This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Influencers partnership deal becomes bitter pill to swallow. Hey friends, welcome to Side Hustle School. Chris Guillebeau, your host. Thanks for being out there. Thanks for tuning in.
Episode 2729 today. Now this is a weekly segment known as failure Friday. Goes out every Friday by coincidence or not. It is a collection of short stories about mistakes, missteps, disasters, and of course failure. All the things that go wrong.
So we're often talking about success stories and how somebody made a lot of money or got their business going, was able to make a big change in their life. And, you know, a few years ago we realized we should also highlight stories that are a little bit different where somebody's made a mistake or something has happened to them. It might not even be their own mistake. It could be an external circumstance, something that comes upon them and it's not amazing. So what do they do in this situation?
Could be a full blown disaster or just a little bit of a difficulty that they have to navigate. So in this case, we're going to explore the consequences of an influencer's hasty decision to promote a line of supplements without proper research. Don't try this at home, right? Be careful about if you're gonna promote sponsored products, make sure you do a bit of research and make sure you're comfortable. Especially if you have acquired a certain amount of impact or influence or the ability to persuade, you know, if people listen to what you have to say, you want to be careful with your recommendations.
That's kind of what it comes down to. That is the lesson that Mariah here learned. But of course it's all about the details. So let's hear those details. Let's hear this story from her.
Her name is Mariah, as mentioned. I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. [Music]
Hey everyone, Mariah here. I'm a fitness and wellness influencer with a following of 500,000 across my social media platforms. Today, I want to share a story that taught me a hard lesson about the importance of research and authenticity in sponsored content.
So a few months ago, I was approached by a new supplement company offering me a tempting deal, $15,000 upfront and a year's supply of their products. Worth another $5,000 for a series of sponsored posts and stories. As someone who typically charges $2,000 per post, this deal seemed too good to pass up. The supplements claimed to boost energy, enhance focus and aid in weight loss. Without thoroughly researching the company's claims, I eagerly signed the contract and began creating content.
I shared photos of myself using the products, raved about the newfound energy and focus I was experiencing and even offered my followers an exclusive 20% discount code. The posts performed well initially, driving thousands of clicks to the company's website and resulting in a boost in sales for them. However, it wasn't long before things started to unravel. Some of my followers who had purchased the supplements complained of digestive issues and headaches. As more negative reviews poured in, my comment section became flooded with accusations of me pushing a scam.
The situation escalated when a health and wellness publication released an expose on the supplement company revealing that their products, were a little more than overpriced placebos. The ingredients weren't backed by scientific research and the company had a history of making unsubstantiated claims. The fallout was immediate and severe. More followers accused me of betraying their trust and putting profit over their wellbeing. In just one month, I lost over 10,000 followers across my platforms and my engagement rates plummeted.
The supplement company facing a barrage of complaints and refund requests terminated our contract and demanded I remove all sponsored content related to their products. Not only did I lose the remainder of my promised compensation, but I also faced the humiliation of having to publicly admit my lack of due diligence. As I surveyed the damage, I realized the true cost of my mistake. The $15,000 I had initially gained from the sponsorship paled in comparison to the long-term losses to my reputation and earning potential. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was one that taught me a valuable lesson.
I learned that as an influencer, I have a responsibility to thoroughly vet the products and companies I promote. I now take the time to research ingredients, check in with experts and only endorse products I genuinely believe in and use myself. Regaining my credibility has been a slow process, but it's one I'm committed to. I've learned that true success as an influencer comes not from chasing quick paydays, but from cultivating authentic relationships built on trust and transparency. While this experience was painful, it forced me to reevaluate my values and priorities as an influencer and to put my followers' well-being first.
I hope that by sharing my story, I can help others avoid similar pitfalls. Also, I can always tell myself it could have been worse. [Music]
All right, Mariah, well done. I appreciate you sharing the story. I always appreciate everybody who shares the stories and everybody who listens.
I appreciate everybody. You're all awesome. And never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. That is the theme of Failure Friday. It is in fact, not just about what goes wrong, but what we do in response to it and how we can recover, rally, regroup, and go on to be better than before.
That's a simple theme in a lot of the work that I do. I think we can all be better than we were before. Like even if your life is going great, then you can still improve. There's something else you can do to be better. Whatever that looks like for you, it means different things for different people.
So a little bit of encouragement for you there. Again, thanks to Mariah. Thanks to our listeners. If you have a question and update, you know where to go, sidehustleschool.com. Today was episode 2,729.
I'll be back tomorrow and I hope you'll join me again. My name is Chris Guillebeau. You're listening to Side Hustle School. [Music]
From the Onward Project.
