The Sociable Society

The Sociable Society has managed over 15,000 influencer marketing campaigns, and here's (still) the most consistently overlooked truth since 2015: “Let. Creators. Create.” It sounds simple, but brands — especially those new to influencer marketing — keep making the same crucial mistake: trying to force traditional advertising strategies onto a nascent and vastly different creator space. Picture this: An executive in a boardroom dictating exact scripts, rigid guidelines, and inflexible talking points to #creators who've spent the last few years building authentic relationships with their audiences in this post-pandemic, quickly changing/developing social media era. Here's what successful brands understand: ➡️ The best-performing content stays true to the creator's voice ➡️ The highest-converting campaigns prioritize authenticity over rigid scripts ➡️ Top results come from treating creators as creative partners, not billboards Think of influencer marketing like SEO — it's a data-driven journey that requires testing, learning, and refinement. Quick wins can happen, but sustainable success with creators comes from understanding what resonates with their specific audiences and continuously optimizing. The brands that struggle? They often write off influencer marketing as "ineffective" after trying to force traditional marketing approaches into a medium that demands authenticity and out-of-the-box approaches. What's your experience with #influencermarketing? Have you seen this disconnect between traditional marketing and creator partnerships? Let me know your thoughts on this below!

Unpopular opinion: #hiring solely based on experience is a massive mistake. When we hired one of our team’s top performers, she wasn’t the most experienced candidate. She was in her early-20s, had recently graduated university with a degree in finance and economics, and no real marketing experience bar some freelancing social media work. But it was her drive and attitude that made her stand out immediately. She wanted to work in the #influencermarketing space and demonstrated her drive by taking initiative to learn everything she could about it. Almost 4 years later, she’s now our highest selling Creator Manager! Lexi Rubinstein - you're a rockstar, keep shining ✨ Here’s what we’ve learned along the way about hiring A-players: ➡️ A-players have a natural hustle — they’re willing to take the bull by the horns and do what it takes to succeed. ➡️ Look for people who are proactive learners, unafraid to dive into the unknown. ➡️ They take initiative and make things happen, especially in fast-moving environments. ➡️ For remote teams, it’s crucial to hire people who are collaborative and can gel with your culture to keep things positive and productive. ➡️ A-players can pivot and thrive even when faced with unexpected challenges. Ultimately, hiring A-players is about 1) attitude, 2) adaptability, and 3) alignment with your company’s values. Look for the traits that can’t be taught, and don’t settle for anything less. Comment below the traits you most look for when vetting A-players:

I'm the type of person who always seems to learn things the hard way… Here's one of my biggest lessons in business: Stop taking everything personally. It's just business. I remember two pivotal moments that drove this home: First, a promising campaign went sideways when another agency suddenly changed terms at the last minute. Instead of seeing it objectively — a difficult client, circumstances I couldn't see — I took it as a personal slight. The relationship soured, and opportunities were lost. Then came acquisition talks with a competitor. When their offer revealed they valued our talent but not our business, I let those feelings cloud future interactions. Again, I took business decisions personally. Here's what I learned: We often overthink what others think of us. The reality? Everyone's fighting their own battles, dealing with their own pressures. You rarely have the full picture of what's happening on the other side — just as they don't have yours. Now, I approach business relationships differently. Less emotion, more objectivity. Better boundaries, clearer perspective. Sometimes the hardest lessons make the best teachers. What business lesson(s) did you have to learn the hard way?

One brand deal changed everything for The Sociable Society. Picture this: Late 2017, a random inquiry from an international app company landed in our inbox. What started as a modest $50K proposal quickly transformed into a $500K campaign — more than double our entire portfolio at the time. At the time, we had just a simple website accompanied by a strong drive to succeed. What set us apart? Our willingness to go above and beyond, offering more value simply because we were hungry for the win. We faced a pivotal decision: 1) stay small and comfortable with just two founders and occasional consultants, or 2)  invest every dollar of profit into scaling our vision. We chose to go all in. That one decision catalyzed everything — from securing a small business loan to bringing on full-time staff and eventually scaling into the #influencermarketingagency we are today. Looking back, it was our readiness to bet on ourselves that made the difference. The key learning? Sometimes the biggest opportunities come unexpectedly. #Success isn't just about being ready — it's about being bold enough to seize the moment when it arrives, even if it feels bigger than you're prepared for. What's your boldest business decision that paid off?

Bootstrapping an agency with a newborn on the way… and losing half the team right before I am due with my first baby? No problem 😅 Here’s how it happened… In the early days, we were bootstrapping the business — no outside investment, just pure hustle. My life and business partner, Jay Kent-Hume, worked full-time with The Sociable Society (TSS) and maintained his own consulting business to support us. I was grinding away with a part-time assistant, reinvesting every single dollar back into the company. We’d bet on ourselves by taking out an SBA loan to ensure our employees would be paid each month. It was grueling yet rewarding seeing the potential of what we had created.   We hired young, trained entry-level talent and grew slowly but steadily. Then, in 2018, right as I was about to go on maternity leave, we lost three full-time employees back-to-back. By the time I was eight months pregnant, we were down to just Jay, two interns-turned coordinators, and me. I couldn’t do much, so I handed over my main responsibilities to Jay, Sara took the lead on managing our #creators and Dani took on #brandpartnerships, two junior employees who had shown incredible promise and we gave them a shot to shine - and wow did they ever! When I returned a few weeks later, they had completely transformed their respective roles and the direction of the company. I was blown away by how much they had taken ownership of their roles, saw the vision for TSS as much as Jay and I, and committed themselves to accomplishing something truly incredible. It was a pivotal moment for us, and it reminded us that hiring the right people — even at the entry level — can change everything. Sara Williams is now our Director of Creator Management, and her leadership continues to shape our success today. She’s our overnight success (seven years in the making!). Sometimes, it’s the most unexpected challenges that push you forward. #creatoreconomy

We're coming up on TSS's 10-year anniversary and I find myself looking back on just how we began... I never set out to start an agency, but honestly, it kind of just happened. Back in 2014, I was juggling my acting career with PR consulting. As the #influencermarketing space started taking off, it was a whole new world to me — At that time, most of us didn’t even know what an “#influencer” was! But it really felt like my two worlds were colliding. I understood the brand side from PR and the talent (or influencer/creator) side from my experience as an actor. For a brand, I knew the importance of marketing, building a brand and amplifying that brand to an audience. As an actor, I knew what good representation was and unfortunately, enough bad experiences for myself and my actor friends to know exactly what bad management looked like. At the time, the industry felt like the Wild West — brands had no idea what to expect from influencer marketing, and #creators didn’t always understand the business behind it. And that’s where I saw the opportunity: I wanted to be a role model for what good creator representation should look like… Transparent, collaborative, and most importantly — creator-first. What started as a side gig evolved into something bigger — a confluence of timing, luck, vision, and relentless hustle. We built The Sociable Society on the foundation of trust, both with creators and brands, and tested everything to find what worked. Now, nearly a decade later, we’ve grown alongside the industry, working with over 200 creators and executing 15,000+ successful campaigns. It wasn’t part of the plan — but I wouldn’t change a thing.