Today we’d like to introduce you to Melina Zaytseva.
Hi Melina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Content creation was always something I kept getting pulled toward. I’ve loved fashion ever since I was a kid. For any event, holiday, or celebration, getting dressed was always my favorite part. I’ve always thought what people choose to wear tells a little story about who they are, even if they don’t consider themselves “into fashion.”
For the longest time, though, I was scared of how I would be perceived online. I actually started a completely new social account where no one knew me, and at first I couldn’t even bring myself to show my face. Slowly, I started putting myself out there more and gaining confidence. Strangers started supporting me, leaving encouraging comments, and making me feel like there really was a space for what I wanted to create.
I remember thinking getting a PR package would be the coolest thing ever, and now I’ve built so much momentum that I’m the one encouraging my friends to start posting too. I always tell them your content can literally be about anything. Your niche and your audience are out there.
Everyone’s journey looks different, but I’ve learned that putting yourself out there can open doors you never even knew existed.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s actually been a pretty smooth road overall. The biggest challenge has been learning how to stay consistent without burning myself out or losing sight of what I actually want to create.
As more opportunities started coming in, especially paid collaborations, I realized it was easy to say yes to things just because they were paid. When I was starting out, I worked with a lot of Amazon sellers who wanted a lot of content for very little, and I definitely had moments where I felt like I needed to accept everything because I was just grateful to be getting opportunities.
Eventually I had to ask myself, “What kind of brand do I want to build, and do I actually want to promote this?” I realized I didn’t want to become known as the girl who promoted anything and everything. Once I became more selective and stopped taking collaborations that didn’t feel like me, it actually made room for better opportunities with brands I was genuinely excited about.
Now I’ve been able to work with some really recognizable brands, and one of my most recent collaborations was with Kendra Scott, which was such an exciting full-circle moment for me.
So for me, the “bumpy” part has really been learning how to balance making money with staying creative and authentic, while also finding the motivation to keep showing up consistently.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I studied business marketing and graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor of Science. After college, I started at a marketing agency as an assistant and was quickly promoted to account manager. I learned so much there, but eventually I realized I wanted something that felt more creative and more aligned with me.
That led me to working in-house for Grapevine Style, a local boutique, where I now handle a little bit of everything when it comes to marketing. I work on social media, email and SMS marketing, the website, Meta and Google ads, and overall digital strategy. I joke that I wear all the hats of an entire marketing agency, but I genuinely love it because every day is different and I get to be creative.
At the same time, I’ve continued building my own personal brand as a content creator. That has actually become one of my favorite parts of my career because I get to see both sides of marketing. For Grapevine, I’m thinking like the brand: What content will perform? What will convert? How do we reach the right customer? Then as a creator, I’m on the other side working with brands and actually making the content.
I think that perspective is what sets me apart. I understand that content can be beautiful and creative, but I also understand the business behind it and what a brand is ultimately trying to accomplish.
I’m most proud that I’ve created a career where the different things I love actually work together. I have flexibility, I get to work from home, spend time with my two cats, create every day, work with brands I’m excited about, and continue growing my own platform. It can definitely get busy, and time management is probably my biggest challenge, but I feel really lucky that I genuinely enjoy the work I get to do.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Something that has surprised me about this journey is that I’ve never really had to do outreach for collaborations. Every brand I’ve worked with has found me through my content. I think that says a lot about how much opportunity there is for creators right now.
My biggest advice is honestly just to start. You don’t need a huge following or a perfect portfolio. Pick a platform, create consistently, especially video content, and make sure you have an email in your bio. Your social media becomes your portfolio and shows brands that you know how to be comfortable on camera, edit, tell a story, and create content people want to watch.
I’ve actually encouraged several of my friends to start creating too. One of my friends recently started TikTok Shop after I kept telling her she should try it, and within her first couple of months she was already earning commission from her content. I don’t sell courses or anything like that, I just genuinely love helping people realize they can do this too.
As far as supporting me, engagement means more than people probably realize. Some of the most supportive people throughout my entire journey are women I originally met through social media. We consistently comment on and support each other’s work, and over time some of those online connections have turned into genuine friendships.
For brands interested in working with me, my email is always available in my social bios. And for everyone else, truly, a comment, share, like, or even just saying “keep going” is more support than you know.
Pricing:
- Brand collaborations and UGC pricing varies by project, deliverables, and usage. Please reach out via the email in my social media bio for current rates and partnership inquiries.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bit.ly/m/Melinaxzay
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melinaxzay?igsi=MTdxNnM3YWNnZTI2aw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
