It’s the end of an era. Allie is leaving me. After six years, working as my right hand person, today is Allie’s last day as part of the Mommy Shorts Team. We are a team of three (Hi, Cara!), so it’s a pretty big impact. But while it is sad news, it is not bad news, because Allie got an AWESOME job, it’s the right step in her career, and I’m so excited for her. She’s moving to Denver where she took a job managing social media and marketing for a glamping company called Under Canvas, which sets up camp just outside of National Parks. Her first task? Stay at three of the locations. It’s like a DREAM JOB!
Someone asked if I am more sad or jealous about Allie’s new job, and I have to say, I feel similarly as I would if it happened to my own child. No jealousy. Just absolutely thrilled that she is leaving for such a great opportunity. I think I’d have more mixed feelings if she left for something lame, or if she went to work for a different solo content creator. Instead, this move makes me feel really proud. She worked her butt off, waited for the right thing and deserves this. It also proves that working for me is an effective stepping stone to a legit career in social media and marketing. Influencers get a bum rap, but we work with so many brands and agencies on so many different products and campaigns, plus learn how to grow and maintain an audience, create engaging content, keep up with social media trends, not to mention all the technical skills... As someone who worked in an ad agency for over 15 years, I don’t think what we do is that different. It’s just on a smaller scale without the bullshit, the budgets and different departments to hand off the parts of the business that we don’t like. I think Allie’s new company will soon learn that they made an excellent hire.
Before she leaves, I thought the best way to send her off was with an exit interview. These questions all came from my paid subscribers (one of the many benefits of being a paid subscriber is you help shape the content), but I snuck in a few that I was curious about too.
How did you get started at Mommy Shorts?
My cousin Annie actually worked for Ilana first. She was studying advertising at UGA and followed Ilana for a few years. Then she sent her cold email explaining why she wanted to intern for Mommy Shorts over the summer rather than a traditional agency. Ilana hired her. I remember Annie telling me about her new job and I immediately did a deep dive into the blog too. She spent summers at home in New York but wanted to stay in Atlanta after she graduated. So when Ilana was ready to hire someone full time, Annie introduced us. I was graduating from Boston College that year, had done a few internships in social media and digital marketing and I knew I wanted to work in one of those fields but didn’t really know much about influencer marketing at the time. Clearly things worked out.
Why are you leaving and where are you going next?
The number one reason is that I was ready to live somewhere other than New York and although I’ve been remote for the past two years, this is really an in-person job. Plus, I’ve worked here for almost six years! That’s a long time! I’ve learned a ton and worked on so many cool projects, but it was time to move on to the next challenge. That said, I will be moving to Denver and starting a new job at Under Canvas (a glamping company with permanent camps all just outside of national parks), running their social, managing influencer partnerships and a bunch of other fun brand marketing work. Hopefully I’ll get to work with Ilana again in my new role!
What have been the coolest opportunities you’ve had because of this job?
There have been so many, but traveling with the Wiles fam for a partnership is the best. For most people, a “work trip” is traveling to meet with clients in conference rooms and maybe going out for a fancy dinner afterwards if you’re lucky. For us, trips are planned by the sponsor, so our days are packed with seeing the very best of that city or state. The top of my list was the road trip through Northern California with Ilana, Mazzy and Harlow. It was a full seven days of hitting all the coolest and most Instagram-able spots every single day. Monterey and Big Sur, CA are still some of my favorite places I’ve ever been, work trip or otherwise. I love traveling and through this job, I’ve been to LA, New Orleans, Savannah, Montreal, Austin, and Disney World (which I had never been to before).
Another favorite was the day we spent making (and then eating) a full table charcuterie board for a partnership with Boar’s Head.
Highlight of your career?
When my dog Chip was finally featured on @mommyshorts.
Also when I met Mindy Kaling at a Target event and our outfits matched.
Editor’s Note: There is more to the Mindy Kaling story that I wasn’t allowed to share at the time. I will share on close friends!
What’s the hardest part about working for Mommy Shorts?
I think this would probably be the same for any growing business with a small team, but in all my time here I don’t think there’s ever been a moment where we’re all caught up on work and we say “well… I guess we have nothing to do today.” There’s always a list of other work to get to, and even if we have a week or two where we’re ahead on sponsored content and the blog post for the week has been written, then that means we have the opportunity to focus on editing some videos for reels or trying to find something to post on the other accounts that have been put off during busier weeks. I think it's just taught me to be more precious about my downtime where I have to actively choose to put my phone down and logoff, otherwise there is always more work to be done.
Has this job made you want kids more or less?
We did a partnership a few years ago where followers shared the ways in which pregnancy changed their body that no one prepared them for. The answers ranged from gray hairs to full on prolapse. I had the pleasure of reading through the hundreds of very descriptive comments to pick the best responses for a blog post. It took a VERY LONG TIME to recover from that one.
In all seriousness, I’m not sure it’s swayed me in one direction or the other, but it’s made me feel more prepared if it does happen to be in the cards for me. I think there are a lot of topics that moms are discouraged to talk openly about like fertility issues, the grass sometimes looking greener for stay-at-home-moms or working moms, or just admitting how damn hard it is to raise another human. I’ve been lucky to be part of this community and hear stories and meet people dealing with all of this. I think it’s made me much more comfortable talking about these topics and hopefully more prepared to deal with them myself.
What advantage do you think you had working for Mommy Shorts over a more traditional job?
In the beginning, I remember loving how much hands on experience I was getting right out of the gate, while a lot of my friends were hating their first entry level jobs. Pretty soon I had photos published in a magazine, I got to speak on a panel at Mom 2.0, and I got to go to every single pop-up event in NYC. This job is a lot of fun. Plus, we’ve worked with so many brands and agency partners that I have a really unique perspective and understanding of this industry.
I also think working specifically for Ilana, as opposed to another influencer, made a big difference. If I had a dollar for every time Ilana has looked at a brief and said “okay, but how can we make this more interesting?” I’d be retiring instead of moving on to my next job. She genuinely wants each piece of content we put out to be engaging and something we’re proud of. I know a lot of this comes from her background as a Creative Director in the advertising world, but I also think she, by nature, is one of the most motivated and creative people I’ve ever met.
What disadvantage do you think you had?
I think on the agency and brand side of the influencer marketing world, a lot of people jump between roles and companies with very clear trajectory. You advance from an account executive to an account manager to director and so on. Since I’ve worn a lot of hats here, it took me a little longer to figure out what exactly I was looking to do next. I was on a less defined path (which you can also look at as an advantage too). Once I had an idea of what I wanted to do, I had to find a company that valued my “jack of all trades” background. Luckily, I did!
How similar is Ilana to what you see online?
Very. Obviously what you see online is only one tiny piece of what anyone’s life really looks like, but Ilana is Ilana. Her whole don’t-take-things-too-seriously take on parenting and everything else is real and something I really appreciate.
My very first week at Mommy Shorts, I brought the contents of a swag bag to the post office to ship to the winner. I had everything in a tote and had to buy a box at the post office, so I picked one out and packed it up without taping the bottom shut first. As logic follows, when I picked it up, everything fell out and a coffee mug shattered. I panicked, texted Ilana a photo, apologized and asked her what I should do. She said to ship the box sans mug and we could just send the winner an email explaining. No big deal. When I got back to her house, I think she could tell I was still frazzled. It was my first week at my very first job and I felt like an idiot. But I remember her saying something that helped her when she was overwhelmed and that I should remember if I was going to work here: “don’t worry, we’re just blogging.”
Obviously we work very hard and produce a ton of content for a team of just two people. But at the end of the day, Ilana has a very good sense of humor and perspective when things go wrong.
What piece of content were you most proud of?
When I started working here, most of Ilana’s video content was high level productions like the Extraordinary Family series or The Mommy Show (where she interviewed celebrities at home) that required hiring a professional film crew and editors. It was around this time that YouTube vlogs really started taking off and a lot of influencers were shooting things themselves on their phones, because their followers didn’t care about image quality, they just wanted to see videos from their favorite creators.
A few months in, Dunkin Donuts reached out for us to make a video for National Espresso Day. I think they reached out on a Wednesday and the video was due to the brand that Monday and if approved, would get posted on the following Wednesday. Clearly not enough time to hire a production team. So Ilana and I decided this was our chance to try shooting and editing a low budget piece of content ourselves. We spent the rest of the week running around the city, shooting the video on our iPhones, spent the weekend editing it, and then sent it over on Monday morning, on schedule. We were so proud of ourselves and the client loved it. I don’t remember if the video itself got a particularly exciting response, but it was a big turning point for us to know we were capable of creating video content on our own.
Something I’m proud of is that since I started working here, we haven’t had to hire a film crew for any of our video projects. Turns out between TikTok and Instagram reels, video editing is a pretty good skillset to have.
What was your favorite piece of content to work on?
I think most of my favorite pieces of content have been the videos where the brand partner let us come up with a fun idea and run with it. I remember finding out we were working with Stainmaster and initially thinking there was no way to come up with a funny video idea for a carpet company. Especially since Ilana did not have a Stainmaster carpet and didn’t want to pretend that she did. But I was wrong. We brainstormed and came up with a great idea that involved Harlow carrying around a carpet square so she didn’t have to sit on anything dirty in NYC. Once again, we spent a few afternoons running around the city, this time with Harlow and some carpet samples. The video came out great and was so well received. It ended up being nominated for Best Sponsored Content at the Mom 2.0 conference award ceremony.
Some other favorites have been Jif Peanutbutter, Milano Cookies, and all the travel vlogs. For some reason, the video we made for Jason Toothpaste where we made 3-year-old Harlow say “oh ship” over and over, still makes me laugh so hard.
What does your day to day look like?
Every day can be very different, but most days start with Ilana and I going through our to-do list (either in office or over the phone) which includes everything that must get done that day, as well as reminders for things coming up further down the line. Some days are very focused on content creation. For example, last week we spent a full day running around New York City shooting the reel for Aspire and then the next few days were spent going through the footage and editing it. Other days are spent on tasks in preparation for creating content. I think a lot of people don’t realize how much goes on behind the scenes of a sponsored post. When a brand reaches out for a campaign, we usually brainstorm what the content looks like exactly and then I’ll write that up and get it approved. Once it’s approved, we have to shoot the photos or videos, write captions, create Instagram story frames and then I package that all up to send to the brand for approval at least a few days in advance of the posting date. Then the brand might come back with edits that they want to see before you post. Stories are particularly time consuming because you need to have all the hashtags and handles on the frames, even though you’ll need to remake them when you actually post. Around the holidays, you can find me working on the gift guides. We usually review the guide from the year before, decide which categories to add and which categories need a refresh, and then I’ll pull ideas, create the graphics, and link everything up.
A few people asked how much I post versus Ilana and how often it’s really me responding to your direct messages. I’ll post on @averageparentproblems and sometimes on @mommyshorts if we already have the approved sponsored pic and caption. But that’s usually if something happens with the kids and Ilana absolutely can’t do it herself. When it comes to direct messages, it’s all Ilana. It’s her favorite method of procrastination.
What’s something that would surprise people to know?
I think a lot of people understand that social media is a “24/7 job” because, yes, you can post and engage with people at all times of day. But I think it’s even more the case in the influencer space for two reasons.
First is that, as I mentioned in the last question, there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes than just taking a photo and posting it. The posting part actually takes up very little of our time. It’s the brainstorming, the approvals, the preparation. Plus all the other projects that aren’t Instagram posts. Even planning and getting this Substack off the ground involved picking a name, designing the logo, writing the about section, choosing the color scheme. All things that no one knows we’re working on until there’s a final product published. I remember early on in quarantine, I had gone down to North Carolina to stay with my parents and was working remotely. My mom would ask if I wanted to get lunch, or go for a walk on the beach, or take a ride with her down to the hardware store (these three things are the full list of what there was to do in the Outer Banks during quarantine), and I’d constantly be like “ummm, no, I’m in the middle of my work day.” I think she was surprised to see that Ilana and I were truly busy from 9am-6pm every single day.
The second thing is that for influencers, everything can be content. We’re constantly saying— should we be documenting this? Could this be an interesting blog post? Should I be taking photos or recording video so we can make a reel? Maybe both? So you are constantly deciding what feels worth documenting, because if unchecked, you can be recording every single thing you do all day long.
Do you and Ilana hate reels equally?
I would say that TikTok is probably the platform I spend the most time on. I love video content and I don’t mind video content on Instagram, but I do wish I had the choice to opt out of it sometimes. I don’t love the impact the different social platforms and their algorithms have in swaying what kind of content influencers have to make. If our audience isn’t interested in reels, we shouldn’t have to be posting reels to reach that audience.
My social media pet peeve is the suggested videos that say “you follow this person so you might like this” and all of a sudden half my feed is accounts that I don’t follow. I follow 800 accounts. I don’t need more suggestions.
What do you think is the biggest missed opportunity for Ilana’s platform?
Reels. I’m kidding. Well, kind of. If that’s the way the platforms are leaning right now, influencers have to adapt. And I think especially if TikTok is a space where we’re mostly seeing younger content creators, it would be a big opportunity for Ilana to capitalize on the open gap for moms on that app. Hopefully the person she hires next is a tiktok connoisseur.
What will you miss most?
One of my favorite things about working with Ilana is that we are both equally into (read: obsessed with) following everything going on in the world of pop and internet culture. We both love to analyze tv shows and social media drama wayyyy past the extent to which the average person loses interest.
There was a full summer where at any opportunity, we would talk about Jake and Logan Paul (mind you this was in 2017 before they were as big or controversial as they ended up becoming). Every day there was new drama unfolding, new sides to the story revealed, and we discussed and dissected it all endlessly. At one point Cara told us it was all too much and if we wanted to keep talking about it, we needed to start a podcast to at least make these conversations worth everyone’s time. We considered it.
What ever happened to making a podcast?
The podcast is an idea we’ve been discussing and trying to develop since 2017. But something always comes up. At first we spent a lot of time trying to figure out the concept for the podcast. Was it me and Ilana discussing pop culture? Was it Ilana alone telling personal stories? Interviewing other moms? Did they need to be moms? Should there be another co-host who also brings an audience to the table? Once we landed on one idea, we found a network to host it and scheduled our first day to record in their studio. That date was March 12, 2020. Obviously that meeting was cancelled, everyone went into quarantine and the podcast was put on hold. There have been plenty of attempts since then (we actually recorded an episode remotely), but turns out a podcast is just as much, if not more work, than every other type of content, and we already had a pretty full plate.
I also feel the need to mention that we spent a good chunk of my first year here brainstorming and writing scripts for a fictional web series about an aging mom influencer and all the absurd stuff that goes on behind the scenes. We never did anything with it, but Ilana and I laughed so hard writing it. I still believe that show would be a hit.
What would be the best piece of advice you would like to pass on to whoever replaces you?
Take advantage of learning from Ilana. Influencer marketing is advertising and she’s been in advertising for a very long time. She was there when brands first started talking about “mom blogs” and had the impressive foresight to start one herself. She’s been an influencer since before “influencer” was a word and has had the rare ability to sustain an audience and remain relevant for longer than most. One thing that has always impressed me about Ilana is how willingly she adapts and tries new things. My very first day working for Ilana, Instagram announced they were launching stories. She doesn’t sit back and wait to see how other people are using it, she jumps right in and figures it out as she goes.
How many dance moves did you learn from Harlow?
I leave the dancing to Cara.
Our last question comes directly from Harlow. This was her question as soon as I told her the news: “Will you guys still be friends?”
Yes! I don’t think Ilana would have kept me around and vice versa if we didn’t get along as well as we do. Plus, I’m not leaving the industry, so I’m sure Ilana, Cara and I will always bounce ideas off each other for years to come. And I will always give her a call when I come home to New York.
Good luck, Allie!!! I think I speak for everyone reading when I say, we wish you so much success in your new job and continued fulfillment in wherever that takes you next. I also want to add that you have been an incredible asset to the Mommy Shorts brand, both professionally and personally. Thank you for keeping me on task, for being my most trusted person to bounce ideas, for being fully committed to getting everything done right, for sharing my enthusiasm for a well executed project, for being a fantastic travel partner, for helping me navigate some truly tricky social media waters over the last few years, for helping me grow and evolve as the social media landscape changed, and for being just a wonderful presence around my kids and in my home. I will miss you so much. Have fun in Denver!
And on that note— I’m looking for the new Allie! It’s full time and you must be based in NYC. Job includes content creation, organization and hanging with my kids. I’d love if I could fill Allie’s position amongst my followers (Allie had followed for a few years before she started which was very helpful in terms of knowing my brand and tone) but I’m open. If you are interested in learning more about the position, click the link to find the full job description and how to apply. If you know someone who might be interested, share this post!
Any questions? Leave a comment!
Did anyone else immediately google “Under Canvas” after reading? 🙋🏼♀️
Good luck, Allie! They’re lucky to have you and I hope they realize that.
I have been following Ilana since Mazzy was a babe, and it brings me so much joy and it’s obvious a big piece of that was Allie’s dedication to making the content engaging and relatable. Best of luck to you, Allie! Enjoy your new city!