Black Creators is a special series highlighting some of the amazing Black women and men who’ve successfully used their passion and platform to unite our community.
As a renaissance woman, former Miss Liberia U.S.A., wife and mother of three, Mattie James wears many hats. However, she’s most widely recognized as an OG blogger and influencer.
It all began in 2010. James began blogging as a hobby which quickly morphed into a lucrative full-time job. Now, her lifestyle brand which has over 90K followers on Instagram, is a six-figure business.
James not only makes everyday magic by divulging both wellness and domestic goddess tips for those wanting to level up their home life, she is also dedicated to teaching fellow content creators how to grow their social following, pitch brands and create profitable content.
“Sure, you can Google a lot of the things I share with you in my courses and masterclasses, but most of the results are vague and outdated at best,” she says to ESSENCE.
Never one to shy away from sharing both her successes and failures, she created The Mattie James Show podcast for the millennial professional in mind. From pitching brands to maximizing your to-do list, she empowers her audience with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive.
When asked how her courses and masterclasses can help micro-influencers and bloggers, she says, “Not only do I tell you what to do, but I show you how to do it with my curriculum. It’s not about what I teach you, but implementing it. The curriculum I offer is designed to help you continuously evolve as an influencer whether you’re in the very beginning stages or ready to become a full-time influencer.”
James can back up her influencer coaching expertise with her deep experience in scoring high-profiled brand partnerships with the brands like Samsung, TJ MAXX, Gerber and so many more. With her popularized hashtag, #MattieTaughtYou, James dishes out advice on how to tighten up Instagram feeds, the art of batching content, negotiating rates for future brand sponsorships and content strategy for budding influencers looking to elevate and expand their brand.
She’s committed to helping other Black women curate and develop their businesses by leveraging the power of social media to garner awareness. “Black women are not seen outside the scope of celebrity or sports,” she says. “My content gives them a peek into my everyday life which can be inspiring to another everyday Black girl or even someone else who has never crossed paths with someone who looks like me.”
You can find Mattie James at mattiejames.com and on Instagram at @themattiejames.