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How Content Creators Hey Fran Hey And Shameless Maya Embraced The Pivot
This article is in partnership with Meta Elevate.
If you’ve been on the internet at all within the past decade, chances are the names Hey Fran Hey and Shameless Maya (aka Maya Washington) have come across your screen. These content creators have touched every platform on the web, spreading joy to help women everywhere live their best lives. From Fran’s healing natural remedies to Maya’s words of wisdom, both of these content creators have built a loyal following by sharing honest, useful, and vulnerable content. But in search of a life that lends to more creativity, freedom, and space, these digital mavens have moved from their bustling big cities (New York City and Los Angeles respectively) to more remote locations, taking their popular digital brands with them.
Content Creators Hey Fran Hey and Maya Washington Talk "Embracing The Pivot"www.youtube.com
In partnership with Meta Elevate — an online learning platform that provides Black, Hispanic, and Latinx-owned businesses access to 1:1 mentoring, digital skills training, and community — xoNecole teamed up with Franscheska Medina and Maya Washington on IG live recently for a candid conversation about how they’ve embraced the pivot by changing their surroundings to ultimately bring out the best in themselves and their work. Fran, a New York City native, moved from the Big Apple to Portland, Oregon a year ago. Feeling overstimulated by the hustle and bustle of city life, Fran headed to the Pacific Northwest in search of a more easeful life.
Her cross-country move is the backdrop for her new campaign with Meta Elevate— a perfectly-timed commercial that shows how you can level up from wherever you land with the support of free resources like Meta Elevate. Similarly, Maya packed up her life in Los Angeles and moved to Sweden, where she now resides with her husband and adorable daughter. Maya’s life is much more rural and farm-like than it had been in California, but she is thriving in this peaceful new setting while finding her groove as a new mom.
While Maya is steadily building and growing her digital brand as a self-proclaimed “mom coming out of early retirement,” Fran is redefining her own professional grind. “It’s been a year since I moved from New York City to Portland, Oregon,” says Fran. “I think the season I’m in is figuring out how to stay successful while also slowing down.” A slower-paced life has unlocked so many creative possibilities and opportunities for these ladies, and our conversation with them is a well-needed reminder that your success is not tied to your location…especially with the internet at your fingertips. Tapping into a community like Meta Elevate can help Black, Hispanic, and Latinx entrepreneurs and content creators stay connected to like minds and educated on new digital skills and tools that can help scale their businesses.
During a beautiful moment in the conversation, Fran gives Maya her flowers for being an innovator in the digital space. Back when “influencing” was in its infancy and creators were just trying to find their way, Fran says Maya was way ahead of her time. “I give Maya credit for being one of the pioneers in the digital space,” Fran said. “Maya is a one-person machine, and I always tell her she really changed the game on what ads, campaigns, and videos, in general, should look like.”
When asked what advice she’d give content creators, Maya says the key is having faith even when you don’t see the results just yet. “It’s so easy to look at what is, despite you pouring your heart into this thing that may not be giving you the returns that you thought,” she says. “Still operate from a place of love and authenticity. Have faith and do the work. A lot of people are positive thinkers, but that’s the thinking part. You also have to put your faith into work and do the work.”
Fran ultimately encourages content creators and budding entrepreneurs to take full advantage of Meta Elevate’s vast offerings to educate themselves on how to build and grow their businesses online. “It took me ten years to get to the point where I’m making ads at this level,” she says. “I didn’t have those resources in 2010. I love the partnership with Meta Elevate because they’re providing these resources for free. I just think of the people that wouldn’t be able to afford that education and information otherwise. So to amplify a company like this just feels right.”
Watch the full conversation with the link above, and join the Meta Elevate community to connect with fellow businesses and creatives that are #OnTheRiseTogether.
Featured image courtesy of Shameless Maya and Hey Fran Hey
Coco Jones Describes How Her Life Changed After She Started Speaking More Highly Of Herself
Actress and singer Coco Jones is a bonafide superstar.
The 25-year-old is currently starring in the hit Peacock series Bel-Airand dropped a debut EP, What I Didn't Tell You, last year, which includes some of the girlies' favorite songs, "ICU" and "Caliber."
But what many don't know is that Jones' road to success had a couple of setbacks, such as failing to receive any leading roles following her successful Disney Channel film Let It Shine and being dropped from her record label in 2014.
During a recent interview with Hot 97, Jones opened up about her career journey and how things started looking up when she began speaking positive words over her life.
Coco On The Navigation Of Her Career
In the conversation, Jones recounted her Disney Channel days, being signed to the company's label Hollywood Records, and why her career failed to take off.
The star stated that she was first signed to the label at 15 and was dropped shortly after because her management at the time and Hollywood Records didn't know which direction to take Jones' career, something she expressed was "scary and sad."
"I got signed at 15, and then I got dropped at around 16, turning 17. So I was just like, what do I do? I'm out here by myself. I don't have a team. I don't have management. That was one of the main things I was praying for 'I just need a team that knows what to do with me,'" she said while describing how fearful she was after being dropped from Hollywood Records. “Because I had management and I had a label, they all didn't look like me. They did not understand me. They just wanted to try this formula out on me. That was very scary and sad. Not having any clue of what was going to change for me or if it ever was."
Later, Jones disclosed it was at that moment she wondered if she should come up with a "Plan B" or continue to pursue her passion for singing and acting. The "Double Back" vocalist decided not to give up on her dreams because she claimed it would be a "scarier" experience due to life's endless possibilities.
"Do I have to have a Plan B now? Like what would my life look like? Should I go home? It was scary both ways, but it was scarier to give up. That's what I tell people like 'just don't give up that day, and then the next day do the same thing,'" she said.
Jones would further elaborate her statement by encouraging others not to "quit on your worst day" regarding their goals because they would have gained many valuable lessons by the time their moment of success arrives.
Coco On The Importance Of Speaking Highly About Oneself
Also, in the interview, Jones shared how she started to notice a shift in her personal and professional life after switching how she spoke to herself and why she intentionally added positive messages in her music.
When discussing the significance of representation within the entertainment industry, Jones revealed that it is important because she and others would see roles go to girls of a lighter complexion. The actress added that the past experience made her prioritize how others viewed her and her worth, a message she now shares in her music.
"Psychologically, seeing other lighter girls get every job can mess with your literal mental health as a kid as you're coming up in this world," she explained. “But that's another reason to why I make songs like ‘Caliber’ on my EP. Because what I'm really saying is I have standards like you're not going to be able to just treat me any type of way. Like, get on my level. Can you bring something to the table, or are you just taking from me, you know? Because music is life! What you are saying in these songs becomes life. I just be thinking like I want to give girls another option."
Jones would wrap up her sentiments by saying that her inspiration behind adding positive messages in her music for women stemmed from the personal changes she saw in herself when switching her tone.
"All just more positivity because I realized when things started to change in my life like my circumstances started to change and people were paying attention to me again after years of what seemed like my world being over, it was because I was speaking better things about myself and what I could have," she said. "Words are powerful. I really am intentional with the words I put in my music. I want the girls singing my songs to be speaking life over themselves."
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Feature image by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images
