We had the good fortune of connecting with Karlie Place and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karlie, how do you think about risk?
The ability to change your life often hangs on the willingness to take risks. Any small-business owner can tell you that taking risks is a fundamental part of the job. There are levels to it. I’m going to break down the risks I took to get where I am now, running a profitable content business, keeping up with an engaged audience of over 3 million monthly viewers, and ultimately working on creative projects I’m passionate about under my own terms.

Sitting at the highest level, it’s the inaugural risk we take in an attempt to set our lives on a different path that has the most heightened consequences and yet the greatest potential. The life-changing event of quitting a stable 9-5 job, as I did in September 2021, had been heavy on my mind for months leading up to making it official. My journey in taking the risk to quit my job as a Designer and Content Creator for the Minnesota Vikings was a reflection of my life circumstances at that time. On one hand, I was financially stable for the first time in my life and was happily living below my means. It was the pursuit of getting more out of life and an “if not now, when?” mentality that ultimately helped me make the final decision to quit. I risked my comfort and income in exchange for the ability to pursue worldwide creative endeavors. To cope with the fear and apprehension of this, I convinced myself that I could not fail because even if I got stuck and couldn’t find paid jobs as a creator, then at least I tried and probably would get to explore the world for a little while. Positive self-talk and an un-entitled attitude will take you farther than you think in regards to making big changes in life.

Although life-changing risks have the biggest impact, smaller daily risks should not be overlooked. Simply posting on social media is a risk in some capacity. The risk of getting negative feedback, criticism, and judgment from others simply does not outweigh the potential opportunity posting can bring you – and that’s a fact. Tiktok changed the game for anyone who is willing to put themselves out there. Anyone can get their content seen and you never know who might see it! This is in comparison to how Instagram used to be the only option and would only reach a direct small community. While it’s natural to compare ourselves to one another, don’t get stuck in this very common mindset: “How can so-and-so have such a big following and be making so much money when my skills of xyz… are so much better?” People who look at social media with this attitude are doing themselves a huge disservice. I saw people on social media living out my dream career, I knew I could do it just as well, so I was proactive and started to put myself out there. The first risk is just trying, and the next risk is being willing to change things up if the results are not what you wanted. Learn about storytelling. Share your work through a different creative lens. I’ve personally fallen into the trap of having hard drives full of beautiful unseen content and I have to regularly remind myself that my work will serve me better if I give people the opportunity to see it. Take the risk. Post your work.

The last and smallest risk I want to mention is the one that has my content creation business snowballing into something sustainable. I put myself at risk of rejection at least 100 times a week in the form of pitching myself to brands, businesses, and jobs through email. My journey to working with my dream clients has come from taking the time and sending my pitch deck/media kits to people who I would never think in a million years would find value in working with me. How will you know if you don’t ask!? Getting rejected is a huge part of doing business and dealing with it gracefully by not letting it kill your momentum is the ultimate key to opening the doors you want that lead to the future of your dreams.

At the end of the day, no one will bat an eye at your failures. Risks taken at the expense of only yourself will propel you further with the right mindset.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am the director, stylist, photographer, editor, and manager of everything you see across my channels. ( IG + TikTok @karlieplace ) Truly self-made, I could not be more proud of how far I’ve come as a creative. I put every penny into my first ever “nice camera” in 2018 and never looked back. My creative edge comes from drawing inspiration from feelings and not visuals resulting in always original work. My editing style is transformative but remains naturalistic. If you lean into your passions and put the time in, you can do anything! Especially with the power of social media in 2022.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m currently based in Salt Lake City, Utah – but travel for most of the year. If my best friend came to visit, we would without a doubt spend an evening at the Bonneville Salt Flats. It feels otherworldly and is only about an hour for SLC.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to @ColinRingas for being willing to take just as many risks when we could have just continued a life of comfort at the expense of not following our dreams. It’s been a great gift to share the struggles and success together with someone who I love so deeply.

Website: karlieplace.com

Instagram: instagram.com/karlieplace

Other: tiktok.com/@karlieplace

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