The Impact of the Creator Economy and Influencers on Retail in 2024 | Interview with Tiffany Hardin

In this episode of Let’s Talk a Little Shop, Emilie talks to Tiffany Hardin of Gild Creative Group, an influencer marketing agency that works with BIPOC creators. Tiffany and Emilie discuss: 

1:30: Build a business around relationships

2:15: Building connections so ideas take root, that’s what influencer marketing is

3:30: Aligning your company to cultural trends through the voices leading them

5:15: Successful influences need to be able to create content that hold audience attention

6:30: If you want to work with brands, you need to be professional and easy to work with

8:30: How Tiffany built her career in music industry and ended up working with the likes of Kanye West and Missy Elliot

14:00: Don’t be afraid to pivot your careers and change direction

18:54: Be bold, be brave, and ask questions. 

23:05: What the world tells you is one thing, what you become is another

27:15: Just because you have a title, doesn’t mean you have all the answers

30:00: You can’t have it all, that leads to burnout

34:09: You can’t be strong and a pillar of strength all the time, you have to learn to ask for help

38:00: Hustle culture needs to die, it’s time to redefine it and become a conscious hustler

40:14: Don’t be afraid of excellence

44:20: Don’t seek validation in others’ definitions of yourself. 

46:23: Imposter syndrome holds many women back, it’s time to change that. 

What It Takes to Be an Influencer

According to Tiffany, anyone can be an influencer. If you want to have a sustainable career as an influencer, you must be able to build and hold an audience, understand how to work with brands, and you have to be able to create content that others find valuable. Influencers have to have good processes and systems in place in order to do this. 

Allow For Self-Discovery and Evolution, You Don’t Know Where It Will Take You

When it comes to your career, you often start off as something “you’ve always wanted to be.” As you move down that career path, you may find yourself discovering that what you set out to become professionally changes. And in fact, you may not want to pursue that career path at all. It’s important to let yourself go through that process of discovery. Let the places you live, the culture that surrounds you, and the opportunities you find there reshape the direction of your career. 

For example, Tiffany had wanted to be a singer. As she pursued her career as a singer, she found that she was drawn more into music business and talent management. She decided to pivot and got a degree in music business management. She then started interning and working under influential talent managers in order to build her skillset. She was able to work under reps for everyone from Kayne West and Missy Elliot. It led to moving to New York City because of an offer that came from her hard work and attitude towards her career. 

Learning to Own Your Time

After years of working in corporate America, Tiffany wanted to better own her schedule and time. The seeds of entrepreneurship started to take root. She moved from music and talent management to working on the brand side of advertising and strategy. From these two careers, she created a way to merge talent management with advertising and strategy, which is the root of influencer marketing. She realized at an early age that time is her most valuable asset. 

As a Woman of Color, it’s Okay to be Be Bold and Hungry

As a woman of color, Tiffany is proud to be viewed as bold and hungry. She talks to Emilie about “when you’re young, you don’t know better – you almost have no filter.” When you’re young, creative expression isn’t something you’ve probably learned to tone down. As you progress in your careers, you learn to play safe, play small, and fi