The truth about going viral: It’s not what you think—but it can change your business forever. What if going viral was just the beginning?
In this episode of Rebel CEO, I sit down with Sarah Gonzalez to unpack how she turned her creative passion into a thriving business using social media. From navigating internet trolls to landing brand deals and building an engaged audience, Sarah shares the raw, behind-the-scenes reality of online success. If you’re ready to grow your brand, monetize your content, and make social media actually work for your business—this one’s for you.
Sarah talks about her journey from wedding photographer to viral DIY content creator. We’re diving deep into how to grow on social media, the reality of internet fame and the strategies she's learned along the way.
Sarah shares what it’s really like to go viral, how she handles online negativity, and why authenticity is the key to social media success. Whether you’re a content creator, a business owner, or just someone looking to make an impact online, this episode is packed with actionable insights on how to grow a small business, leverage user-generated content (UGC), and land brand partnerships—even with a smaller following.
🔗 Limited-time pre-launch discount happening NOW:
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MY NEW PROGRAM ROOTED *** IN PRE-LAUNCH UNTIL 3/31/25 ***
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
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Authenticity wins. The best way to stand out on social media? Be real, be relatable, and tell your story.
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Going viral comes with highs and lows. Internet trolls are inevitable, but staying true to your values will keep you grounded.
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Consistency is key. Keep showing up, even when it feels like no one is watching—your audience will grow.
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Monetize smartly. UGC and brand partnerships are game-changers, even if you don’t have a massive following.
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Your community matters. Focus on the people who support you, and your brand will thrive.
🔥 Mic-Drop Moments:
- "I feel like the benefit overall, like,
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sarah) (00:00):
If you're like just starting out and you're like wanting to get into like creating content for brands or like working with brands, that's usually where I direct people Right away is like creating UGC content, which is stands for User Generated content, which is essentially making content for brands that you don't have to post on your page.
Bree) (00:19):
Welcome to Rebel CEO, the podcast where we ditch the rules and build businesses that don't just make money, but set your soul on fire. I'm Brianna K. Your business coach, freedom advocate, and personal permission slip to dream bigger. I scaled my own business to six figures while breaking every mold that people told me to fit into, and now I'm here to help you do the same. I'll help you build a business and a life that's so deeply rooted in your purpose that you never feel like you missed out on the life that you were supposed to live.
(00:46):
This is your time to root down, rise up Rebel, and manifest all of your wild goals. So grab your coffee, get cozy, and let's dive in.
Sarah) (00:54):
I was gonna be bold.
Bree) (00:57):
Hey Rebels, it is your host, Brianna K. Here and today I am talking with somebody who I consider an old friend. We've been in the same industry for a while and we've worked together multiple times and now it's funny because both of us are currently going through a business pivot into different areas. So I am talking with Sarah Gonzalez of Sway and Sarah Build. She also has the photo video company Wildwood Films.
(01:21):
And we are talking about how going viral isn't all sunshine and sponsorships. There is actually a dark side to going viral too, which might low key be keeping some of you guys from actually going viral if you're scared of it. And I say some of you guys, but like, I actually probably mean myself too. So don't get too hard on yourself if you are maybe a little bit scared of going viral deep down. So today Sarah's getting open and honest with us about the real stories behind the Internet trolls, how she's overcome them, and what it takes to grow an Instagram account into a movement.
(01:56):
I also just want to point out that if you are watching this episode on YouTube, you will see some variations between the beginning of the call and the main portion of the call in video. And you'll also see a chunk of time where my video is super blurry. If you're just listening to the call, or again, if you're watching on YouTube, then you are going to probably hear some audio differences too because we were just having technical difficulties when we were recording.
(02:23):
For whatever reason, things were acting up, so we decided to switch recording platforms mid call. So I apologize for the, the difference in audio and the video technical difficulties, but the content is so good that I didn't think that you guys would even mind. I figured I would just put it out because Sarah is coming at you with so much knowledge and I feel like she always just has unique ways of looking at things and little tips and tricks that she's willing to share.
(02:52):
Let's dive right into today's episode.
C) (02:55):
Sarah, it is so fun to reconnect with you. It's been a while since I've seen you, but you and I kind of go way back at this point, I.
Bree) (03:02):
Would say because both of us have.
C) (03:03):
Been in the wedding photography, videography industry together for a while now. But you have a really fun story because you have began to pivot or pivoted almost fully into a totally different space that is really intriguing to me. And it's kind of like the space of a lot of people's dreams. I want to say a lot of I feel like, like are like, okay, that'd be the best job ever. Can you tell me about first who you are as a human and then about your business journey?
Sarah) (03:32):
Yeah. So I am Sarah and I am a first. I am a wife. I've been married to my husband for about five years and then I. We recently had a baby and we have a 12 month old son. It's kind of wild that he's already a year old. And then on the business side, I was first a wedding photographer and videographer and so I run the business, Wildwood Films out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. And then I also run a social media account which is kind of what we're going to talk about today. But Sway and Sarah builds and that is our home DIY social media account that we kind of share all of our home renovations on. And so, yeah, that's a little bit about me and what I do.
C) (04:15):
Yeah. And I love following Sway and Sarah build.
Bree) (04:18):
I feel like you're so good at.
C) (04:19):
Creating engagement with your community and making people like want to come back. You're very strategic sometimes with the posts that you do. I've noticed because you'll post something and then like make people wait a little bit for the result, but not always very long. So it's like, oh, super posted. I've been waiting for this. Your siding. I was dying to see your siding for so long. I feel like before I got to see the finished picture.
Sarah) (04:43):
Yeah, I feel like we definitely Waited a little bit long on that because we had to wait to like get the paint and stuff done to like get the real after. So I hate making people wait sometimes. But it also like does keep people kind of like coming back to us.
C) (04:58):
I totally think that that's part of the magic with what you guys are doing because you are doing these projects that do take a while sometimes. And I do think that it keeps people a little bit hooked because they want to know, like, they see this cool project going on and they want to know what's happening. And then, yeah, like I said, when you do pop up, they're like, oh.
Bree) (05:18):
Finally I get to check it out.
C) (05:20):
So what made you and Sway say yes to your 1970s home? Like, what was it when you toured it? That was like, okay, this is the one for us.
Sarah) (05:30):
Yeah, so it was like probably two. Two actually I think it was three years ago now. It's wild how fast the time goes. But we bought our home like three years ago now and we were touring houses and we toured a couple and this was actually the first house that we put an offer in on. But yeah, we had toured a couple of houses and we came across this one and we kind of, when we were looking at houses, we're like, oh, like we do want a fixer upper of some sort. We just didn't know like how much of a fixer upper. But when we saw this one, the bones were all really great, but like it just needed a lot of cosmetic things. So like the, the bones of the house were amazing. Like there wasn't like any infestations or anything because I don't know that we would have ever gone that far. Since we had literally never renovated a house before.
(06:17):
We kind of went into it like very naive. Like what renovating a house kind of ensues. Feel like we really fell in love with like the layout of the house is kind of just like a unique. It's a split level. A lot of the rooms are kind of like really divided up. But then we also just fell in love with kind of the mid century modern feel of the house. But I just, most, mostly what I loved about the house was just like I felt like when I walked in, like I could envision where everything was going to be and like what I was going to change.
(06:46):
Like, oh, we're going to take like we're gon wall out and we're going to take this ceiling out and we're going to vault the whole ceiling. And I could just weirdly picture it when I Walked in. So it kind of just felt like it was the right house for us. Even though I didn't know how we were going to do it, I was like, I don't know. We came in very naively, like not knowing what we were doing. But I felt like it was mostly just like knowing, walking in and feeling like, oh, like this is the one that I feel like we could make a home.
C) (07:19):
Yeah. And I feel like you must have such a good imagination because when I walked into your house, I saw like the original arched ceilings, but the kitchen wasn't arch because I went over there to just take some like photos with another photographer of you guys after you'd moved in. And I saw the sun room that you're sitting in right now. Obviously that's gorgeous. But I wouldn't have been able to picture like vault the whole ceiling, take out the wal. Because that just sounds like that's extreme Renault.
(07:51):
Like I can add a fireplace around, I can do a backsplash, I can change a floor. Like flooring out as far as take out a wall and vault a ceiling. Like that is beyond what I'm qualified for. So I am so impressed that you were able to look at it and, and think of all this because your kitchen now is so gorgeous. And that's the ceiling that you did end up vaulting, right?
Sarah) (08:15):
Yeah, yeah. We took out the two walls. It was like kind of like an enclosed kitchen, but it was like a walk in, walk through. So there were some little, just little entryways through the side, but there were two walls and a hole. Like the ceiling was pulled down so it was like a drop ceiling. But now like all of that is completely out. We were lucky that it wasn't load bearing so we didn't have to like put in any beams or anything. But yeah, I don't know, I feel like I've always been kind of like that way since I was a kid. I like loved watching hgtv and I don't know, I gotta always walk into spaces and like imagine like, oh, this is what it could look like if they change this, this or this. And I don't know, maybe it's just one of my gifts, I guess. Yeah, it's just what I walking into this house was just like, oh, like I can see the vision and yeah. Just felt like it was right for us.
C) (09:02):
So I love that. So then were you initially planning to document your journey or was it something that you decided to just do for fun and then it turned into more than you'd pict Pictured.
Sarah) (09:14):
Yeah. So I feel like when we bought the house, it wasn't really like, oh, we're gonna buy this house to document the journey or anything. It was like, we want to buy a house so that we can, like, raise a family here and, like, fix it up and make it a home. But we kind of. I'm trying to remember the order of things, but I followed this couple New Build Newlyweds shout out to them. They're really awesome that they do the same thing that we do now.
(09:39):
And I was just like, oh, like, what are the chances that if we just started sharing projects online, we could get some brands to send us some free stuff or try out their tools or whatever? Because I was like, oh. Like, I know the New Build Newlyweds. They are, like, sponsored by Ryobi and, like, get sent a bunch of free stuff and, like, free tools. And I was just like, you know, that would be the dream, to, like, live that life and, like, just get free stuff sent to you and, like, work with brands and, like, fix up your house. I was like, that would be, like, a really cool dream. And I was just like, let's just, like, start sharing just. And see what happens. Like, I didn't think that, like, it was going to necessarily, like, blow up or anything, but I was just like, I don't know. I'm a very big believer in just, like, if you have a dream, just throw it out there and just start documenting. I was like, okay, like, I'm just going to start documenting what we're doing and just making videos and showing people what we're up to. And right away, it was just. I started a new Instagram account, and I was just like, wanted to share with our family and friends kind of what we were doing.
(10:40):
And I was like, well, if we get more followers, that's cool. But yeah. And then it kind of blew up, honestly, like, really fast. I don't remember the exact timeline, but it was within a couple of months. We were at, like, within the first month, we hit, like, 20k followers or something. And then it kind of just like, took off from there. But I think within a year, we had, like, a hundred thousand followers.
(11:05):
And I was just like, what the heck is happening? Like, this is crazy. So, yeah.
C) (11:12):
Yeah, that's wild. And I remember noticing how quickly you were growing, and I was like, that is insane. Like, in the wedding industry, I feel like we've all tried for so long and you had quite a few or have quite a few followers, but not 150,000. And we've all tried so hard for so long.
Sarah) (11:31):
I know. - (C)
Yeah, it was like. I think it was a. I'm trying to remember which video blew up first. It was either the secret tunnel video or the. When we painted this sun room. I think it was one of those two videos.
C) (11:54):
Yeah.
Sarah) (11:55):
Which was very controversial. So.
C) (11:57):
Yeah. Yep, I remember that. I've seen. I've seen the controversy being shared from your account about the sunroom, which I'm sure we will get into a little bit. So was there a specific moment where you were like, okay, I'm going to try to pivot my. My business from the photo space more into this home remodel space. Yeah.
Sarah) (12:25):
I think once I started seeing, like, the potential and like, when brands started reaching out to us and we started charging money to do it and seeing the amount of money that brands are willing to pay, I was like, man, I feel like I'm in the wrong industry because I was also on the tail end of like, very. I was in the wedding industry. Had, like, built my business, a six figure business. Burnt myself out completely. Was like shooting so many weddings.
(12:53):
And I just got to this point where I was like, I can't do this, like, anymore and be working this hard. And so, like, walk into a new space with fresh eyes, I guess, and just dreams and be like, wow, like, brands are willing to pay us this. And I don't know, I think it was just. It kind of became my new dream, I guess, to, like, move into a new career. I guess I would say that kind of became my new goal was to like, make our content creation full time and kind of pivoting away from my photography business.
C) (13:28):
Yeah. Would you say that one of the reasons that the pivot was so enticing was because of the freedom that it gave you versus shooting weddings every weekend.
Sarah) (13:37):
Yeah. After experience shooting a wedding every weekend for literally from like the beginning of the summer through, like the very end of fall, I was like. I remember I hit a point where I was like, we, me and my husband went to like a farmer's market. We were. And it was like a Saturday or something. And I was like, wow, is like, is this what people do on their, like, days off? Like, I remember because I had shot weddings literally every weekend that summer, like, all the way to, like the end of early November, early November, I think.
(14:14):
And I was just like, I had finally had a Saturday off and I was just like, well, it's nice to like, not have to do anything on a Saturday and be able to like, you know, go to a farmer's market. And I remember that was kind of like my pivot point of like, I need to figure out something different to do. But yeah, I guess I was at this point of I was super burnt out. And to get to have this kind of freedom in not having to work every weekend and like being able to eventually start a family and stay home with my baby and not be working every weekend was definitely a huge motivator for me. Yeah. Just to not. Not have to spend every weekend, like working and then not on the weekends, like editing.
(14:57):
So I felt like I was just working all the time.
C) (15:00):
Yeah, I can totally see how, especially with you guys wanting to start a family, that would become really enticing to be able to do your own thing on your own schedule. And with photography, a lot of the times we could too, but not when it came to the weekends with weddings. And a lot of the weddings too, you travel for. So you're gone the whole day and then maybe some days around it or even just like from here. If. If you're shooting in Milwaukee or somewhere further away in the Midwest, that's still a lot of time that you're putting in in the car also.
(15:31):
So I actually, I haven't told anybody this yet. Not even like my husband or anyone. Like, I'm literally the only one that knows. So you're. Oh no, I'm not pregnant or anything. We're not trying. No. But I actually. So we've been looking at like floor plans and stuff to build another house because we have. It's a builder grade split level in a subdivision with other houses that are the exact same. Like, not all of them, but like we have houses the exact same around us and we want to move to a lot with like a little bit more land, a little bit more in the country.
(16:08):
And I want like nice architecture and like nice bones in this house and like nice windows and stuff. And I want it to be like my final house. So we've been looking at floor plans and we're. Yeah, we're not like ready to make the move yet, but I'm starting to realistically think of all this stuff and like, look at numbers and figure out how to make it happen and whatnot. So I threw up an Instagram account inspired by your Instagram account just for like, these are the ideas for our like, new build home. And I'm sure, like, there will be projects once the House is built also just to, like, save money on building it and adding more character and stuff later, but making sure that the bones are there, like, all of the big things.
(16:55):
Because, like I said, I'm not trying to vault a ceiling. I'm so impressed that you guys did, but I think that's something that I'm. I'm not trying to do, so. So, yeah, I started an Instagram account because I was like, I'm just gonna throw it up there and post every once in a while. Which I only have two posts up. But I figured I've been the HGTV and TLC girl since I was in middle school too. Like, I tried to paint my parents kitchen pink. At one point I took her off and half painted one of the walls, and then I gave up.
Sarah) (17:24):
Yeah.
C) (17:25):
But I was also 13, so. Yeah, that's awesome. I figured put it up there and then, like, maybe. Maybe eventually I can be like Sarah and Sway and have brand deals, so.
Sarah) (17:37):
Right. I mean, honestly, that's what I tell, like, a lot of my friends that are, like, wanting to get into being. I hate the word influencer, but I just say content creator, but I just feel like, I don't know, like, if you have a dream that you want, just, like, why not? Like, what's stopping you and, like, holding you back from posting online, you know?
C) (17:58):
Yeah. So I feel like, what. I'm, like, the area that I'm in right now with online education and the podcast is definitely my dream, but I always say if I wasn't doing this and, like, if I wasn't doing photography, it's always interior design. So there's this piece of me that has always loved interior design and, like, doing house projects and whatnot. So I'm like, I'll just throw it up on the side and we'll just see what happens.
(18:22):
And people like the journey. So I figured if we're, like, realistically starting to consider it, then I can share a little bit of the journey that way. But there's been very minimal effort put into that account. Yeah. So I'm not sharing it, so.
Sarah) (18:36):
Okay, well, you have to share with me later.
C) (18:38):
Yeah. We also know that when you go viral, it kind of comes with a lot of attention, good and bad, which you touched on with your sunroom. And I would love to know what the. What the. Like, if there's any comment or any. Anything that sticks out that somebody said that was just, like, wild to you, what would that be?
Sarah) (19:01):
There are a couple I feel like I could talk about the first One that was like, that honestly, like made me the most upset was when we posted it was that secret tunnel video that went viral. And I at the time was going through a lot of health issues and I had like really chronic tinnitus. And so like, I, I think that's how you could say it. It's essentially just like really bad congestion and I had no idea why.
(19:28):
So when I was doing like the voiceover, like I sounded pretty nasally and this guy like just commented like, blow your effing nose. And I was just like, it kind of. For me, all the other comments, like, didn't matter. It was just the one that was directed directly at me felt really personal because I had been going through chronic health issues for years and was already like self conscious about it. So then when he commented that, then a bunch of other people started commenting it like the same, pretty much the same thing. And then I started getting super self conscious and I was just like, at one point I was crying to my husband about it and I was just like, how do I like navigate this? And like not, you know, feed into it, I guess.
(20:14):
I don't know.
C) (20:15):
Yeah, so I can see how that would be like shocking to read because I very much like one of my fears with having a video blow up are the negative comments. Like, yeah, I think that honestly. So if you get into like energetics and stuff, if you have this fear of going viral or being seen because you're afraid of the trolls, which is like a very real fear, then you're going to hold yourself back from going viral or being seen, and you could even energetically, like be attracting those trolls to you.
(20:52):
So I'm really curious how you deal with this because I think not only for listeners, but also for me, I think that could help us be like, you know what, it's really not that bad, even if there's a negative comment. So what tools did you use to make it so that it wasn't so? Or maybe it is still like, so that it isn't so painful when somebody says something negative, especially if it's directed at you or your choices for your home or whatever it may be. Like, how do you cope with that?
Sarah) (21:23):
Yeah, I would say it's still an issue. There's still times where it gets to me. But I think the biggest thing for me is like having a, a community that I can essentially like, vent to. There are people that can support me, like my husband or my family and friends, you know, people that can remind me, like, hey, no, like what you're doing is really awesome. And like, you're amazing. I think also just like, like my faith too, and just like having a rooted identity and like knowing who I am and that I am valuable, like outside of social media and the things that I share online is probably honestly the most important thing.
Bree) (22:01):
Okay, okay, okay, you guys, I want to stop you right here and I want to jump in and I want to say, did you hear that Sarah actually just said that the key is to get rooted. And I don't even know if she knew that this was the program that I currently have in pre launch. So when I heard that, I was like, no way. That is amazing. And I wanted to stop right here and I wanted to just draw some attention to my brand new program. It is in pre launch until the end of March. So that's only a few more days.
(22:30):
This program is all about the feminine side of business. So the energetics getting aligned, working in a way that helps you and your business flow and grow without the resistance, without the pushback. This is really the first step to building a business. And it's something that a lot of people skip because they want to get right into the strategy and the masculine side and they want to take control of their business.
(22:53):
But if you are not first getting rooted in who you are, your purpose, what your business stands for, and building it in a way that's in alignment with you, then it's going to be so much harder for you to grow and to scale and ultimately to bring in that income and create that impact and give yourself a little bit more freedom. So again, rooted is in pre launch for just a few more days. Go ahead and head to brianak.com
(23:16):
forward/rooted. And I will link this in the show notes for you if you want to know more about this and get in for literally hundreds of dollars off, there's no catch. There's just a massive discount. Because I want to help you guys who are trusting me during the pre launch phase, and I want to be able to deliver this massive transformation for you to go from not having a clear direction in your business and not really knowing what aligned is to being so rooted in where you're going and what you stand for that the universe can't help but reward you.
(23:48):
Again, brianak.com forward/rooted and you can get all of the info there. Otherwise, shoot me a DM on Instagram @rebel CEO podcast and we can see if you're a good fit from there. Okay, back to the episode.
Sarah) (24:01):
So, like, before you're out, like sharing Things online, you need to know that you have value, like, outside of that. Because if you're, like, putting all of your value into what you share online, like, it's really going to, like, tear you apart, I think. So I feel like that would be a really, really main one for me is, like, just, like, knowing who I am first, but also just, like, having that community around me that can be, like, uplifting and, you know, supportive.
(24:26):
Just to remind me, like, hey, like, we love what you did with the house. You know, just so that you're not, like. I mean, I started to, like, second guess, like, certain things. I was like, did I make the right decision at some of these things? Because there was just, like, so many people hating on some of our projects. And it really can get to you because, like, right away, like, some videos will, like, blow up and I'll be like, oh, yeah, whatever. Like, the haters are coming in, which is fine because they're like, you know, they're starting to blow up the video.
(24:54):
So I just let them keep commenting. But then the more that it comes in, it starts to get to your brain. And as much as I, like, would love a design, like our fireplace design, like, we had so many people coming in, our comments being like, that looks terrible. Oh, my gosh, you just millennialed that house. Like, it's hilarious, but, like, it's crazy how, like, the more that you feed into it, the more your brain can start to believe, you know, some of these crazy things that people are starting to say because you just keep seeing it over and over and over and over again. But I would say, like, combating that with the positives helps your brain, like, recorrect it, if that makes sense. So, like, having people that are pouring into you and, like, speaking truth and, like, to your value and what you're posting online is, like, the only thing that's going to really correct that, if that makes sense.
C) (25:49):
Yeah. It's always wild to me how these people just go around and, like, comment these awful things on things that don't even apply to them or that they, like, probably don't really, like, care that much about. Like, if I see something I don't like, I slide past it. Like, why stop and comment awful things? I just don't get it. So I've had two experiences with Internet trolls. I have not, full disclosure, ever had anything really go viral besides one video on TikTok a long time ago, and it had nothing to do with my photography. I wasn't in this space yet, and it was like, A venue. It was a really shaky video of me walking through Pinewood, which is a local venue, or, like, showing Pinewood.
(26:35):
And that blew up. And, like, I didn't really pay attention to the comments or anything. There were a lot of people that were like, that venue is not in Minnesota, which it is. But I didn't get anything awful on that. Thankfully, I wasn't in it. Nothing to do with my photography, so it didn't really help me either. But do you remember? Well, the whole Gabby Petito thing, they just put out a documentary too.
(26:59):
So I commented on post that was like, there's a trend going around. Tick Tock. And it was this. And I just said that I don't comment on things. I scroll past. This is like the exception, the one a while. Yeah, there was this trend going around and it was like, when my woman doesn't wash the dishes or something. Like, something that. When my woman doesn't do this. And, like, it makes the guy mad. And it was supposed to be a joke, but it was like the. The guys would do this, like, pose, and then it would transform from them to a pose of Brian Laundry.
(27:32):
So essentially, like, glorifying what he did and, like, making it funny. But all I could think about was the fact that her family is prob. On Tik Tok and the algorithm. So freaking good. And that's all that I was seeing. So I'm sure that's all that they were seeing. And coming from a situation where I lost my sister to domestic violence, if I had seen that same video be posted with the guy who killed my sister, I would be so upset.
(28:04):
So I commented and I said exactly what I said to you. Coming from somebody who lost her sister to domestic violence, I don't think this is a funny trend.
Sarah) (28:12):
Right.
C) (28:13):
And then all of a sudden, my comment blew up with people saying, go cry somewhere else.
Sarah) (28:20):
Oh, my God.
C) (28:21):
I said it so respectfully. And I was like, okay, Tick Tock has bad energy. I don't want to invest my time into this platform anymore. So I haven't, like, I deleted it multiple times for, like, long chunks of time. Because I was just like, I don't. Don't want to put myself out there if that's like, the community there. And then like, every once in a while, I've redownloaded it and like, post video here and there. But I. I have not been on it in the same way since then.
Sarah) (28:50):
Wild.
C) (28:51):
Yeah. And then my other one actually just happened today, so the video is not viral by any means. So it was YouTube. I posted a real to YouTube, and it was a clip from one of my podcast episodes. And it was like, my podcast is so, like, positive and wholesome. And it's like, like, I'm doing good things out in the world, I truly believe. And it's about healing your money mindset, essentially, is what the clip's about.
(29:19):
And the person that I'm interviewing is talking about, like, it's not your fault. You were. You learn these things when you're a child, basically, and it gets stored in your subconscious brain, and those are the beliefs that you hold on to. So, like, it's not your fault that you grew up believing these things and, like, now you have to rewire them, essentially is, like, what the clip is. And my little tagline, right. The first line was, it's not your fault. And it's meant to be, like, inspiring and, like, uplifting.
(29:50):
And I had one person comment. This comment wasn't so bad, but it was like, actually, it is your fault, and you could do research and whatever. And I was like, okay, whatever. Like, not that mean. But then the other one was like, don't you people ever do anything but cry and blame things on somebody else or something along those lines? I don't remember exactly what it was, but I was like, actually, like, you're. You're not just blaming it on people. Like, you're accepting that, like, you have this and working on it.
(30:18):
So it's kind of like the opposite. But I do feel like that's, like, when you have those little glimpses, it's like, maybe I don't want to go viral, and it can really hold you back.
Sarah) (30:31):
Yeah. There's been many moments where I'm like, man, like, do I really want to keep doing this? But I. I feel like the benefit overall, like, long term is way better than, like, the little negative things that you're gonna experience. Like, I would say, like, just because that One experience on TikTok doesn't make TikTok, like, bad energy. I would say, like, it's just. It was just, you know, one of those random times where, like, you end up on the wrong side of TikTok. Like, literally, I. I have an example. So, like, our fireplace build that I was just talking about earlier, the first time we posted that, I posted it with kind of, like, it was like, the bare bones of our house. Like, we had already ripped out, like, all of the mirror wall. We had, like, a giant mirror wall on.
(31:17):
On the wall when we bought the house. And so it was kind of like, down to the studs. And then we kind of, like, showed the renovation of the fireplace, and people, like, loved it. They were obsessed with it. They were like, this is amazing. This is beautiful. I can't believe you did this yourselves. We're getting so much, like, good feedback. We post the same exact project, so same exact, like, photos and everything.
(31:41):
And I just showed a slide of what it was before with the mirror wall and, like, all the 70s blue carpet that was in there when we bought it. And it hit the side of TikTok that, like, is obsessed with everything 70s and vintage homes. So then it hit the side of, like, everybody started commenting. You ruined that home. Oh, my gosh, this is terrible. This is. You're millennialing the home. This is millennial gray.
(32:08):
I was just like, this is the same project, but it's, like, hitting completely different. And so I'll say you. You get the really good side of social media, and you can get the really bad side. It just depends on how you post it and where it gets posted and, like, what audience sees it at first. Because, like, once one person starts commenting, I feel like it just brings in the rest of the trolls. So, yeah, it's kind of wild, like, depending on the audience that it hits.
(32:35):
In that same post, we had a guy literally, like, threaten to burn our house down. And I, like, ended up having to, like, call the FBI because I was like, I don't know, like, if this guy's legit or not. Like, I mean, it's social media, so most of the time, I would say people aren't actually, like, like, gonna follow through on their actions. They're just trying to get a rise out of somebody. But it was, like, a little bit concerning because he, like, said something like. I forget how he exactly said it, but he, like, gave a date of, like, oh, yeah, on, like, May, blah, blah, blah. Like, your house is gonna burn.
(33:09):
Your house will burn for this or something. But the fact that he, like, put a date to it made me a lot more uneasy. I was just like, like, we're gonna report this just in case that there's some sort of evidence. But, like, it's wild, like, how crazy it sometimes.
C) (33:25):
Yeah, that is insane. The date would have freaked me out, too, so I'm glad that you did report it. Okay, so when you start getting these trolls, obviously, they're, like, amping up your. Your video views. And then, like you said, you're kind of attracting the same audience because social media is like, well, this person is this type of person who maybe hates millennial Gray or whatever.
Sarah) (33:49):
Yeah. - (C)
C) (34:24):
Those people probably aren't as. I don't want to say like, as mature, probably. They probably have work to do on themselves.
Sarah) (34:35):
Yeah. They have their own traumas and insecurities that they're kind of projecting out on other people.
C) (34:40):
Yeah, exactly. Well said. Thank you.
Sarah) (34:42):
But yeah, I feel like as much as, like, the hate comments, like, you know, make us upset too, though. Like, I feel like, like that's also like another strategy I have is, like, embracing the hate. Because every time, like, the trolls do come in the comments, like, that's literally what blew up our account. So, like, having all these hate comments in our comment section. And I just feel like if you're, like, so scared to post because of the hate, it's also like, the haters are going to help you grow and, like, grow your account.
(35:15):
And now these haters essentially have given us a way to, like, make income and like, build a brand and live our life the way that we want to live in, in a way, if that makes sense. Obviously the people who are following us, like, want to follow us, but, like, if the haters weren't in there, like, blowing up the algorithm so that it would get pushed to other people, like, we wouldn't have got the followers that we have now.
(35:39):
So I would say that that is another really important thing to remember when you do end up getting hate is like, you're in the right place if you are getting hate. Like, if you're not getting hate comments, then maybe you're not going to grow as fast, if that makes sense.
C) (35:53):
Yeah. And then when you're getting those hate comments too, then you do have people who, like, want to jump in and be like, no, I think what you're doing is amazing. So that creates even more attraction. But, like, on the positive side, too.
Sarah) (36:04):
It'S honestly one of my favorite things to, like, not even reply to some people. I do, I do reply a lot because it does, like, keep the conversation going. But I Try to, like, kill them with kindness, you know? But when I don't reply, I love seeing, like, my followers or just random people coming in, like, defending us. And so it's like, I don't even have to always be the one in the comments, like, defending all of our.
(36:28):
Our, you know, decisions and whatnot. But it's just, like, crazy to see how, like, the conversation can just completely blow up the video.
C) (36:37):
Yeah. So speaking of the conversation and people having, like, two different takes, like, the good and the bad.
Sarah) (36:43):
Yeah.
C) (36:44):
Can you share. Because we touched on your sunroom earlier. Can you share the sunroom controversy?
Sarah) (36:50):
Oh, so the sun. Sunroom controversy. So this room behind me, I don't. If you're listening, you're not going to be able to see it, but it was a, like, naughty pine, very orange room when we bought it, and some people love that, but I did not. And it felt very dark and kind of depressing. Even though it was a sun room. They had, like, camo shades on the. The walls and stuff. It's kind of crazy. But we pretty much sanded everything down and then, like, painted over it, and it was just, like, a huge controversy that everybody was like, why would you paint over that? That, like, now you just, like, ruin the value of your home.
(37:30):
Just like everybody getting so upset about, like, us painting over supposedly they think what. What they think is nice wood, even though it's just, like, naughty pine, which is like, everybody thought it was cedar, but it wasn't. But even if it was cedar, you know, it's like one of those things. It's like, it's. It's our house, and we decide to do what we want with it. But it just, like, it was just like, a huge, controversial topic of, like, painting over.
(37:55):
Over a wood walls.
C) (37:57):
So can. Can you sand paint off? Like, if you did decide, like, oh, we want the wood, could you sand that off still?
Sarah) (38:05):
Oh, we could. It would just be a lot of work. Long, long time. Yeah. So it is kind of not sitting. Not reversible, but somebody would have to be very motivated to, like, get it off because, like, you have to put a really thick primer on it because of, like, the kind of wood that it is. Because you can't. You don't want, like, the wood knots to, like, seep through the paint. Kind of put, like, a really thick primer on and just, like, getting into the grooves of, like, the shiplap.
C) (38:33):
Yeah, look.
Sarah) (38:34):
Or, like, the wood would be really hard, I think. But I'm not saying it's impossible, but.
C) (38:40):
We'Re not gonna find out. We're sticking with the white.
Sarah) (38:42):
Yeah, we're sticking with the white.
C) (38:44):
Ye. That's so funny that people are so opinionated and like, people come for other accounts that I see too. Like, any time what gets painted over, whether it's like interior, exterior or brick, wood or brick, I feel like they're always coming for you if you do anything with it, anything vintage.
Sarah) (39:01):
Yeah, people love to come for that too.
C) (39:04):
Yeah. Yeah, I bet. Or like mid century modern, which is what your house is. So if somebody is listening and they're just starting out, what would be your advice for helping them stand out on Instagram?
Sarah) (39:15):
I would say probably being just like really authentic and being yourself is one of the biggest things I tried with like, our content to like, show the real side of like, renovations versus just like all of the pretty stuff. And like, that usually tends to be the stuff that goes viral, whether it's for good or for bad. Like, we literally just had a. A reel that I reposted from like a year or two ago, from two years ago.
(39:44):
And it was when we were putting in our stove into our countertops that we had just poured because we poured concrete to countertops. And the face that I made because we were putting. We were moving the stove into the countertops and it didn't fit. And the face that I made when it didn't fit, I like, zoomed in on my face because it was like the moment of realization that my husband didn't measure correctly, even though I asked him that three times to measure. Because I was like, that was the thing I was most concerned about. It was like, not fitting.
(40:18):
So I like, made a real about it. And it like, is. It's going viral again now, but it's like showing the real side of like, being a husband and wife diy, you know, it's like, that's not something that probably everybody would be comfortable posting. And in all honesty, like, I don't think think that I am 100 still comfortable posting it. But I posted it anyways because I knew that it was going to like, help our account grow. And it was just like showing the reality of like, DIY projects with your husband. It's like it. There are times when you do get impatient with each other and it's relatable because people like, like to see that stuff.
(40:54):
People want to see stuff that's relatable and like, authentic. And then I would just say, like, consistency is a huge thing, which I still struggle with, especially like having a baby and a Toddler now running around everywhere, like, and trying to bal. Posting all the time. But being consistent is what did help us grow. And what is still helping us grow is posting consistently and just, like, having a plan of what to post.
(41:19):
Yeah, those are probably some of, like, my biggest tips. But also just like, having good storytelling. People love a good story. And I think that's the reason why our secret tunnel one went viral. Because there was. If you don't know and haven't seen the video, it was just a video of us finding this hidden room essentially in our house, which was like, essentially the attic space above our old kitchen ceiling, but it was in the upstairs bathroom.
(41:48):
If. If. It sounds weird that it wouldn't be possible, but, like, the way that our layout is structured, like, makes sense if you watch the video. But people were just like, what the heck? This is crazy. But I was telling the story of, like, how he found it and then, like, showing the room and stuff and just people of a good story.
C) (42:08):
So, yeah, I do think that you are really good at storytelling on your account. So I can. I can see how you tie that in to your social media plan. And that's an area that I think a lot of us could grow in because storytelling is supposed to be really powerful and we all forget to do it or, like, don't always want to put in the effort to do it. Well, I feel like would even be a problem. I laughed when you were talking about the concrete countertops because I just saw that video the other day and your face is so funny.
(42:38):
So if anyone listening wants to go check it out, I feel like it's definitely worth it. And yeah, you're right. It's super relatable. I actually, when we were doing our fireplace surround, I have a similar situation, but it was me that measured wrong. I don't know if I even, like, I must have measured. I had to have measured. I wouldn't have not measured. But we put up the. The backer board, the cement backer board, and then Nick went to put the.
(43:05):
The fireplace around in the hole that we made for it, and it didn't fit. So then he had to take some, like, weird power tool to it. And he was not happy with me, but I was like, I did my best.
Sarah) (43:17):
Like, it happens, you know, I think technically he did measure and it was exactly 30 inches. But you. It wasn't supposed to be exactly 30 inches. It was supposed to be like 30 inches and a quarter because apparently there's supposed to be some give on the sides because, like, I don't know, some sort of science says that you can't fit a 30 inch stove into a 30 inch space. That there needs some sort of, like, friction or whatever.
(43:40):
Yeah, but we live in Louis. We learn. But I, like, speaking of, like, using the hate to, like, grow your account, like, we. I literally reposted that knowing that, like, it was gonna get a bunch of, like, hate comments on it because I wanted to, like, revamp our account because our account was kind of like losing traction. So I was like, oh, I'm just gonna post this video and like, change the sound and see if it goes viral again. And it did. So just crazy. So, like, just knowing I knew it was coming and I know that the hate comments are, we're coming. But like, it has, I think it's at like 9 million views. I posted it like three days ago, but it's just like insane.
(44:16):
Like, just gotta use the hate. You gotta. You gotta use the haters to grow your account.
C) (44:22):
Yeah, because you posted one of the responses from that too, and it was like, like, why do you. You get a lot of people that assume you don't do any work. It seems like, yeah, it was like, why doesn't she try pouring the countertops then? So then you shared that comment with a video of you pouring the countertops.
Sarah) (44:41):
I would say that's another good strategy too, is if you do get a viral video, don't, like, just let it sit and like, grow by itself. Like, continue, like, pulling comments from the comment section and like, making new videos using those comments. Because, like, that will be like, the algorithm will, like, continually to push those. I've noticed is like, if. If you do get a viral video, like, take the traction from it and like, continue to use that traction to, like, push out more videos. So, like, don't just, like, ghost your account and be like, oh, I'm getting a viral video. Cool. Like, you want to keep posting videos? Like, I just.
(45:17):
Our Facebook account as of this week, week grew like 6, 000 followers. I'm trying to get us monetized on there because I haven't been putting any energy into Facebook. But as our video took off, I was like, cool. Like, we're getting some, like, good traction and we're getting some followers. So I'm gonna, like, keep posting a bunch of videos on Facebook and I don't normally post, like, on Facebook at all, but I'm trying to, like, monetize Facebook.
(45:42):
So just like, make sure to take advantage of. If you do get a viral video, like, continue that traction and like, keep posting because. Because the algorithm will, like, reward you for that. I would say so, yeah.
C) (45:53):
Oh, that's so smart. I love that you have such a great business mind, so it's always fun to talk to you. What extra advice, if you can think of any, would you give to people who are trying to monetize their account? Obviously, you just gave some, but if somebody wants to be bringing in more.
Sarah) (46:07):
Money, yeah, I would say. I mean, there's a ton of, like, really great resources out there to learn how to monetize your account. But knowing, too, like, you don't need a ton of followers to start monetizing your account if you have an audience and an engaged audience. Like, brands are always looking to work with people who have, like, engaged audiences. Like, I know somebody who's worked with brands, like, from, like, 300 followers.
(46:35):
So, like, it's not always, like, the huge followings that they want. They just want engaged followers. So I would just say, like, don't be afraid to pitch brands. Like, the way we started. I think maybe I'm trying to remember the exact order everything happened, but I think when we started, I was pitching brands and I was, like, sending emails to brands and just being like, hey, like, we love. We love this product.
(47:00):
Would love to feature it on our page. Like, and, like, is there a way that we can partner with you to, like, help your current marketing campaigns? Literally just shooting a DM to them or shooting an email to them? I always just say, like, the worst they can say is, no. Like, there was recently, like, literally, the table that I'm sitting at right now is a table that I had been eyeing for, like, two years. And I was just like, what are the chances that they would just, like, send it to us?
(47:29):
So I just sent them an email in their DMs, and I was like, hey, do you have, like, a marketing person that I could reach out to? And they sent me the email to, like, like, talk to their marketing team. And I just sent, like, an email saying, hey, we, like, love your products. We feel like it fits good with our audience. We would love to find a way to, like, work with you to partner together and, like, work with your current marketing campaigns.
(47:53):
And they accepted it, and we got a free dining table, which is really awesome, and I didn't have to spend $3,000 on it.
C) (48:04):
Yeah. And then I actually just got targeted for your ad for that dining table the other day. So not only did you get free dining table, but it seems like, tell me if I'm wrong. You also Maybe have a referral code that would give you money back and you have that posted in an ad. So you got your free table, which is bomb, by the way. And then you are also making money, like recurring revenue, I would think, or that's the goal to.
Sarah) (48:32):
Yeah.
C) (48:33):
Revenue from sales of that table.
Sarah) (48:36):
Yeah. So now we. They actually are paying for ads and like white listings to like shoot out our ads to.
C) (48:42):
Cool.
Sarah) (48:43):
So they are paying for ads and then we get the commission off of any of the tables that we sell if people use our code. So it's kind of cool to find, like, ways to do that too. Like, I know there's a lot of companies out there that do like affiliate marketing. So like, if you share, you know, on your social media, they might be like, willing to give you a code so that you could earn commission on any of the things that people buy using your link or using your code, which is kind of like a hack to like be getting passive income, which is really, you know, the goal. We all want to have passive income. Right. We don't want to like, work our whole life. So.
C) (49:21):
Yeah, more freedom, more time with people. More. More time doing things that actually matter.
Sarah) (49:26):
Yeah. And I would say too, like, another thing that I would give is like, if you're. If you have a low following or if you don't have a huge following, UGC is a huge thing too. So if you're like just starting out and you're like wanting to get into like creating content for brands or like working with brands, that's usually where I direct people right away is like creating UGC content, which is. Stands for user generated content, which is essentially making content for brands that you don't have to post on your page.
(50:00):
So I always tell my photographer friends, like, you need to get into UGC because you already have the talent for photography and videography and content creation and editing and like start making ads for brands essentially. I would say the way to start out is like creating like mock videos of products you already have and you don't even have to necessarily post them on your social media, but you can create that as your portfolio and then just start reaching out to brands that you know you might want to work with and just be like, hey, like, I'm a UGC content creator. Would love to see if you, like, need any content created for your upcoming marketing campaigns and just see what they say. Because, like, the worst they can say is no.
(50:45):
But a lot of companies will pay you, you know, two, three, $500, $1,200 to create videos and photo content for their social media, for their marketing campaigns, etc, but there's a lot of really great courses out there that can teach you how to do that. Yeah, hopefully that was helpful.
C) (51:04):
That was so helpful. I was over here taking notes because I was just like, man, this is a gold mine. That's so like, when you don't. When you're not in the industry and you, like, you don't realize kind of how things work, it's so easy to assume that you need that first brand deal to get your portfolio built or whatever it is. And people forget that you can build your own portfolio. Kind of the same concept as styled shoots for photographers, which. Which I preach all the time. I love building your own portfolio, so obviously it can apply to other industries too.
(51:37):
So then if you could go back and give yourself advice like, you're you and Sway, you just bought your house. You are at the beginning of your journey and you haven't, like, you don't know what's to come yet. What would your advice be for you guys?
Sarah) (51:54):
Oh, my gosh. Yeah, I guess I would. I would say, like, being consistent and like, because I, like I had mentioned earlier, like, I think there's been times where, like, I got really busy with, like, having a baby and whatnot. Like, but like, staying consistent and posting would have been more helpful for. To keep our traction kind of going, but also just being okay. I feel like right away when we were posting, I was like, I don't know, like, this person's gonna see what I posted.
(52:23):
And like, you know, I think just like, being okay with, like, having like, high school friends and family, like, seeing your content and just like, putting yourself out there. I would say. Yeah. I don't know. I think that's my advice for anybody that's like, just starting out.
C) (52:40):
Yeah. And nobody who's doing. What is it? Nobody who's doing more than you is ever going to criticize you for what you're doing. It's people who are doing less that want to keep. Keep staying in the cycle because they're also probably scared of being seen.
Sarah) (52:55):
And like, all the people that are going to be like, oh, she's trying to be an influence.
C) (53:00):
Yeah. But now look at you with your150,000 followers and you're making money and you're doing it, and now they're like, oh, I wish I could do that.
Sarah) (53:10):
Yeah. Yeah. So I would say, like, if you're wanting to start, just start posting, like, and just, you know, I have friends that that want to start the same thing that have been trying to like, they've talked to me a few times about it and been like, oh, I like want to do this, but I don't know, like, my high school friend's going to see this and blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, screw your high school friend.
(53:34):
Like, it doesn't matter. Like, just keep posting because like, if you're not posting, like you're not doing anything to like work towards the dreams and goals that you have. So yeah, yeah, I would say, like, if you're not uncomfortable in your life, like, you're not going to be growing. So like putting yourself out there and getting uncomfortable is what's going to like help you grow. And like the worst thing that can happen is like, you just like don't gain a following fast, but like, you know, maybe somebody will criticize you but like you're at least trying to like work towards your goals.
C) (54:07):
Yeah. 100. So if anybody's listening and they want to either go see all of your beautiful home projects, maybe they want to add some fuel to the fire and they want to comment mean things. Where can they find you?
Sarah) (54:20):
They want to comment mean things. I don't know. Don't follow us.
C) (54:23):
Just kidding.
Sarah) (54:24):
They can follow us on all of like the main social media, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram at Sway and Sarah build. That's s w a y. My husband's name Josue, but we call him Sway.
C) (54:37):
So I love that it's so vibey. I feel like Sway is like a cool name.
Sarah) (54:42):
Sarah and Sway, it always just kind of flowed together and who, who knew we would start a brand together?
C) (54:47):
Okay, so all of you definitely don't go and comment mean things on Sarah's videos. I was totally joking. I assume if you listen to this podcast, that's not the type of person you are, but definitely defend her if you see one and just show her some love. And yeah, check out the beautiful, the beautiful things that she's done with her house. So thank you for being on the call today, Sarah.
Sarah) (55:11):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Bree) (55:12):
Thanks for tuning in to Rebel CEO. If today's episode lit a fire under you, I would love if you would hit subscribe, leave a rating and drop a review. That little action helps more purpose driven women like you. Find this show and make sure that you're not keeping all of this magic to yourself. Share this episode with a friend who's ready to ditch the rules and build a life that actually feels good.
C) (55:33):
If you're looking for a little one on one connection.
Bree) (55:35):
Slide into my DMs on Instagram@rebel CEO.podcast and I would love to hear what you're thinking and what you're building so that I can cheer you on every step of the way. And one more thing, if you're ready for even more support, join my free Facebook community. It is packed with like minded women who are rebelling, setting wild goals, dreaming big and making moves. The link's waiting for you in the show notes and I will see you inside.
(55:59):
Until next time, keep breaking the rules, chasing your purpose, and creating the life that you were meant for. I'll see you in the next episode.
If you're like just starting out and you're like wanting to get into like creating content for brands or like working with brands, that's usually where I direct people Right away is like creating UGC content, which is stands for User Generated content, which is essentially making content for brands that you don't have to post on your page.
Bree) (00:19):
Welcome to Rebel CEO, the podcast where we ditch the rules and build businesses that don't just make money, but set your soul on fire. I'm Brianna K. Your business coach, freedom advocate, and personal permission slip to dream bigger. I scaled my own business to six figures while breaking every mold that people told me to fit into, and now I'm here to help you do the same. I'll help you build a business and a life that's so deeply rooted in your purpose that you never feel like you missed out on the life that you were supposed to live.
(00:46):
This is your time to root down, rise up Rebel, and manifest all of your wild goals. So grab your coffee, get cozy, and let's dive in.
Sarah) (00:54):
I was gonna be bold.
Bree) (00:57):
Hey Rebels, it is your host, Brianna K. Here and today I am talking with somebody who I consider an old friend. We've been in the same industry for a while and we've worked together multiple times and now it's funny because both of us are currently going through a business pivot into different areas. So I am talking with Sarah Gonzalez of Sway and Sarah Build. She also has the photo video company Wildwood Films.
(01:21):
And we are talking about how going viral isn't all sunshine and sponsorships. There is actually a dark side to going viral too, which might low key be keeping some of you guys from actually going viral if you're scared of it. And I say some of you guys, but like, I actually probably mean myself too. So don't get too hard on yourself if you are maybe a little bit scared of going viral deep down. So today Sarah's getting open and honest with us about the real stories behind the Internet trolls, how she's overcome them, and what it takes to grow an Instagram account into a movement.
(01:56):
I also just want to point out that if you are watching this episode on YouTube, you will see some variations between the beginning of the call and the main portion of the call in video. And you'll also see a chunk of time where my video is super blurry. If you're just listening to the call, or again, if you're watching on YouTube, then you are going to probably hear some audio differences too because we were just having technical difficulties when we were recording.
(02:23):
For whatever reason, things were acting up, so we decided to switch recording platforms mid call. So I apologize for the, the difference in audio and the video technical difficulties, but the content is so good that I didn't think that you guys would even mind. I figured I would just put it out because Sarah is coming at you with so much knowledge and I feel like she always just has unique ways of looking at things and little tips and tricks that she's willing to share.
(02:52):
Let's dive right into today's episode.
C) (02:55):
Sarah, it is so fun to reconnect with you. It's been a while since I've seen you, but you and I kind of go way back at this point, I.
Bree) (03:02):
Would say because both of us have.
C) (03:03):
Been in the wedding photography, videography industry together for a while now. But you have a really fun story because you have began to pivot or pivoted almost fully into a totally different space that is really intriguing to me. And it's kind of like the space of a lot of people's dreams. I want to say a lot of I feel like, like are like, okay, that'd be the best job ever. Can you tell me about first who you are as a human and then about your business journey?
Sarah) (03:32):
Yeah. So I am Sarah and I am a first. I am a wife. I've been married to my husband for about five years and then I. We recently had a baby and we have a 12 month old son. It's kind of wild that he's already a year old. And then on the business side, I was first a wedding photographer and videographer and so I run the business, Wildwood Films out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. And then I also run a social media account which is kind of what we're going to talk about today. But Sway and Sarah builds and that is our home DIY social media account that we kind of share all of our home renovations on. And so, yeah, that's a little bit about me and what I do.
C) (04:15):
Yeah. And I love following Sway and Sarah build.
Bree) (04:18):
I feel like you're so good at.
C) (04:19):
Creating engagement with your community and making people like want to come back. You're very strategic sometimes with the posts that you do. I've noticed because you'll post something and then like make people wait a little bit for the result, but not always very long. So it's like, oh, super posted. I've been waiting for this. Your siding. I was dying to see your siding for so long. I feel like before I got to see the finished picture.
Sarah) (04:43):
Yeah, I feel like we definitely Waited a little bit long on that because we had to wait to like get the paint and stuff done to like get the real after. So I hate making people wait sometimes. But it also like does keep people kind of like coming back to us.
C) (04:58):
I totally think that that's part of the magic with what you guys are doing because you are doing these projects that do take a while sometimes. And I do think that it keeps people a little bit hooked because they want to know, like, they see this cool project going on and they want to know what's happening. And then, yeah, like I said, when you do pop up, they're like, oh.
Bree) (05:18):
Finally I get to check it out.
C) (05:20):
So what made you and Sway say yes to your 1970s home? Like, what was it when you toured it? That was like, okay, this is the one for us.
Sarah) (05:30):
Yeah, so it was like probably two. Two actually I think it was three years ago now. It's wild how fast the time goes. But we bought our home like three years ago now and we were touring houses and we toured a couple and this was actually the first house that we put an offer in on. But yeah, we had toured a couple of houses and we came across this one and we kind of, when we were looking at houses, we're like, oh, like we do want a fixer upper of some sort. We just didn't know like how much of a fixer upper. But when we saw this one, the bones were all really great, but like it just needed a lot of cosmetic things. So like the, the bones of the house were amazing. Like there wasn't like any infestations or anything because I don't know that we would have ever gone that far. Since we had literally never renovated a house before.
(06:17):
We kind of went into it like very naive. Like what renovating a house kind of ensues. Feel like we really fell in love with like the layout of the house is kind of just like a unique. It's a split level. A lot of the rooms are kind of like really divided up. But then we also just fell in love with kind of the mid century modern feel of the house. But I just, most, mostly what I loved about the house was just like I felt like when I walked in, like I could envision where everything was going to be and like what I was going to change.
(06:46):
Like, oh, we're going to take like we're gon wall out and we're going to take this ceiling out and we're going to vault the whole ceiling. And I could just weirdly picture it when I Walked in. So it kind of just felt like it was the right house for us. Even though I didn't know how we were going to do it, I was like, I don't know. We came in very naively, like not knowing what we were doing. But I felt like it was mostly just like knowing, walking in and feeling like, oh, like this is the one that I feel like we could make a home.
C) (07:19):
Yeah. And I feel like you must have such a good imagination because when I walked into your house, I saw like the original arched ceilings, but the kitchen wasn't arch because I went over there to just take some like photos with another photographer of you guys after you'd moved in. And I saw the sun room that you're sitting in right now. Obviously that's gorgeous. But I wouldn't have been able to picture like vault the whole ceiling, take out the wal. Because that just sounds like that's extreme Renault.
(07:51):
Like I can add a fireplace around, I can do a backsplash, I can change a floor. Like flooring out as far as take out a wall and vault a ceiling. Like that is beyond what I'm qualified for. So I am so impressed that you were able to look at it and, and think of all this because your kitchen now is so gorgeous. And that's the ceiling that you did end up vaulting, right?
Sarah) (08:15):
Yeah, yeah. We took out the two walls. It was like kind of like an enclosed kitchen, but it was like a walk in, walk through. So there were some little, just little entryways through the side, but there were two walls and a hole. Like the ceiling was pulled down so it was like a drop ceiling. But now like all of that is completely out. We were lucky that it wasn't load bearing so we didn't have to like put in any beams or anything. But yeah, I don't know, I feel like I've always been kind of like that way since I was a kid. I like loved watching hgtv and I don't know, I gotta always walk into spaces and like imagine like, oh, this is what it could look like if they change this, this or this. And I don't know, maybe it's just one of my gifts, I guess. Yeah, it's just what I walking into this house was just like, oh, like I can see the vision and yeah. Just felt like it was right for us.
C) (09:02):
So I love that. So then were you initially planning to document your journey or was it something that you decided to just do for fun and then it turned into more than you'd pict Pictured.
Sarah) (09:14):
Yeah. So I feel like when we bought the house, it wasn't really like, oh, we're gonna buy this house to document the journey or anything. It was like, we want to buy a house so that we can, like, raise a family here and, like, fix it up and make it a home. But we kind of. I'm trying to remember the order of things, but I followed this couple New Build Newlyweds shout out to them. They're really awesome that they do the same thing that we do now.
(09:39):
And I was just like, oh, like, what are the chances that if we just started sharing projects online, we could get some brands to send us some free stuff or try out their tools or whatever? Because I was like, oh. Like, I know the New Build Newlyweds. They are, like, sponsored by Ryobi and, like, get sent a bunch of free stuff and, like, free tools. And I was just like, you know, that would be the dream, to, like, live that life and, like, just get free stuff sent to you and, like, work with brands and, like, fix up your house. I was like, that would be, like, a really cool dream. And I was just like, let's just, like, start sharing just. And see what happens. Like, I didn't think that, like, it was going to necessarily, like, blow up or anything, but I was just like, I don't know. I'm a very big believer in just, like, if you have a dream, just throw it out there and just start documenting. I was like, okay, like, I'm just going to start documenting what we're doing and just making videos and showing people what we're up to. And right away, it was just. I started a new Instagram account, and I was just like, wanted to share with our family and friends kind of what we were doing.
(10:40):
And I was like, well, if we get more followers, that's cool. But yeah. And then it kind of blew up, honestly, like, really fast. I don't remember the exact timeline, but it was within a couple of months. We were at, like, within the first month, we hit, like, 20k followers or something. And then it kind of just like, took off from there. But I think within a year, we had, like, a hundred thousand followers.
(11:05):
And I was just like, what the heck is happening? Like, this is crazy. So, yeah.
C) (11:12):
Yeah, that's wild. And I remember noticing how quickly you were growing, and I was like, that is insane. Like, in the wedding industry, I feel like we've all tried for so long and you had quite a few or have quite a few followers, but not 150,000. And we've all tried so hard for so long.
Sarah) (11:31):
I know. - (C)
Yeah, it was like. I think it was a. I'm trying to remember which video blew up first. It was either the secret tunnel video or the. When we painted this sun room. I think it was one of those two videos.
C) (11:54):
Yeah.
Sarah) (11:55):
Which was very controversial. So.
C) (11:57):
Yeah. Yep, I remember that. I've seen. I've seen the controversy being shared from your account about the sunroom, which I'm sure we will get into a little bit. So was there a specific moment where you were like, okay, I'm going to try to pivot my. My business from the photo space more into this home remodel space. Yeah.
Sarah) (12:25):
I think once I started seeing, like, the potential and like, when brands started reaching out to us and we started charging money to do it and seeing the amount of money that brands are willing to pay, I was like, man, I feel like I'm in the wrong industry because I was also on the tail end of like, very. I was in the wedding industry. Had, like, built my business, a six figure business. Burnt myself out completely. Was like shooting so many weddings.
(12:53):
And I just got to this point where I was like, I can't do this, like, anymore and be working this hard. And so, like, walk into a new space with fresh eyes, I guess, and just dreams and be like, wow, like, brands are willing to pay us this. And I don't know, I think it was just. It kind of became my new dream, I guess, to, like, move into a new career. I guess I would say that kind of became my new goal was to like, make our content creation full time and kind of pivoting away from my photography business.
C) (13:28):
Yeah. Would you say that one of the reasons that the pivot was so enticing was because of the freedom that it gave you versus shooting weddings every weekend.
Sarah) (13:37):
Yeah. After experience shooting a wedding every weekend for literally from like the beginning of the summer through, like the very end of fall, I was like. I remember I hit a point where I was like, we, me and my husband went to like a farmer's market. We were. And it was like a Saturday or something. And I was like, wow, is like, is this what people do on their, like, days off? Like, I remember because I had shot weddings literally every weekend that summer, like, all the way to, like the end of early November, early November, I think.
(14:14):
And I was just like, I had finally had a Saturday off and I was just like, well, it's nice to like, not have to do anything on a Saturday and be able to like, you know, go to a farmer's market. And I remember that was kind of like my pivot point of like, I need to figure out something different to do. But yeah, I guess I was at this point of I was super burnt out. And to get to have this kind of freedom in not having to work every weekend and like being able to eventually start a family and stay home with my baby and not be working every weekend was definitely a huge motivator for me. Yeah. Just to not. Not have to spend every weekend, like working and then not on the weekends, like editing.
(14:57):
So I felt like I was just working all the time.
C) (15:00):
Yeah, I can totally see how, especially with you guys wanting to start a family, that would become really enticing to be able to do your own thing on your own schedule. And with photography, a lot of the times we could too, but not when it came to the weekends with weddings. And a lot of the weddings too, you travel for. So you're gone the whole day and then maybe some days around it or even just like from here. If. If you're shooting in Milwaukee or somewhere further away in the Midwest, that's still a lot of time that you're putting in in the car also.
(15:31):
So I actually, I haven't told anybody this yet. Not even like my husband or anyone. Like, I'm literally the only one that knows. So you're. Oh no, I'm not pregnant or anything. We're not trying. No. But I actually. So we've been looking at like floor plans and stuff to build another house because we have. It's a builder grade split level in a subdivision with other houses that are the exact same. Like, not all of them, but like we have houses the exact same around us and we want to move to a lot with like a little bit more land, a little bit more in the country.
(16:08):
And I want like nice architecture and like nice bones in this house and like nice windows and stuff. And I want it to be like my final house. So we've been looking at floor plans and we're. Yeah, we're not like ready to make the move yet, but I'm starting to realistically think of all this stuff and like, look at numbers and figure out how to make it happen and whatnot. So I threw up an Instagram account inspired by your Instagram account just for like, these are the ideas for our like, new build home. And I'm sure, like, there will be projects once the House is built also just to, like, save money on building it and adding more character and stuff later, but making sure that the bones are there, like, all of the big things.
(16:55):
Because, like I said, I'm not trying to vault a ceiling. I'm so impressed that you guys did, but I think that's something that I'm. I'm not trying to do, so. So, yeah, I started an Instagram account because I was like, I'm just gonna throw it up there and post every once in a while. Which I only have two posts up. But I figured I've been the HGTV and TLC girl since I was in middle school too. Like, I tried to paint my parents kitchen pink. At one point I took her off and half painted one of the walls, and then I gave up.
Sarah) (17:24):
Yeah.
C) (17:25):
But I was also 13, so. Yeah, that's awesome. I figured put it up there and then, like, maybe. Maybe eventually I can be like Sarah and Sway and have brand deals, so.
Sarah) (17:37):
Right. I mean, honestly, that's what I tell, like, a lot of my friends that are, like, wanting to get into being. I hate the word influencer, but I just say content creator, but I just feel like, I don't know, like, if you have a dream that you want, just, like, why not? Like, what's stopping you and, like, holding you back from posting online, you know?
C) (17:58):
Yeah. So I feel like, what. I'm, like, the area that I'm in right now with online education and the podcast is definitely my dream, but I always say if I wasn't doing this and, like, if I wasn't doing photography, it's always interior design. So there's this piece of me that has always loved interior design and, like, doing house projects and whatnot. So I'm like, I'll just throw it up on the side and we'll just see what happens.
(18:22):
And people like the journey. So I figured if we're, like, realistically starting to consider it, then I can share a little bit of the journey that way. But there's been very minimal effort put into that account. Yeah. So I'm not sharing it, so.
Sarah) (18:36):
Okay, well, you have to share with me later.
C) (18:38):
Yeah. We also know that when you go viral, it kind of comes with a lot of attention, good and bad, which you touched on with your sunroom. And I would love to know what the. What the. Like, if there's any comment or any. Anything that sticks out that somebody said that was just, like, wild to you, what would that be?
Sarah) (19:01):
There are a couple I feel like I could talk about the first One that was like, that honestly, like made me the most upset was when we posted it was that secret tunnel video that went viral. And I at the time was going through a lot of health issues and I had like really chronic tinnitus. And so like, I, I think that's how you could say it. It's essentially just like really bad congestion and I had no idea why.
(19:28):
So when I was doing like the voiceover, like I sounded pretty nasally and this guy like just commented like, blow your effing nose. And I was just like, it kind of. For me, all the other comments, like, didn't matter. It was just the one that was directed directly at me felt really personal because I had been going through chronic health issues for years and was already like self conscious about it. So then when he commented that, then a bunch of other people started commenting it like the same, pretty much the same thing. And then I started getting super self conscious and I was just like, at one point I was crying to my husband about it and I was just like, how do I like navigate this? And like not, you know, feed into it, I guess.
(20:14):
I don't know.
C) (20:15):
Yeah, so I can see how that would be like shocking to read because I very much like one of my fears with having a video blow up are the negative comments. Like, yeah, I think that honestly. So if you get into like energetics and stuff, if you have this fear of going viral or being seen because you're afraid of the trolls, which is like a very real fear, then you're going to hold yourself back from going viral or being seen, and you could even energetically, like be attracting those trolls to you.
(20:52):
So I'm really curious how you deal with this because I think not only for listeners, but also for me, I think that could help us be like, you know what, it's really not that bad, even if there's a negative comment. So what tools did you use to make it so that it wasn't so? Or maybe it is still like, so that it isn't so painful when somebody says something negative, especially if it's directed at you or your choices for your home or whatever it may be. Like, how do you cope with that?
Sarah) (21:23):
Yeah, I would say it's still an issue. There's still times where it gets to me. But I think the biggest thing for me is like having a, a community that I can essentially like, vent to. There are people that can support me, like my husband or my family and friends, you know, people that can remind me, like, hey, no, like what you're doing is really awesome. And like, you're amazing. I think also just like, like my faith too, and just like having a rooted identity and like knowing who I am and that I am valuable, like outside of social media and the things that I share online is probably honestly the most important thing.
Bree) (22:01):
Okay, okay, okay, you guys, I want to stop you right here and I want to jump in and I want to say, did you hear that Sarah actually just said that the key is to get rooted. And I don't even know if she knew that this was the program that I currently have in pre launch. So when I heard that, I was like, no way. That is amazing. And I wanted to stop right here and I wanted to just draw some attention to my brand new program. It is in pre launch until the end of March. So that's only a few more days.
(22:30):
This program is all about the feminine side of business. So the energetics getting aligned, working in a way that helps you and your business flow and grow without the resistance, without the pushback. This is really the first step to building a business. And it's something that a lot of people skip because they want to get right into the strategy and the masculine side and they want to take control of their business.
(22:53):
But if you are not first getting rooted in who you are, your purpose, what your business stands for, and building it in a way that's in alignment with you, then it's going to be so much harder for you to grow and to scale and ultimately to bring in that income and create that impact and give yourself a little bit more freedom. So again, rooted is in pre launch for just a few more days. Go ahead and head to brianak.com
(23:16):
forward/rooted. And I will link this in the show notes for you if you want to know more about this and get in for literally hundreds of dollars off, there's no catch. There's just a massive discount. Because I want to help you guys who are trusting me during the pre launch phase, and I want to be able to deliver this massive transformation for you to go from not having a clear direction in your business and not really knowing what aligned is to being so rooted in where you're going and what you stand for that the universe can't help but reward you.
(23:48):
Again, brianak.com forward/rooted and you can get all of the info there. Otherwise, shoot me a DM on Instagram @rebel CEO podcast and we can see if you're a good fit from there. Okay, back to the episode.
Sarah) (24:01):
So, like, before you're out, like sharing Things online, you need to know that you have value, like, outside of that. Because if you're, like, putting all of your value into what you share online, like, it's really going to, like, tear you apart, I think. So I feel like that would be a really, really main one for me is, like, just, like, knowing who I am first, but also just, like, having that community around me that can be, like, uplifting and, you know, supportive.
(24:26):
Just to remind me, like, hey, like, we love what you did with the house. You know, just so that you're not, like. I mean, I started to, like, second guess, like, certain things. I was like, did I make the right decision at some of these things? Because there was just, like, so many people hating on some of our projects. And it really can get to you because, like, right away, like, some videos will, like, blow up and I'll be like, oh, yeah, whatever. Like, the haters are coming in, which is fine because they're like, you know, they're starting to blow up the video.
(24:54):
So I just let them keep commenting. But then the more that it comes in, it starts to get to your brain. And as much as I, like, would love a design, like our fireplace design, like, we had so many people coming in, our comments being like, that looks terrible. Oh, my gosh, you just millennialed that house. Like, it's hilarious, but, like, it's crazy how, like, the more that you feed into it, the more your brain can start to believe, you know, some of these crazy things that people are starting to say because you just keep seeing it over and over and over and over again. But I would say, like, combating that with the positives helps your brain, like, recorrect it, if that makes sense. So, like, having people that are pouring into you and, like, speaking truth and, like, to your value and what you're posting online is, like, the only thing that's going to really correct that, if that makes sense.
C) (25:49):
Yeah. It's always wild to me how these people just go around and, like, comment these awful things on things that don't even apply to them or that they, like, probably don't really, like, care that much about. Like, if I see something I don't like, I slide past it. Like, why stop and comment awful things? I just don't get it. So I've had two experiences with Internet trolls. I have not, full disclosure, ever had anything really go viral besides one video on TikTok a long time ago, and it had nothing to do with my photography. I wasn't in this space yet, and it was like, A venue. It was a really shaky video of me walking through Pinewood, which is a local venue, or, like, showing Pinewood.
(26:35):
And that blew up. And, like, I didn't really pay attention to the comments or anything. There were a lot of people that were like, that venue is not in Minnesota, which it is. But I didn't get anything awful on that. Thankfully, I wasn't in it. Nothing to do with my photography, so it didn't really help me either. But do you remember? Well, the whole Gabby Petito thing, they just put out a documentary too.
(26:59):
So I commented on post that was like, there's a trend going around. Tick Tock. And it was this. And I just said that I don't comment on things. I scroll past. This is like the exception, the one a while. Yeah, there was this trend going around and it was like, when my woman doesn't wash the dishes or something. Like, something that. When my woman doesn't do this. And, like, it makes the guy mad. And it was supposed to be a joke, but it was like the. The guys would do this, like, pose, and then it would transform from them to a pose of Brian Laundry.
(27:32):
So essentially, like, glorifying what he did and, like, making it funny. But all I could think about was the fact that her family is prob. On Tik Tok and the algorithm. So freaking good. And that's all that I was seeing. So I'm sure that's all that they were seeing. And coming from a situation where I lost my sister to domestic violence, if I had seen that same video be posted with the guy who killed my sister, I would be so upset.
(28:04):
So I commented and I said exactly what I said to you. Coming from somebody who lost her sister to domestic violence, I don't think this is a funny trend.
Sarah) (28:12):
Right.
C) (28:13):
And then all of a sudden, my comment blew up with people saying, go cry somewhere else.
Sarah) (28:20):
Oh, my God.
C) (28:21):
I said it so respectfully. And I was like, okay, Tick Tock has bad energy. I don't want to invest my time into this platform anymore. So I haven't, like, I deleted it multiple times for, like, long chunks of time. Because I was just like, I don't. Don't want to put myself out there if that's like, the community there. And then like, every once in a while, I've redownloaded it and like, post video here and there. But I. I have not been on it in the same way since then.
Sarah) (28:50):
Wild.
C) (28:51):
Yeah. And then my other one actually just happened today, so the video is not viral by any means. So it was YouTube. I posted a real to YouTube, and it was a clip from one of my podcast episodes. And it was like, my podcast is so, like, positive and wholesome. And it's like, like, I'm doing good things out in the world, I truly believe. And it's about healing your money mindset, essentially, is what the clip's about.
(29:19):
And the person that I'm interviewing is talking about, like, it's not your fault. You were. You learn these things when you're a child, basically, and it gets stored in your subconscious brain, and those are the beliefs that you hold on to. So, like, it's not your fault that you grew up believing these things and, like, now you have to rewire them, essentially is, like, what the clip is. And my little tagline, right. The first line was, it's not your fault. And it's meant to be, like, inspiring and, like, uplifting.
(29:50):
And I had one person comment. This comment wasn't so bad, but it was like, actually, it is your fault, and you could do research and whatever. And I was like, okay, whatever. Like, not that mean. But then the other one was like, don't you people ever do anything but cry and blame things on somebody else or something along those lines? I don't remember exactly what it was, but I was like, actually, like, you're. You're not just blaming it on people. Like, you're accepting that, like, you have this and working on it.
(30:18):
So it's kind of like the opposite. But I do feel like that's, like, when you have those little glimpses, it's like, maybe I don't want to go viral, and it can really hold you back.
Sarah) (30:31):
Yeah. There's been many moments where I'm like, man, like, do I really want to keep doing this? But I. I feel like the benefit overall, like, long term is way better than, like, the little negative things that you're gonna experience. Like, I would say, like, just because that One experience on TikTok doesn't make TikTok, like, bad energy. I would say, like, it's just. It was just, you know, one of those random times where, like, you end up on the wrong side of TikTok. Like, literally, I. I have an example. So, like, our fireplace build that I was just talking about earlier, the first time we posted that, I posted it with kind of, like, it was like, the bare bones of our house. Like, we had already ripped out, like, all of the mirror wall. We had, like, a giant mirror wall on.
(31:17):
On the wall when we bought the house. And so it was kind of like, down to the studs. And then we kind of, like, showed the renovation of the fireplace, and people, like, loved it. They were obsessed with it. They were like, this is amazing. This is beautiful. I can't believe you did this yourselves. We're getting so much, like, good feedback. We post the same exact project, so same exact, like, photos and everything.
(31:41):
And I just showed a slide of what it was before with the mirror wall and, like, all the 70s blue carpet that was in there when we bought it. And it hit the side of TikTok that, like, is obsessed with everything 70s and vintage homes. So then it hit the side of, like, everybody started commenting. You ruined that home. Oh, my gosh, this is terrible. This is. You're millennialing the home. This is millennial gray.
(32:08):
I was just like, this is the same project, but it's, like, hitting completely different. And so I'll say you. You get the really good side of social media, and you can get the really bad side. It just depends on how you post it and where it gets posted and, like, what audience sees it at first. Because, like, once one person starts commenting, I feel like it just brings in the rest of the trolls. So, yeah, it's kind of wild, like, depending on the audience that it hits.
(32:35):
In that same post, we had a guy literally, like, threaten to burn our house down. And I, like, ended up having to, like, call the FBI because I was like, I don't know, like, if this guy's legit or not. Like, I mean, it's social media, so most of the time, I would say people aren't actually, like, like, gonna follow through on their actions. They're just trying to get a rise out of somebody. But it was, like, a little bit concerning because he, like, said something like. I forget how he exactly said it, but he, like, gave a date of, like, oh, yeah, on, like, May, blah, blah, blah. Like, your house is gonna burn.
(33:09):
Your house will burn for this or something. But the fact that he, like, put a date to it made me a lot more uneasy. I was just like, like, we're gonna report this just in case that there's some sort of evidence. But, like, it's wild, like, how crazy it sometimes.
C) (33:25):
Yeah, that is insane. The date would have freaked me out, too, so I'm glad that you did report it. Okay, so when you start getting these trolls, obviously, they're, like, amping up your. Your video views. And then, like you said, you're kind of attracting the same audience because social media is like, well, this person is this type of person who maybe hates millennial Gray or whatever.
Sarah) (33:49):
Yeah. - (C)
C) (34:24):
Those people probably aren't as. I don't want to say like, as mature, probably. They probably have work to do on themselves.
Sarah) (34:35):
Yeah. They have their own traumas and insecurities that they're kind of projecting out on other people.
C) (34:40):
Yeah, exactly. Well said. Thank you.
Sarah) (34:42):
But yeah, I feel like as much as, like, the hate comments, like, you know, make us upset too, though. Like, I feel like, like that's also like another strategy I have is, like, embracing the hate. Because every time, like, the trolls do come in the comments, like, that's literally what blew up our account. So, like, having all these hate comments in our comment section. And I just feel like if you're, like, so scared to post because of the hate, it's also like, the haters are going to help you grow and, like, grow your account.
(35:15):
And now these haters essentially have given us a way to, like, make income and like, build a brand and live our life the way that we want to live in, in a way, if that makes sense. Obviously the people who are following us, like, want to follow us, but, like, if the haters weren't in there, like, blowing up the algorithm so that it would get pushed to other people, like, we wouldn't have got the followers that we have now.
(35:39):
So I would say that that is another really important thing to remember when you do end up getting hate is like, you're in the right place if you are getting hate. Like, if you're not getting hate comments, then maybe you're not going to grow as fast, if that makes sense.
C) (35:53):
Yeah. And then when you're getting those hate comments too, then you do have people who, like, want to jump in and be like, no, I think what you're doing is amazing. So that creates even more attraction. But, like, on the positive side, too.
Sarah) (36:04):
It'S honestly one of my favorite things to, like, not even reply to some people. I do, I do reply a lot because it does, like, keep the conversation going. But I Try to, like, kill them with kindness, you know? But when I don't reply, I love seeing, like, my followers or just random people coming in, like, defending us. And so it's like, I don't even have to always be the one in the comments, like, defending all of our.
(36:28):
Our, you know, decisions and whatnot. But it's just, like, crazy to see how, like, the conversation can just completely blow up the video.
C) (36:37):
Yeah. So speaking of the conversation and people having, like, two different takes, like, the good and the bad.
Sarah) (36:43):
Yeah.
C) (36:44):
Can you share. Because we touched on your sunroom earlier. Can you share the sunroom controversy?
Sarah) (36:50):
Oh, so the sun. Sunroom controversy. So this room behind me, I don't. If you're listening, you're not going to be able to see it, but it was a, like, naughty pine, very orange room when we bought it, and some people love that, but I did not. And it felt very dark and kind of depressing. Even though it was a sun room. They had, like, camo shades on the. The walls and stuff. It's kind of crazy. But we pretty much sanded everything down and then, like, painted over it, and it was just, like, a huge controversy that everybody was like, why would you paint over that? That, like, now you just, like, ruin the value of your home.
(37:30):
Just like everybody getting so upset about, like, us painting over supposedly they think what. What they think is nice wood, even though it's just, like, naughty pine, which is like, everybody thought it was cedar, but it wasn't. But even if it was cedar, you know, it's like one of those things. It's like, it's. It's our house, and we decide to do what we want with it. But it just, like, it was just like, a huge, controversial topic of, like, painting over.
(37:55):
Over a wood walls.
C) (37:57):
So can. Can you sand paint off? Like, if you did decide, like, oh, we want the wood, could you sand that off still?
Sarah) (38:05):
Oh, we could. It would just be a lot of work. Long, long time. Yeah. So it is kind of not sitting. Not reversible, but somebody would have to be very motivated to, like, get it off because, like, you have to put a really thick primer on it because of, like, the kind of wood that it is. Because you can't. You don't want, like, the wood knots to, like, seep through the paint. Kind of put, like, a really thick primer on and just, like, getting into the grooves of, like, the shiplap.
C) (38:33):
Yeah, look.
Sarah) (38:34):
Or, like, the wood would be really hard, I think. But I'm not saying it's impossible, but.
C) (38:40):
We'Re not gonna find out. We're sticking with the white.
Sarah) (38:42):
Yeah, we're sticking with the white.
C) (38:44):
Ye. That's so funny that people are so opinionated and like, people come for other accounts that I see too. Like, any time what gets painted over, whether it's like interior, exterior or brick, wood or brick, I feel like they're always coming for you if you do anything with it, anything vintage.
Sarah) (39:01):
Yeah, people love to come for that too.
C) (39:04):
Yeah. Yeah, I bet. Or like mid century modern, which is what your house is. So if somebody is listening and they're just starting out, what would be your advice for helping them stand out on Instagram?
Sarah) (39:15):
I would say probably being just like really authentic and being yourself is one of the biggest things I tried with like, our content to like, show the real side of like, renovations versus just like all of the pretty stuff. And like, that usually tends to be the stuff that goes viral, whether it's for good or for bad. Like, we literally just had a. A reel that I reposted from like a year or two ago, from two years ago.
(39:44):
And it was when we were putting in our stove into our countertops that we had just poured because we poured concrete to countertops. And the face that I made because we were putting. We were moving the stove into the countertops and it didn't fit. And the face that I made when it didn't fit, I like, zoomed in on my face because it was like the moment of realization that my husband didn't measure correctly, even though I asked him that three times to measure. Because I was like, that was the thing I was most concerned about. It was like, not fitting.
(40:18):
So I like, made a real about it. And it like, is. It's going viral again now, but it's like showing the real side of like, being a husband and wife diy, you know, it's like, that's not something that probably everybody would be comfortable posting. And in all honesty, like, I don't think think that I am 100 still comfortable posting it. But I posted it anyways because I knew that it was going to like, help our account grow. And it was just like showing the reality of like, DIY projects with your husband. It's like it. There are times when you do get impatient with each other and it's relatable because people like, like to see that stuff.
(40:54):
People want to see stuff that's relatable and like, authentic. And then I would just say, like, consistency is a huge thing, which I still struggle with, especially like having a baby and a Toddler now running around everywhere, like, and trying to bal. Posting all the time. But being consistent is what did help us grow. And what is still helping us grow is posting consistently and just, like, having a plan of what to post.
(41:19):
Yeah, those are probably some of, like, my biggest tips. But also just like, having good storytelling. People love a good story. And I think that's the reason why our secret tunnel one went viral. Because there was. If you don't know and haven't seen the video, it was just a video of us finding this hidden room essentially in our house, which was like, essentially the attic space above our old kitchen ceiling, but it was in the upstairs bathroom.
(41:48):
If. If. It sounds weird that it wouldn't be possible, but, like, the way that our layout is structured, like, makes sense if you watch the video. But people were just like, what the heck? This is crazy. But I was telling the story of, like, how he found it and then, like, showing the room and stuff and just people of a good story.
C) (42:08):
So, yeah, I do think that you are really good at storytelling on your account. So I can. I can see how you tie that in to your social media plan. And that's an area that I think a lot of us could grow in because storytelling is supposed to be really powerful and we all forget to do it or, like, don't always want to put in the effort to do it. Well, I feel like would even be a problem. I laughed when you were talking about the concrete countertops because I just saw that video the other day and your face is so funny.
(42:38):
So if anyone listening wants to go check it out, I feel like it's definitely worth it. And yeah, you're right. It's super relatable. I actually, when we were doing our fireplace surround, I have a similar situation, but it was me that measured wrong. I don't know if I even, like, I must have measured. I had to have measured. I wouldn't have not measured. But we put up the. The backer board, the cement backer board, and then Nick went to put the.
(43:05):
The fireplace around in the hole that we made for it, and it didn't fit. So then he had to take some, like, weird power tool to it. And he was not happy with me, but I was like, I did my best.
Sarah) (43:17):
Like, it happens, you know, I think technically he did measure and it was exactly 30 inches. But you. It wasn't supposed to be exactly 30 inches. It was supposed to be like 30 inches and a quarter because apparently there's supposed to be some give on the sides because, like, I don't know, some sort of science says that you can't fit a 30 inch stove into a 30 inch space. That there needs some sort of, like, friction or whatever.
(43:40):
Yeah, but we live in Louis. We learn. But I, like, speaking of, like, using the hate to, like, grow your account, like, we. I literally reposted that knowing that, like, it was gonna get a bunch of, like, hate comments on it because I wanted to, like, revamp our account because our account was kind of like losing traction. So I was like, oh, I'm just gonna post this video and like, change the sound and see if it goes viral again. And it did. So just crazy. So, like, just knowing I knew it was coming and I know that the hate comments are, we're coming. But like, it has, I think it's at like 9 million views. I posted it like three days ago, but it's just like insane.
(44:16):
Like, just gotta use the hate. You gotta. You gotta use the haters to grow your account.
C) (44:22):
Yeah, because you posted one of the responses from that too, and it was like, like, why do you. You get a lot of people that assume you don't do any work. It seems like, yeah, it was like, why doesn't she try pouring the countertops then? So then you shared that comment with a video of you pouring the countertops.
Sarah) (44:41):
I would say that's another good strategy too, is if you do get a viral video, don't, like, just let it sit and like, grow by itself. Like, continue, like, pulling comments from the comment section and like, making new videos using those comments. Because, like, that will be like, the algorithm will, like, continually to push those. I've noticed is like, if. If you do get a viral video, like, take the traction from it and like, continue to use that traction to, like, push out more videos. So, like, don't just, like, ghost your account and be like, oh, I'm getting a viral video. Cool. Like, you want to keep posting videos? Like, I just.
(45:17):
Our Facebook account as of this week, week grew like 6, 000 followers. I'm trying to get us monetized on there because I haven't been putting any energy into Facebook. But as our video took off, I was like, cool. Like, we're getting some, like, good traction and we're getting some followers. So I'm gonna, like, keep posting a bunch of videos on Facebook and I don't normally post, like, on Facebook at all, but I'm trying to, like, monetize Facebook.
(45:42):
So just like, make sure to take advantage of. If you do get a viral video, like, continue that traction and like, keep posting because. Because the algorithm will, like, reward you for that. I would say so, yeah.
C) (45:53):
Oh, that's so smart. I love that you have such a great business mind, so it's always fun to talk to you. What extra advice, if you can think of any, would you give to people who are trying to monetize their account? Obviously, you just gave some, but if somebody wants to be bringing in more.
Sarah) (46:07):
Money, yeah, I would say. I mean, there's a ton of, like, really great resources out there to learn how to monetize your account. But knowing, too, like, you don't need a ton of followers to start monetizing your account if you have an audience and an engaged audience. Like, brands are always looking to work with people who have, like, engaged audiences. Like, I know somebody who's worked with brands, like, from, like, 300 followers.
(46:35):
So, like, it's not always, like, the huge followings that they want. They just want engaged followers. So I would just say, like, don't be afraid to pitch brands. Like, the way we started. I think maybe I'm trying to remember the exact order everything happened, but I think when we started, I was pitching brands and I was, like, sending emails to brands and just being like, hey, like, we love. We love this product.
(47:00):
Would love to feature it on our page. Like, and, like, is there a way that we can partner with you to, like, help your current marketing campaigns? Literally just shooting a DM to them or shooting an email to them? I always just say, like, the worst they can say is, no. Like, there was recently, like, literally, the table that I'm sitting at right now is a table that I had been eyeing for, like, two years. And I was just like, what are the chances that they would just, like, send it to us?
(47:29):
So I just sent them an email in their DMs, and I was like, hey, do you have, like, a marketing person that I could reach out to? And they sent me the email to, like, like, talk to their marketing team. And I just sent, like, an email saying, hey, we, like, love your products. We feel like it fits good with our audience. We would love to find a way to, like, work with you to partner together and, like, work with your current marketing campaigns.
(47:53):
And they accepted it, and we got a free dining table, which is really awesome, and I didn't have to spend $3,000 on it.
C) (48:04):
Yeah. And then I actually just got targeted for your ad for that dining table the other day. So not only did you get free dining table, but it seems like, tell me if I'm wrong. You also Maybe have a referral code that would give you money back and you have that posted in an ad. So you got your free table, which is bomb, by the way. And then you are also making money, like recurring revenue, I would think, or that's the goal to.
Sarah) (48:32):
Yeah.
C) (48:33):
Revenue from sales of that table.
Sarah) (48:36):
Yeah. So now we. They actually are paying for ads and like white listings to like shoot out our ads to.
C) (48:42):
Cool.
Sarah) (48:43):
So they are paying for ads and then we get the commission off of any of the tables that we sell if people use our code. So it's kind of cool to find, like, ways to do that too. Like, I know there's a lot of companies out there that do like affiliate marketing. So like, if you share, you know, on your social media, they might be like, willing to give you a code so that you could earn commission on any of the things that people buy using your link or using your code, which is kind of like a hack to like be getting passive income, which is really, you know, the goal. We all want to have passive income. Right. We don't want to like, work our whole life. So.
C) (49:21):
Yeah, more freedom, more time with people. More. More time doing things that actually matter.
Sarah) (49:26):
Yeah. And I would say too, like, another thing that I would give is like, if you're. If you have a low following or if you don't have a huge following, UGC is a huge thing too. So if you're like just starting out and you're like wanting to get into like creating content for brands or like working with brands, that's usually where I direct people right away is like creating UGC content, which is. Stands for user generated content, which is essentially making content for brands that you don't have to post on your page.
(50:00):
So I always tell my photographer friends, like, you need to get into UGC because you already have the talent for photography and videography and content creation and editing and like start making ads for brands essentially. I would say the way to start out is like creating like mock videos of products you already have and you don't even have to necessarily post them on your social media, but you can create that as your portfolio and then just start reaching out to brands that you know you might want to work with and just be like, hey, like, I'm a UGC content creator. Would love to see if you, like, need any content created for your upcoming marketing campaigns and just see what they say. Because, like, the worst they can say is no.
(50:45):
But a lot of companies will pay you, you know, two, three, $500, $1,200 to create videos and photo content for their social media, for their marketing campaigns, etc, but there's a lot of really great courses out there that can teach you how to do that. Yeah, hopefully that was helpful.
C) (51:04):
That was so helpful. I was over here taking notes because I was just like, man, this is a gold mine. That's so like, when you don't. When you're not in the industry and you, like, you don't realize kind of how things work, it's so easy to assume that you need that first brand deal to get your portfolio built or whatever it is. And people forget that you can build your own portfolio. Kind of the same concept as styled shoots for photographers, which. Which I preach all the time. I love building your own portfolio, so obviously it can apply to other industries too.
(51:37):
So then if you could go back and give yourself advice like, you're you and Sway, you just bought your house. You are at the beginning of your journey and you haven't, like, you don't know what's to come yet. What would your advice be for you guys?
Sarah) (51:54):
Oh, my gosh. Yeah, I guess I would. I would say, like, being consistent and like, because I, like I had mentioned earlier, like, I think there's been times where, like, I got really busy with, like, having a baby and whatnot. Like, but like, staying consistent and posting would have been more helpful for. To keep our traction kind of going, but also just being okay. I feel like right away when we were posting, I was like, I don't know, like, this person's gonna see what I posted.
(52:23):
And like, you know, I think just like, being okay with, like, having like, high school friends and family, like, seeing your content and just like, putting yourself out there. I would say. Yeah. I don't know. I think that's my advice for anybody that's like, just starting out.
C) (52:40):
Yeah. And nobody who's doing. What is it? Nobody who's doing more than you is ever going to criticize you for what you're doing. It's people who are doing less that want to keep. Keep staying in the cycle because they're also probably scared of being seen.
Sarah) (52:55):
And like, all the people that are going to be like, oh, she's trying to be an influence.
C) (53:00):
Yeah. But now look at you with your150,000 followers and you're making money and you're doing it, and now they're like, oh, I wish I could do that.
Sarah) (53:10):
Yeah. Yeah. So I would say, like, if you're wanting to start, just start posting, like, and just, you know, I have friends that that want to start the same thing that have been trying to like, they've talked to me a few times about it and been like, oh, I like want to do this, but I don't know, like, my high school friend's going to see this and blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, screw your high school friend.
(53:34):
Like, it doesn't matter. Like, just keep posting because like, if you're not posting, like you're not doing anything to like work towards the dreams and goals that you have. So yeah, yeah, I would say, like, if you're not uncomfortable in your life, like, you're not going to be growing. So like putting yourself out there and getting uncomfortable is what's going to like help you grow. And like the worst thing that can happen is like, you just like don't gain a following fast, but like, you know, maybe somebody will criticize you but like you're at least trying to like work towards your goals.
C) (54:07):
Yeah. 100. So if anybody's listening and they want to either go see all of your beautiful home projects, maybe they want to add some fuel to the fire and they want to comment mean things. Where can they find you?
Sarah) (54:20):
They want to comment mean things. I don't know. Don't follow us.
C) (54:23):
Just kidding.
Sarah) (54:24):
They can follow us on all of like the main social media, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram at Sway and Sarah build. That's s w a y. My husband's name Josue, but we call him Sway.
C) (54:37):
So I love that it's so vibey. I feel like Sway is like a cool name.
Sarah) (54:42):
Sarah and Sway, it always just kind of flowed together and who, who knew we would start a brand together?
C) (54:47):
Okay, so all of you definitely don't go and comment mean things on Sarah's videos. I was totally joking. I assume if you listen to this podcast, that's not the type of person you are, but definitely defend her if you see one and just show her some love. And yeah, check out the beautiful, the beautiful things that she's done with her house. So thank you for being on the call today, Sarah.
Sarah) (55:11):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Bree) (55:12):
Thanks for tuning in to Rebel CEO. If today's episode lit a fire under you, I would love if you would hit subscribe, leave a rating and drop a review. That little action helps more purpose driven women like you. Find this show and make sure that you're not keeping all of this magic to yourself. Share this episode with a friend who's ready to ditch the rules and build a life that actually feels good.
C) (55:33):
If you're looking for a little one on one connection.
Bree) (55:35):
Slide into my DMs on Instagram@rebel CEO.podcast and I would love to hear what you're thinking and what you're building so that I can cheer you on every step of the way. And one more thing, if you're ready for even more support, join my free Facebook community. It is packed with like minded women who are rebelling, setting wild goals, dreaming big and making moves. The link's waiting for you in the show notes and I will see you inside.
(55:59):
Until next time, keep breaking the rules, chasing your purpose, and creating the life that you were meant for. I'll see you in the next episode.
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