I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Juliann Brown, who along with her fiancé, Ian, is creating lots of fun and impressive social media content for a variety of businesses.  You've probably seen her work, now it's time to get to know Juliann. 

Hey Juliann, thank you for taking the time to interview with me. Tell us about yourself and your family.  How long you have been in the area, and where you are originally from?

I was born and raised in Morton Grove, IL. I moved around a few times as a kid and have lived in Mt. Prospect, Lake in the Hills, Wheeling (where I went to HS all 4 years), Pingree Grove, Chicago, and have been in Schaumburg the last 6 years! I live with my fiancé, Ian.  We have a fast-paced life, and we love every minute of it! 

Please tell us about your background, and your current work/business. 

I went to school for fashion design at the Art Institute and I did an internship in Paris, France in 2013 working for an online blog. I did social media and that was my first taste of utilizing social media for business!  After graduating with a bachelor's degree, I worked in luxury retail and then moved into high-end showrooms at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.  I was working as a showroom manager but wanted to change course so I went on to get my MBA at Judson University and graduated in February of 2020 - right before the pandemic hit! By that point I was working as a Client Experience Manager at a wealth management firm where I haandle client meetings, social media, website development, event planning, our monthly newsletter, and organizing the donation/grant requests for our foundation. Through this role I found the Barrington Junior Women’s Club and have been a member for the last 3 years. I had the honor of co-chairing the fall fashion show fundraiser the last two years. This experience really helped mold me into the person I am today and now I have continued to build on my love for social media and not only have I grown my own personal account but I’ve started my own social media management company with Ian. We started Marie Douglas Media over the summer and are in the early stages of getting it off the ground. I also need to credit my dad (he passed away 2 years ago after a 17 year battle with cancer) with teaching me photography. He used to have a wedding and event photography business that I would help him with and the attention to detail really grew from that experience. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. I also inherited his cameras after he passed away and I like to think I’m keeping a piece of him close to me.

How did you get started in being an influencer?

I’m not sure there’s really one major event or memory I have that caused me to say “Ok, I’m an influencer!” It was a cumulation of things going as far back as my days in Paris in 2013. I actually got into 3 fashion shows on my first day trying by walking up the press lines and saying I was with a fashion blog and they let me in! It’s those memories that have inspired me to get in front of the camera and share my passion for events and fashion and of course with that comes beauty products and it just kind of evolved! I got invited to events or would get asked to share a post in exchange for products/services and that’s when I started to realize I was onto something!

What are the best perks of influencing?

For me, the biggest perks are the relationships I form. I am all about giving back and sharing recognition where it’s deserved. I’ve met so many amazing business owners and been lucky to support them whether it's a post or review and sharing with my network in hopes of getting their name out there and sharing why I love them.

What is the hardest part?

The hardest part is the things people don’t see. Social media is a highlight reel. It’s a 60 second glimpse into someone’s life. It can look glamorous on the outside but sometimes people don’t realize that a post can take hours of planning, editing, strategy, and sometimes staging.

Who is a popular influencer that you follow?

I am a big fan of @emilyanngemma  (https://www.instagram.com/emilyanngemma/) She is a beauty + style blogger and always has the best affordable fashion posts, and she shares her travel stories.  She has a great way of talking to her followers that makes you feel like your friends with her!

What question are you asked the most by people who follow you?

I get asked a lot “How long does it take you to make a post?” or “How do you balance all the events you go to?” I feel like I’m constantly on the move and but I’m used to it.  I’ll be editing in the car as we’re driving somewhere and try to plan how I want the content to look so I can put it together efficiently.

Do you reach out to businesses to get hired to create content for them, or do they come to you? 

In the beginning, I had businesses reach out to me but as time went on and I got more confident, I started reaching out to businesses that I like and offering my services.

What is a little-known fact or talent about yourself?

A little-known fact about me is that I have a talent for video editing, which I taught myself to enhance my social media content. I love taking raw footage and transforming it into engaging, polished reels that tell a story. It’s been a game-changer in helping me grow my audience and create unique content that resonates with my followers.

What is one of the scariest things you have ever done?

One of the scariest things I’ve done was putting myself out there as a content creator for the first time. I felt vulnerable sharing my personal style and ideas with an audience, not knowing how they’d react. But overcoming that fear and seeing the positive response from my community really pushed me to keep going, and it’s been incredibly rewarding.

What is a superficial pet peeve of yours?

A superficial pet peeve of mine is when people leave their phones on full brightness in a dark room. It’s a small thing, but it can be really distracting, especially in places like the movies or during meetings!

What was the last live concert you saw?

The last live concert I saw was at NorthCoast Festival in late August. I saw Illenium who is a DJ from Downers Grove! It was a great experience, and I love trying new things. That was my first time attending!

Not including your family, who has been most influential in your life?

I have to make this one a two-person response! Andrea Wright and Lauren Brynjelsen have have been such an influential part of my life and it’s all been within the last year! I met Andrea when she and I walked together in a local fashion show and she invited me to last year’s Ms. Business Association kick-off meeting (MBA is a business networking group for women to empower and support each other) where I met Lauren.  Andrea and Lauren have both been such huge supporters of my social media content and built up my confidence.  Having people who believe in you (sometimes more than you believe in yourself) is enough to light a fire under you and motivate you to keep going even when you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing!

What advice can you offer to someone interested in becoming an influencer?

For anyone who wants to be an influencer/content creator the steps I would recommend are finding your niche - Choose a topic or industry you're passionate about (fashion, fitness, travel, etc.) and build content around it.  Post regularly and engage with your audience to build loyalty and grow organically. Share genuine content that reflects your personality and interests. Audiences respond to authenticity. Learn basic content creation such as photography or video editing (I use the app CapCut for all my videos). Lastly, partner with brands and other influencers to expand your reach.

Burst Mode – short answers

Favorite cold drink? - Iced coffee

Deep dish or thin crust? - Thin crust

Cooking for others or being cooked for? - Being cooked for (I have a small kitchen)

Would you rather dance in public or sing in public? - Dance

There’s not enough authenticity in the world.