Natalie is an influencer turned entrepreneur. She began her social media career in 2011 on YouTube in the beauty guru phase. She has grown her following to over 360,000 followers throughout her platforms, made it her full-time job, and pivoted multiple times in her journey. She is the host of The Real Reel Podcast, a show where she speaks to entrepreneurs, business leaders, creators, and everyone in between talking about the real reel - not the highlight reel - the CEO and founder of Rella, a management tool made for influencers to run their business.

Tell us about your app, Rella Social. Why did you create it, and what does it offer?

I started Rella to make it easier for people to manage their personal brand on social media. We want to empower creators and build a platform that helps creators in all aspects of their business. Starting with creating a content calendar that posts across platforms, organizing your sponsorships and brand deals, keeping track of your revenue, and viewing your analytics in one place. We are a tool for anyone looking to manage their social media by making it easier and saving time. 

What challenges did you face when founding Rella Social, and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges of starting a platform like Rella is the technical aspect of it. Although I have an engineering degree, I am not a technical founder. I needed help developing the app and to build it. I enlisted the help of 2 software engineers, we worked together at first, and then a few months later decided to partner together. After that, another challenge was funding. We did not have money to scale Rella without capital. We raised a small friends-and-family round and put in our own time and money into the business to get it off the ground and launch an MVP before we decided to raise money from VCs. 

What are some healthy habits that you’ve implemented into your life in order to stay productive as an entrepreneur?

As an entrepreneur, you make your own schedule and set the own pace of your work. Sticking to a calendar and routine has helped me stay focused. I start every morning by 9 AM, schedule meetings in the afternoon, and make sure I plan my week ahead of time so I know what to focus on. You have to be very disciplined and routine helps with that. I also noticed that having a morning and night routine helps me with mindfulness and avoiding burnout. 

As a creator, what are your favorite social media platforms to use, and why?

I love TikTok as a creator because there are so many trends and it is super easy to grow for a smaller creator, but I do think that I prefer YouTube since it is what I started on and I love editing long-form content and the storytelling of a vlog versus a short video. 

How do you navigate building real relationships as an influencer and in your everyday life?

Some of my best friends have come from social media! It's great because whenever I visit a new city, I have the chance to meet with people I follow on social media and build those relationships in real life. I've always found social media is a great way to build relationships because you usually follow people with similar interests to you and end up getting along in real life. 

You are the host of ‘The Real Reel’ podcast. What is it about?

The Real Reel is a chance to share stories of founders, entrepreneurs, creators, and some inspiring friends of mine to share the real reel rather than the highlight reel shown on social media. I want to relate to my ambitious listeners and share relatable and inspiring stories! 

What is the best piece of advice you can offer a creator who has, or is aiming to start, a business of their own?

The best thing you can do is just start. Take the first step. Start researching, talking to other people in the industry, putting a feeler out there, or the first piece of content out there. Having a plan only goes so far. Once you start taking actionable steps is when doors and growth will happen. You learn so much more by doing than thinking about things. □

Article Credits

Natalie’s Instagram: @nataliebarbu

Natalie’s YouTube: @NatalieBarbu

Natalie’s Twitter: @NatalieBarbu

Rella Social’s Instagram: @rellasocial

The Real Reel Podcast’s Instagram: @therealreelpodcast