Interview by Carol Wright | Photos Courtesy of Jillian Bruno
Jillian Bruno has cracked the code for content creation by building a community of supportive followers while staying authentic to herself every step of the way. Bruno talked to NYOTA about working with brands that fit into her lifestyle, gaining confidence from posting, and growing a following across platforms.
Your very first TikTok video features a handful of highlights from January 2022. When you shared that video, did you plan to become a content creator, or were you posting just for fun?
At the time of posting that video, I was only in high school and had zero intention of becoming a content creator. Throughout high school, I always loved posting videos for my friends on my Snapchat private stories, but at the time, I never thought I would end up becoming an actual content creator!
As a tween, did you enjoy watching the OGs on YouTube like Bethany Mota?
Growing up, I was obsessed with all the OG YouTubers like Alisha Marie, Remi Cruz, Jackie Aina, and Bethany Mota. I always used to tell my parents how badly I wanted to be a YouTuber and make YouTube videos. I would film videos on my grandma’s old camera and edit them on my iPad, but I would never post them anywhere. I guess I was subconsciously preparing myself to become a content creator in the future, but I never realized it!
A big part of your content is cooking and sharing your Trader Joe’s runs, which people really enjoy. Is building community online through food and inadvertently encouraging others to try different recipes rewarding?
I love being able to show people my favorite foods, recipes, and grocery store finds because food is such an important part of our lives! There’s nothing worse than being excited to eat something and ending up hating it. It makes me so happy when I recommend a restaurant or food item and people tell me they tried it and loved it!
Has being a content creator in NYC allowed you to explore the city in a way you wouldn’t have otherwise?
100%. I truly feel like being a content creator here has opened doors and given me opportunities that I would have never gotten otherwise. As a content creator, you have to find ways to get creative with your content, which leads me to explore parts of the city I’ve never been to, try new foods/restaurants, etc. Additionally, getting invited to different events by brands has also allowed me to experience things and places that I likely never would have!
You’ve worked with or received PR from brands like Skims, Fig. 1beauty, and more. When it comes to brand partnerships, how do you determine which companies best align with your content?
When deciding which brands align best with my content, I try to work with brands that truly fit into my everyday lifestyle and enhance my life in some way! I love the people who watch my videos so much that I don’t want to encourage them to spend their hard-earned money on products I don’t genuinely like. The majority of the brand deals I’ve done have been with brands that I have loved and personally used for years, so getting the opportunity to collaborate with them has been such a pinch-me moment!
You shared how posting on TikTok has given you confidence. How has that confidence impacted your life offline?
I now feel fully secure in myself and am so proud of myself in so many different aspects! Working so hard at something and finally beginning to see it pay off is such a fulfilling experience. It makes me feel confident that I can achieve all of the goals I’ve ever set for myself. Also, developing an audience that truly cares about me has solidified in my mind that I am right where I need to be. I shouldn’t care about any potential rude judgments from other people when there are so many people out there who love me for me!
It has become very apparent that social media platforms can be there one day and gone the next. Due to this, are you approaching content creation differently this year?
I think the potential TikTok ban has opened my eyes a lot to the fact that nothing is permanent, and things can unexpectedly change in the blink of an eye. I am now definitely more dedicated to putting significantly more effort into growing my following across different platforms. While TikTok will always be my safe space and my favorite place to post, I am definitely going to be posting more on Instagram Reels and YouTube moving forward! YouTube is SO fun—I’ve been loving posting there—but Instagram is a bit of a scarier place for me.
What advice do you have for others who want to start sharing their lives on social media?
My biggest advice is going to sound cliché, but I would say to post whatever you want and be yourself! When I first started posting, I tried to be overly “aesthetic” and make my videos so perfect, but over time, I’ve realized that my best-performing videos are almost always the ones where my personality shines most authentically. I’d also say you don’t have to give in to every single trend! There’s a common misconception that you have to participate in every trend to grow, but I don’t think that’s true at all. While my growth has been relatively slow and steady, I love that I’ve built such an intentional community by posting content I genuinely enjoy rather than gaining a ton of followers who don’t actually care about me!
This story first ran in Issue 39: The Digital Issue. Read more from the issue here
