UCLA, particularly students who are also content creators, when Stacy first began posting on her platform and building her brand. Stacy received multiple sponsorships through college ambassador programs, such as for La Colombe Coffee Roasters, which allows her to network with more influencers and creators, Jasmine Kim said. Overall, Jasmine said she admires Stacy’s ability to put herself out there.

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“Even if she’s nervous or she’s not really a big social person, she can really be social, and she learned how to do that,” Jasmine Kim said. “She’s always just trying to do her best in everything she does, even if she has a lot on her plate. And even being a full-time student, she has to balance everything.”

Stacy Kim said she applies what she learns in school to content creation, especially when communicating with brands. Since she works in investment banking, she said she is used to a fast-paced environment, which taught her how to stay organized and balance her time. She recently went to New York Fashion Week and said it was exciting to be surrounded by so many creative people like designers and stylists while also making new friends. Meeting new people has been the most rewarding part of being a creator because of her continuous exposure to different perspectives, she said.

Stacy Kim posts various types of content across several platforms, from YouTube videos to Instagram travel guides and reviews. She said she posts the most on Instagram, and she enjoys making product reviews and unboxing videos. Recently, she picked up writing blog articles, and she said she wants to expand into travel blogging.

For Stacy Kim, the most challenging part of content creation is having enough time since it can be difficult to find time to make travel content and fully explore her surroundings as a full-time student, she said. She said she currently focuses more on local activities in LA. Since content creation is not her main focus, she said she aims to make as much content as she can, rather than having a set amount per week.

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Following her Business Insider feature, Stacy Kim said many people who were currently or wanted to be in the industry reached out to her to learn more about her experience. Together with Celine Ogero, a friend she met during her Salesforce internship, Stacy Kim created YouNI Meet, a startup focused on connecting current and aspiring creators with each other and, eventually, with brands looking to collaborate. Ogero’s expertise in software works well with Stacy Kim’s background in finance and marketing, Ogero said.

“(Stacy Kim has) been reaching out to people marketing what we are working on, and I think she does a good job of that,” Ogero said. “I think we are a good pair because I feel like she complements me in a way because I cannot do what she does, and she also respects what I do.”

Although most people are on social media, not everyone is a content creator, and that can make it difficult to find a community, Stacy Kim said. She hopes she can start by helping out creators on Instagram and TikTok that she personally knows, and she said she aims to make YouNI Meet a community where creators can feel supported.

Through all of her experiences, Stacy Kim said she has learned to communicate well and stay motivated. These qualities are important to her financial career, content creation and a business startup with a team, she said. Even as her career as a creator consumes more of her time, she said she isn’t putting her professional life aside.

“Content creation has almost been a way for me to have fun with my content, and it’s a stress reliever from my professional (work),” Stacy Kim said. “I would hope that a lot of people would be inspired to know and realize that they can also incorporate their personal and their professional interests without losing one or the other.”