In this episode of the Trailblazers Podcast we have the incredible Marijka Hunsaker joining hosts Ali Dee and Nicole Nava James to discuss everything social media. Marijka drops some serious knowledge bombs when it comes to knowing how to use social media as a business, the do's and don't of building a loyal audience, and more. She takes us through what obstacles she had to overcome early in her career, and how she has developed an amazing following along the way. We also discuss her huge following on Tik Tok and how that platform has changed the game for her.
In this episode of the Trailblazers Podcast we have the incredible Marijka Hunsaker joining hosts Ali Dee and Nicole Nava James to discuss everything social media. Marijka drops some serious knowledge bombs when it comes to knowing how to use social media as a business, the do's and don't of building a loyal audience, and more. She takes us through what obstacles she had to overcome early in her career, and how she has developed an amazing following along the way. We also discuss her huge following on Tik Tok and how that platform has changed the game for her.
If you're looking to add a little bit of rock and roll sass to your country, Western Flair, y'all need to check out Buckaroo Bling. She's got gorgeous handcrafted jewelry and boot accessories. Perfect for classy, cowgirls, boho babes, and cowgirls. Plus it's affordable and made from domestically sourced materials in Montana, and a portion of all sales goes to horse rescue. Please check her out@buckaroobling.com. That's buckaroo bling.com. Hey everybody. Welcome to the Western Life and Style Trailblazers podcast. I'm Ali D. This is Nicole Nava James, also known as Z Girl Nava. Hello? we are so excited because on today's episode we have a very special guest, someone that both Nicole and I have worked with before in business. She's absolutely amazing. One of the top Western influencers in the industry. Marika Hunsaker is going to be joining us. we have worked with her for so many years. back in the day when I even first started with Ali D and Rodeo Ranch, we worked with her. Yeah, she's come along so far in her career. She has an amazing audience, an amazing following. So if you are a brand or business and you're interested in getting into starting using influencers or just learning more about how you could improve your business on social media, this episode is for you. So without further ado, let's welcome in. Mariak. All right, everybody. We are so excited that Mariah Hunsaker is in the house, Western influencer extraordinaire. Welcome to the Western Life and Style Trailblazers podcast. Yay. Yay. So excited to be here today. Yes, so excited to chat with you guys. Yes, y'all. If you don't know, we are also on YouTube so you can watch us. Mariah looks of course stunning. She has a beautiful background and it's just, it's awesome to see you at your house doing your thing. And we're so glad that you're able to join us cuz she has a super packed schedule. If you don't know, Mariah is one of the top influencers in the western industry. She stays busy 24 7. me and my brand, we've been lucky enough to work with her in the past. So has Nicole and Sona Girl Nava and Five star reviews up and down. So if you're a brand out there and you're looking for a Western influencer, you gotta hit up Mariah cuz she is amazing. We'll get into all that. but I first kind of wanna take it back a few years. I don't know, maybe it's been five years or so you've been doing this. so take us back to how you got. Started cuz I feel like you really truly were one of the first ones out there and actively It was funny cuz I was going through some photos and some super old photos of you doing some Ali Dbrand. Things came up, but they were so cute and great. So anyways, take us back to the beginning, how you got started. Yeah, you bet. so I've been influencing now for yeah, probably about five, five and a half years. after I got married in 2017, I decided to start taking influencing seriously. I used to be on Twitter, so I started to like get to know some of the girls from the South, from Texas and Oklahoma and places out there that, you know, they were wearing these really fun outfits. They were wearing furs and sequins and cipe and cowboy boots and cowboy hats, and I just loved it. I kind of grew up in the western industry. we had a little hobby farm and so I showed four H stairs, and so I have a little background in the western industry, but I wouldn't say I come from like a full working farm or ranch. And so, in college I started to do some swing dancing. Ooh, the girls, oh, I didn't know that. Yeah. That's awesome. I was swing dancing every Wednesday night at our little local place that they held it at. and the girls there would wear cute cowboy boots. And so I remember getting like my first pair of like, fashion cowboy boots and they're a turquoise color, and I thought they were so cool. And then after I got married, Social media started to become a bigger thing, especially on Instagram. I started following these rodeo wives like Jenna Knowles and the Coyote cowgirl and, the bleacher babe. All of these women that had rodeo husbands, and they traveled to N ffr and they wore these. Extravagant outfits at nfr and I just wanted to be a part of the culture. I saw the girls do, little group photo shoots, and so like the coyote cowgirl held a big old shoot and these girls would get together and hire photographers and get dressed up in all of these fancy clothes, and I just wanted to be a part of it. And so I just decided, you know what? I can dress like them. I can buy this stuff. I can be a part of them. And so I started to brander up four companies when I first began. And so one of the first brands or boutiques that I worked with was the Turquoise Tractor, and I was a brander rep for them for a really long time. And then little by little, just posting on social media, like, oh, check out these cute pants. Go buy'em with my discount code Maria Ika 10. And I would share like product photos on my Instagram and just decided to switch my personal Instagram to this fashion account. And I created a whole new account for all my personal business. And I'm like, if you wanna follow my personal life, go follow that account. But this account is gonna be a fashion account. And so that's kind of how I got started was just being a brander for small boutiques. They would send me something, I'd take a picture wearing the earrings or whatever, and then I'd post it and tag them, and it was just very little things like that that I've slowly worked my way up from being a brander up for companies for, a couple years. I worked full-time up until about three years ago. And so this is just kind of a side business that, businesses would send me a product, I would post in it, do a photo shoot, hire a photographer, and then little by little I've been able to make that transition from it being a hobby and a little side job to being a business and businesses paying me for my time and my effort. I mean, you essentially own your own business now like you have. Your own business. you were doing like nine to five kind of office job, Mm-hmm. Yes. And so now You're a considered a business owner and you are a business owner, and I think that's so awesome for all these girls who are, wanting to do this or even if it's not wanting to, you know, do influencing, but just like having that mindset of like, I can do this. I can start my own business. I don't have to, do the whole nine to five thing if I don't want to. So I think that that is so cool that you actually just went for it in your family and everybody was excited about it for you. Yeah. No, definitely. I've had a lot of good support from the beginning. I would say. My husband is the one that's really encouraged me and said it's okay. You can do this. Like, if you don't make any money, we're gonna be okay. I can flops. And so he was the one that really believed in me and just said, yeah, go for it. Like, I'm gonna enjoy having you home more. and if you wanna keep chasing this thing, I mean, he understands it and he doesn't. and I think it's really surprised him over the years, but he's definitely been the number one supporter, just saying, you can do this. Like, go ahead, quit your job. We're gonna move up to Idaho and take it on full-time. And so I have, and it's just flourished over the past two years that I've been full-time now. That's great. what I wanted to also touch on, are some of like the early challenges that you faced, because I think there are a lot of girls that look up to you that are just getting started. So what were some of the things that early on you felt like, okay, I'm gonna have to figure this out. I'm gonna have to, you know, get more confident in this area? For example, I was thinking like even just being comfortable on camera, that is not an easy skill and I mean, I think this day and age people are getting more used to being on camera. But five years ago it really wasn't just something that everybody was popping up. I mean, were Instagram stories even a thing. I don't even know if they had really come out. Yeah. Yeah. I remember when that came out. I was like, oh my gosh, I have to wear makeup every day. This is, but yeah, some of those early challenges, like just being comfortable on camera. Yeah. I've come a really long way. I've always loved photography. I've always wanted to be a model and be in front of the camera and do all the things, but I never really had that push because it wasn't really like a secure career back in the day to be a model. And, you know, I couldn't keep the standards that I wanted to if I wanted to model. So like that was never like in the picture for me. I needed to find a different job. so when I first was working with photographers, first it was just me and my little camera tripod. And I mean, everybody's more comfortable when you're by yourself and you can take your time to like fix your hair and adjust everything that you need, but then when you're working with another photographer, they're your mirror and you're just hoping like, I hope I look good. And unless they're giving you really positive, good feedback, you're like, Man, I am really messing this up. I'm just, right now, you know, you don't have that self-confidence to just go and Right. You know, smile and do all the things. and so I remember, some of my first photo shoots, it's intimidating to be with another person and smile and I look back at some of my photos and I'm just like, I look so awkward, like I look comfortable. you make it look easy. Yeah. Oh, well now I'm so, I've just done so much, so many photo shoots and been with so many different people that little by little I've been able to gain the confidence and that helps with like getting photos back from photographers. you know, when looking at the photos I'm like, I am pretty. I really like how I look. yay. They did good job with photos. Like, I feel good about myself. And so I feel like that's been a huge help is realizing that I am beautiful, I am cute, I do look good doing what I'm doing, that my confidence has grown over the years. And so that's been really awesome. Just, looking back, I love that it's grown and that you've stayed America. I love that you've stayed so humble and I love that you have stayed you and that's what makes you, I think, kind of stand out from the others. I can't say this enough and I've said it to you a billion times, I love that you've stayed you. And so that's just a beautiful thing as well. And you can see it in your photos. Aw, so sweet Nicole, dude. I'm over here with the hard-hitting questions and one thing I did wanna touch on though, and you mentioned being a model and how you didn't feel like it would align with your values and as being an influencer, you still got to dabble in that industry and, see what it is like, but you being your own boss, Can maintain the integrity of whatever you wanna shoot, however you wanna shoot. So talk to me about what that is for you, because, I know it's modesty, it's it's a different look. And kind of go through that look and, how you were able to make sure you're staying true to yourself in that aspect. It's, it's been quite a journey. for me, I always have felt kind of like an outcast dressing more conservatively and more modestly, because it's not the trendy thing to do and I don't feel like there's a ton of, or there weren't any ways in the western industry that we're dressing modestly that I could stick with my religious standards as well as my personal views of the way that I want to dress and portray myself on social media. I didn't feel like I had a lot of people like look up to in that. And I'm like, well, why not me? Why can't I be the one that shows that you can dress modestly and cute and classy and it doesn't have to be frumpy or unflattering to the body? and so I just decided from an early start, that I wanted to dress modestly and I wanted to set that example. And my husband said, well, if you're gonna do this, then you're gonna do it full force. And like, you really have to stick with this because you're gonna gain a following that trusts you and. You know, if they're used to you doing this and this is what you promote, you can't break that trust. You can't go off. And, I mean, I could go off and be somebody else or change my views and my standards and that's fine, but you know, he really has encouraged me to stick with my values and stick with who I am and what I do. And so yeah, I'm kind of known for more of my modest slash conservative dressing. It's what works for me. I know it's not what works for everybody, but I have actually gained a huge audience of people that like to dress the same way that I dress. They appreciate, the way that I portray my body, the classy outfits that I come up with, and they really enjoy that. And so I've always felt like an outcast, but really I have a huge audience that respects and really values the way that I dress and helps encourage me. so that's become like an easy thing for me to do because my audience enjoys the way that I dress and they support me in what I do. And it's just really been a whole group effort to help me stick to my values. And now that's something that I'm known for and it kind of sets me apart from others in the industry. You mentioned, establishing trust and having trust with your audience. And I think that that is probably, if not the most important thing when you're on this influencer journey, or even really any business owner. So this is gonna apply to any business that is. Also on social media, which is hopefully all of you out there listening. Hopefully you are taking advantage of the amazing opportunities that social media has because it's really about building your brand awareness, which all comes back to having an audience that trusts you. So whether you have a thousand followers or a million followers, they need to make sure that they're connected to you and they trust you. So what are some things that, businesses in general can do to make sure they're gaining trust with their audience? What types of things can they do to make sure that's happening? Yeah, probably communication, social media is being on your phone and responding to messages that you get, comments that you get, interacting with your audience and letting them know who you are. I know for me, I try really hard to get back to as many comments and as many messages as I can. I've made a really strong effort and I think that's why I have the audience and the community that I do is because over the past five years I have done so much to respond to as many comments. And it's not just Harding their comments, it's, you look cute. I am physically responding, saying thank you. Thank you so much. And I'll say thank you. You know, a hundred times on one post. And you know, all I could do is just go through and like their comments. And sometimes that's all that I can do. But if I can, if somebody's gonna give me a compliment and take the time to do that, then I'm gonna take the time to respond and tell them thank you, because it does mean so much to me. And I think that that really. Correlates with your followers. They feel special. They feel love, like they're actually seen by this person that they look up to. I know when I respond to an influencer with a hundred thousand followers, I was like, no, they're never gonna see this. But then if they take the time to like voice message me or even heart my message or respond to it, I'm like, oh my gosh, little me, they responded to me they have so much going on in their life, and yet they took the time to respond to me. And so I feel the same way with. my followers and I'm like, I can take the time to respond to them. So, building that communication, I would say is number one, that if you're getting dms, comments, respond to them and start building an audience because then they can feel like they can reach out to you. You're gonna respond and they feel like they have a friend and then they wanna support you. Right. So businesses, if you're out there listening and you just get one comment, you need to respond to that person and just make sure that they feel acknowledged because you are building a community here, and that is part of the trust building process, which I definitely need to get better at. You being consistent about it is even like weekly, even if you're a few days late, just being consistent. Some people just forget about what they posted, you know, 10 days before and then they don't even comment on it anymore. So I love that you're staying consistent with it, and that's obviously shown that you've grown. I'm trying, there's probably people out there like, no, she never responds my question. No, I'm trying and sometimes I do and I'm working on it. what are some other things that brands and businesses can do that are wanting to get into more of the influencer space as a marketing tool for their own companies? what are some like basics they should. Look at or a checklist they should go through when they're trying to hire an influencer, somebody like you. definitely check out their page and follow them for a while, right? Watch their stories. What do they consistently post? what kind of image are they bringing out to their brand? Do their values that they're sharing online, do they line up with your brand's values? you can look at the way that they post their photos. Are they. Hiring a photographer, are they taking their own photos, cell phone quality photos, and the way that they edit? Does the editing align with your brand? Because if you send the influencer a shirt, they're taking a photo in it. They edit it with this crazy edit. And you can't use those photos to post onto your page. Yep. You know, maybe that's not gonna be the best line because you want something that kinda aligns with your brand image as well as your brand colors. Another thing that I would look for, when you're looking to work with an influencer is I would check out the interactions in their comments. are they getting real interactions from real people and real followers? Are they responding to those comments? because that's how you're gonna see if they're having good engagement with our followers. there's also multiple, Google websites, so you can type in like an influencer's handle and it will pull up like their analytics and show you how much their engagement rate is, and things like that that I think are really helpful. And then if you find somebody that you think that you wanna work with, either DMing them or emailing them and asking for a media kit or asking how they can work together. that's gonna be the best way to get in contact with them. I know for me, I prefer email, but then also like if somebody will follow up with a dm, I'm a one woman show, so there are a lot of emails that I miss. There are also a lot of dms that I miss, and I try to stay on top of it, but, it never hurts to send an influencer, multiple emails to try and get them to respond because chances are they are just behind. They don't have a full team behind them. helping them sort through all of the emails, junk emails, as well as real emails and understanding if this is a real business or fake business and things like that. So, multiple follow-ups. never be afraid to reach out more than once. What about some tips for some influencers that are just getting started or maybe trying to get to a place where they're in your level? What are some tips that you have for them in terms of either just getting started or maybe improving what they've already got going? posting, honestly, it comes down to taking the photo and actually posting it. I feel like that's the hardest part of the entire job is actually posting your content. I mean, for me, I'm still kind of consistently posting five times a week, like Monday through Friday, and then I take the weekends off. so consistency, I would say is key. You don't have to be posting that much. I understand. Not everybody has that much content to post and even I run out, but. even if you're just posting multiple times a week, I feel like that really helps to build your page so that when a brand comes and looks at your page and they're looking for somebody to work with, they can see the work that you're posting and your profile is your portfolio. And so if a brand is looking through that saying, okay, I like the way she edits. I like what she's posting. I like her reels, this is gonna be a good fit for us. They can't see that if you're not posting your work. And so that would be probably my number one tip is just to consistently post. and I know when I first started it was rough. I had a lot of people from college and high school that unfollowed me. They didn't enjoy, they, oh, they could not view me as an influencer. They viewed me as a young girl in college, living a college lifestyle. They didn't wanna see me posting as an influencer. And so that was hard for their mind to transition. They unfollowed me, so that's why. Oh. Cause they were seeing your posts go every day. And so they were like, okay, she's not posting about life. She's just posting herself every day. Exactly. And she's, she's salesy. And that's how I was when I first started. So I created a personal page and said, you know what? All my followers that I'm losing, if you wanna go follow my personal page, that's where I'm gonna post my personal life, but this is gonna be business. If you wanna stick with me, great. If you don't, no hard feelings. And little by little, like, I promise, You will find your audience. There are strangers on the internet that want you to succeed, and there is nothing more true than that statement right there because I have an entire audience of strangers that I've never met that love me and wanna support me, and so I promise it's just getting outta the comfort zone of posting things that. You know, or doesn't feel like you, but if this is what you wanna chase, you do it with your whole heart, and I promise the people will come and they will come and support you. that's such great advice because that's even something that I still struggle with as a business owner hopping on social media and making sure I'm present. In fact, I remember I did a poll, I don't know, it was maybe a year and a half ago. I think after my first baby, and I asked something about, the l e d brand on my social media, and people were like, oh, we didn't even realize Ali E D's a person. I'm like, Oh, Lord have mercy. I am not doing a good job here, because they didn't even realize that that was my name and I was a real person because I was just so absent from the whole entire process of social media. So, or you can hire a social media manager, you know? Yeah. Wait, thank God for Nicole, because she keeps it going on there. But I, I try, but it's hard. It's just hard getting past that. Feeling salesy. It's hard getting past, showing up and being consistent. Nicole harps on me about this all the time is just how important, like you said, being consistent every single day and making sure that you're building trust and building a following and all of that, which by the way, I wanna jump into TikTok just for a little bit, because I did notice that you were one of the first influencers to hop on that trend several years ago. You were trucking along, you did not give up, you were being consistent, and now you just have a huge following. So, How important is TikTok to you and your brand now and maybe even other brands out there that haven't made the jump? Oh boy. TikTok has changed my life. I'm bigger on TikTok than I am on Instagram right now. So You're so fun over there. you are so fun. I can sit and watch your videos. I pretend like I don't know you. I'm like, this girl is so fun. Oh, I just am like, am I a TikTok right now? Or am am I an Instagram or like I'm having an identity crisis? I dunno who I have anymore. but's fun. It's been a platform that I've been able to grow really quick and really great on. what videos do I enjoy watching? I enjoy when somebody talks to me. I enjoy finding people in my same niche, styling outfits or in the western industry, rodeos, whatever. Like that's what I enjoy. And so I'm like, This is just easier. I don't know. It feels less formal that I can be more myself. And so yeah, you're gonna hear me curse a little bit more on that app. You know, you're gonna see me doing my little dances and I look like a goofball, but it's just more low key for me and I feel like I can just like hop on and quickly make a video and it doesn't have to be edited perfect, it's just me hopping on and doing whatever I'm doing for the day. And so I've really enjoyed TikTok. I feel like it's a space where I don't have to be so on and not that I'm not that on Instagram, but I just feel like I can be more myself and you get more of my personality because I can talk and dance or show how I'm styling something. I kind of share my process. Versus just like photos and things like that. You know, I love how Mariah's feed is like cute dressing outfits, like inspiration. And Nicole and I are over here trying to figure out how to like lose our mom pooches, you know, here's my kid. Yeah. our TikTok feeds are probably just so different. but the algorithm hits good on there. Like you find like 10 different. Things that are all mushed into one you can find. I mean, it's, it's so much easier over there. Yeah. And it really has, like comparing Instagram to TikTok, it's two totally different worlds. The community on TikTok is just way different. I feel like Instagram is very formal and like proper, and I don't know why I feel that way. And then I feel like on TikTok it's just like, woo, we're just going for it. And like the truth comes out. I mean, well, people They will comment and like, more faster or they're more easier going over there than they are on Instagram. on TikTok you can get 500 likes just on something. People are so just loving and supportive and it's like a family over there. Mm-hmm. I agree. Yeah, no, definitely I, I love TikTok and I recommend it for every business. If you can get on, and I mean, I know I've talked to multiple small businesses that they love TikTok so much more than Instagram, just because they can grow so much quicker, reach a different audience, and, I still don't know, like my conversion rate, I've always just used TikTok as something to build my Instagram, and so it's like, oh, if you want a link for this, go follow me on my Instagram. Yeah. like this year is the first year I'm utilizing it as like a work opportunity to make videos for businesses. But like up until then, it's just kind of been like, this is what I'm up to. This is my random hall from TJ Max. This is what I'm up to for the day. This is what I'm wearing. just things like that, just to build my Instagram that if they're curious, they can go from my TikTok, go see my Instagram. See. Oh. She has a whole bunch of different outfits and things on here. I'm gonna follow her on here as well. And then you're kind of getting two different content and two different sides of me, honestly. Yeah, it's great. I love it. talk to me a little bit about what you have going on now. like if we are just Mariah Super fans, which we are, what are some of the things you have going on that we can help you support? Cuz we want to. Oh, thank you. my latest collaboration was with Lane Boots and I had a pair of cowboy boots come out. So good. Oh my. I love it. Gosh. Okay. Talk about it a little bit. We gotta hear it. Yes. So I collaborated with lane Boots and created my own cowboy boot. And so I have a Pink Cowboy boot, it's pointed toe. It's really pretty like a blush pink, and the bottom of it has my signature on it, on their turquoise bottoms. And so that is my most recent exciting collaboration that I've had in the works. And. They just launched. And so I'm really excited. They're gonna be coming to retail stores at the beginning of May. So hopefully really soon I get to see who's, wholesale my boots. And I'm excited to share their company on my Instagram so that people can go in store, go online and order from them and support small businesses that way, but it's also supporting me. that was one of the biggest things that I just did. but upcoming, This year I've already traveled so much. by like five or six different times. And I've, I've been busy traveling and so right now I don't have any plans to travel. Okay. Actually, I just might book a. A flight out to Texas in a couple of weeks for the pbr. but beyond that, I'm just trying to get back into a steady routine of being home, having a routine of cleaning my house, taking care of the animals, our garden is coming along, and like landscaping, things like that. And just trying to get back into a routine of being home, working with the work, you know, monthly things that I have coming in and then being consistent just. Waiting for the green grass to grow here as well. Cause it's very slow moving. I mean, that's what I've got going on right now. And it's just, I take it a month at a time. every month is a little bit different with different opportunities. I never know when I'm gonna be traveling. I'm always open to. Different opportunities of, Hey, we wanna fly you out here for this. And I'm like, let's go. I'm ready. but yeah, every month is a little bit different. Well, we gotta get, August Wesa on her schedule for the grand opening of the New Western Lifestyle showroom. Yes. We, we finally moved into a larger. Beautiful. It's a room. Yeah, it's a, it's amazing. Pencil us in, please, Oh my gosh. Mariah, thank you so much for spending the last 20, 30 minutes or so with us and telling us all this great information. I know you just have an amazing following. Not only do you have a great audience, but brands out there love you that work with you, and that is just such. a special thing that you've created. So congratulations on all your success, and thank you so much for joining us today. Oh, thank you so much. I've enjoyed being here. I love you guys so much, and you guys have been with me from the start, so you guys hold. We love you. All right, keep on keeping on. See you next time. It was so great to have Mariah on the show, Nicole. I mean, she just gave so many good juicy tidbits of information. I hope people were taking notes out there, and some of this stuff, I had no idea about her either, so that was good to know and learn more about her. Yeah, she's just a true business woman creating an empire in the western world. Please be sure you go and check out her lane boots. I've seen'em on Instagram. If you haven't already, go to her page. they're so cute. So cute. The pink cowboy boots. Support her. Buy a pair, find them in your local stores. She said they're coming out shortly in retail stores across the country. We're so excited for her. Please also follow her on all her social medias, TikTok. It's the place to be. That's the room or ico. We love it. All right. Thank you guys so much for joining in this episode of The Trailblazers podcast for Western Life and style. We will see you and talk to you next time. Have a great day. Bye