i'm not gatekeeping the creatives i love to work with
a non-exhaustive list of those in my industry whose work I believe in and recommend
A few months ago, I shared a piece titled “It’s what you know *and* who you know” and lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about it. A friend had texted me recently, venting about some people’s ease at being able to climb the ladder in our industry, despite not having the experience and skill sets for their roles, because of the privileges and connections they have. I shared the same feelings but a part of me was a bit apathetic, seeing how common this is in my line of work.
At one job, a boss hired a friend of theirs because of their popularity within certain social circles rather than for their capabilities. At another, the founder hired their best friend for a managerial position that they had no experience in and whose opinions were taken more seriously than those who had been working at the company since the beginning. I’ve worked at companies where multiple people were hired from the same networks, whether it be a shared friend group or previous job, often creating homogenous teams with people of similar backgrounds, perspectives, and lifestyles.
It’s no secret that having proximity to the right people can have a significant impact in one’s career, even for some who may not necessarily deserve it — just look at the recent discourse on nepo babies. My friend and I agreed, though — there’s no changing this. Well-connected people with resources will always have an easier time gaining access to opportunities others could only dream of. But what we can change, though, is how we deal with it, how we move in the industry we work in, and who we ourselves can recommend and are able to make connections for. When given the chance, we should open the doors for the people whose work we believe in, who will make a positive impact in their roles, and more importantly, in their communities. We should uplift those who do great work and do good things outside of that work — especially those who may not be presented with these opportunities as easily.
While this approach is one I try to take often in my daily life, I want to use this newsletter as a way to share a non-exhaustive list of those in my industry whose work I believe in, whose approaches I admire, whose positive impact I trust will go even beyond the walls of an office.
Creative / photography
Kanya Iwana - A director, photographer and creative director whose work is stunning, distinct, and romantic. She is an incredible person all around and always a pleasure to work with. We worked together at Rose Inc. and since then, she’s shot SZA for TIME, Doja Cat for Rolling Stone, and more
Adrian Martin - A close friend whose work I’ve enjoyed seeing grow in the past 6+ years of knowing each other. His work is beautiful and his presence on set is always calm and light on stressful shoot days. While he’s shot Hailey Beiber, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Kendall Jenner, he’s managed to stay humble and modest — maybe too much so ;)
Grant Legan - Grant is a dear friend, whose work I admired long before I met him. He’s known for his travel and portraiture work for commercial and editorial clients, capturing moments that feel intimate and vulnerable. I was fortunate to work with him on a shoot with Halle Berry years ago and can say he’s such a joy to work with and also one whose process is so fun to watch
Ford Blitzer - Ford is who I work on How to be a Woman on the Internet with and we met while at Rose Inc., where she did photography and creative direction. She’s shot Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Aurora James, and directed campaign videos for Violette FR. Tbd whether she’s taking on new projects, but it may be worth the ask :)
Rachel Nguyen - While most know Rachel for her raw and intimate YouTube videos or the refreshingly candid snapshots into her life, this creative genius is now dipping her toes into directing - most recently, for a campaign film for RC x Levi’s
Gina Almonte - I haven’t had the chance to work with Gina (yet!) but love the way she captures fashion in a fun, effortless way and community events in a way that feels candid and intimate
Myself :) - Shameless plug, but in recent years, I’ve taken a step back from social media management and taken a step into photography, shooting behind-the-scenes of Rosie for Rose Inc. and campaign imagery for Emi Jay, which I’d love to do more of in the future
Writing
Halleta Alemu - Halleta is an incredibly gifted writer who is able to translate her most raw and intimate thoughts into words for others to sit with. She’s written for the Skin and writes copy for Utiles Beauty and Seen Library
Ford Blitzer - Ford’s writing is one of my favorites to read and I’m not just saying that because we share a newsletter. She has done copy for beauty brands, making sure their mission and values come to life
Jamila Hadiya - Jamila is a freelance writer, mostly in the fashion and entertainment spaces and has work in publications like Vogue, Essence and Harper’s Bazaar
Annie Tomlin - Annie is a writer, editor and content strategist who I had the pleasure of working with at Rose Inc. While her work for Harper’s Bazaar, Allure and Nylon is impressive, what I love most is her refreshing and honest perspectives on a multitude of topics as it relates to women
Sara Li - Sara’s work has been published in Teen Vogue, Nylon, and Refinery 29, to name a few, covering culture with focuses on fashion, people and identity
Lauren Caruso - Lauren is a beauty and fashion writer and digital consultant whose work has been featured in CNN, Allure, and Refinery 29
Creative / social media
Roti Brown - Roti brings such thought and intention to the projects she works on, whether creating content for various brands or through previous work in managing content at Jenni Kayne
Marielle Sales - Marielle has been doing digital and creative strategy for beauty and fashion for years, most recently at Rose Inc., but what I admire most is her studio and community called Sari Sari studio, which celebrates Filipino creatives
Jane Park - Jane is funny, thoughtful, and so charismatic - a few of the things that makes her so great at community building and brand partnerships
Ali Labelle - Ali is a creative director with an impeccable skill of attention to detail. She focuses on brand development, marketing, product design, and social media
Kennedy Daniell - Kennedy has many talents, a couple being content creation and casting and running a collective prioritizing Black women called Tea Party for Black Girls
Erielle Cabrera - Erielle is someone who I work closely with for Emi Jay, where she manages TikTok. She is so kind and sweet to work with and has taken her clients’ videos to the next level
Kayla Coleman - Kayla is a hard worker with a heart of gold. She’s done social for Kylie Cosmetics and Nature Lab Tokyo and currently supports on TikTok for Halsey
Styling / hair / makeup
Alyx Liu - Alyx is one of my best friends and hair genius, whose clients include Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and more. His creativity is out of this world and is open to new, interesting projects. The most impressive things about him, though, are his heart, generosity and charismatic personality – and the way he advocates for important causes
Stacey Tan - If there’s one makeup artist I’m recommending, it’s Stacey. We work closely together for Emi Jay and every shoot, I am in awe of her work. Not only does she create such effortless, glowy looks, but lights up any room she’s in
Olivia de Montagnac - Olivia is nail artist who I also work closely with for Emi Jay whose clients include Megan Fox, Sofia Richie, and Elsa Hosk. Her presence is always so kind, calm and warm
Patricia Lagmay - Patricia is a dear friend whose work I can’t stop shouting about from the rooftops. She approaches her work with such care and intentionality, with clients like Everlane, Aritzia, and Vanity Fair, and has begun taking personal clients as well
Whitney Olschwanger - Whitney is a sweet soul who isn’t afraid of fun and color. She works with clients to curate their closets and style them for events, from red carpet to touring
Graphics / Design
D’Ara Nazaryan - D’Ara specializes in illustration, taking on commercial challenges and finding creative design solutions using crisp lines, warm tones, and empowering female figures. A few of her impressive clients include HBO, Netflix, Sephora and Teen Vogue
Maddy Pease - Maddy is a graphic designer whose work I personally love and have collaborated with for both How to be a Woman on the Internet and Seen Library. Other clients include Ace Hotel, Eberjay and Paris Hilton
David Ko - David is an incredible interior designer who focuses on both residential and commercial spaces with clients like Hilary Duff and Frankie’s Bikinis
Events
Jennifer Pauline - Jennifer focuses on community, storytelling and design when event planning for clients like Byredo and Netflix, always creating fun, welcome environments with truly diverse lists of both vendors and guests. She’s also so thoughtful, intentional and always a breath of fresh air to be around
Sandy Truong Ann Tran Ho - Sandy is a chef and food stylist whose food I’ve had the pleasure of tasting in various events and pop-ups. She pulls inspiration from her Vietnamese background and vibrant colors and gives back to local farms and nonprofits
Schentell Nunn - Schentell of Offerings is a favorite florist in LA. Not only are her soft, romantic florals my go-to, but she’s one I recommend to friends for ordering or events
A.L. BASA - I don’t know Alice personally, but have ordered florals from her and love her distinct and stunning work, influenced by traditional Ikebana and modern minimalism/ maximalism
Legal
Ted Nguyen - Ted is a close friend and the only person I trust with all things legal. He’s been my go-to for any trademark or LLC I’ve wanted to create or inquire about and has an impressive roster of brands and public figures
While I typically get paid for this sort of thing — consulting with founders and brands in helping their ideas come to life, which often includes recommendations for photographers, graphic designers, writers, models, and the like — I’m happy to share the creatives I love and admire and be able to see them get recognized for their talent and skills, as others have done for me. While many in this industry tend to gatekeep information, especially as it relates to the creatives they hire, I think it’s important to remember a couple things: 1. What is coming from a place of genuine passion and creativity can’t be replicated. And 2. When women and people of color are still so underrepresented and underpaid in creative industries, despite promises of diversity and inclusion, it’s crucial to do what we can to change that.
Further reading: Why we still need to talk about diversity in creative industries / We need to talk about women of color in creative industries…
1:1 social media consultations
If the above recommendations interested you, but you would like a more in-depth conversation about social media, I’m offering one-on-one consultations for a limited time where I can offer honest and productive feedback and advice from my perspective of working in social media for 10 years. Whether you are a content creator trying to figure out what they want to do with your platform, a social media manager looking to discuss ideas for a client or company, someone wanting to work in the industry, or a business owner looking for creative suggestions, I'm here to answer any questions you may have :)