Tilden Brighton applied to 70 social media jobs after college and got rejected from all of them. She spent the summer building her lifestyle blog instead, gradually grew it into brand deals and ad revenue, and eventually went full-time. She believes rejection was a hidden blessing that pushed her toward something more fulfilling.
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Thank you for listening to the Business Blast podcast. So for all my listeners out there that have been wanting to do your own podcast, I'd like to introduce to you Anchor. Anchor is a one-stop shop for recording, hosting, distributing, and monetizing your podcast. So before I found Anchor, I had never actually done a podcast because all the research that I had gathered made it seem very complex. Then I found Anchor, and Anchor makes podcasting extremely simple. So if you want to do your own podcast, go to anchor.fm/start. I can't wait to hear your podcast. Welcome to the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode. Alright everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner. Today I have Tilden Brighton with us. She is the founder and influencer behind the life and style blog To Be Bright. So welcome to the show, Tilden.
Thank you for having me.
Of course. Thanks for joining us. We'll dive into the first one. The first question I have for you, Tilden, is what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
Well, after I graduated college, I probably applied to 70 different jobs in social media and marketing and didn't hear back from any of them. And I kept asking for feedback and one person did respond And they told me because I had a blog, hiring someone like me would be too much of a risk because I would take this opportunity to advance myself on their clock. And they didn't want to hire someone that was already self-involved. And so that kept me— that obviously was a complete blow to my self-esteem. And I was the only one at home without a job. And my friends moved to the city. And I just felt really low. And I didn't have any single job prospects in sight at that point. So I was really fortunate that I had started my blog in college already. And I just figured, you know, maybe this is my opportunity to have these next few months of the summer to just focus on my blog with uninterrupted time. Like I wasn't in school anymore while still sending out job applications. So that's what I started doing. And I started building my brand and myself as a businesswoman. And I slowly started earning more opportunities and my readership grew. And I started making a profit off of advertisement and brand collaborations. So I was making some money on my own and I did end up getting a job in December and I had that job in the city and I lived, I did it for 3 and a half years. It was in recruiting and I loved it, but I got to a point where I could actually go full-time with my blog after having that. I kept both up at the same time because I realized I was doing really well. On my own. And so I guess like the best value— valuable message out of it is rejection is not like a disappointment. It's an indication that something better lies ahead. And it sometimes can be a blessing in disguise. So take it as a sign if you were meant to pursue something else, because it'll probably be better and something more fulfilling.
Love it. Thank you for sharing that with us. Um, the next one I have for you is what is the most valuable piece of information we should know that is within your expertise or industry?
So as an influencer, I'm constantly working to define myself in an industry that's undefined. So when I first started blogging, I had no idea that I could even turn like what my passion was into a profitable business at all, let alone something I'm doing full-time. So there's, there was no set rule book or guideline to follow and there still really isn't. So, you know, it's not like I'm getting a promotion or like I have to figure out how to, you know, promote myself and earn success. There's no, like, tier to follow like you would a normal job. And I don't think what many people realize is that as an influencer, my job is to adapt quickly to the ever-changing consumer behavior that makes up my audience. So that means I constantly have to find the balance between sharing relevant information while remaining transparent with my experience and creative in my delivery. So it's a 24/7 job, but it's something that I feel is really important with the habits and expectations of our generation's consumers. Today and definitely tomorrow.
Yes. And what is your best piece of overall business advice? So not necessarily industry specific.
You know, you don't get anywhere by playing it safe. You have to be fearless. You have to take risks. You have to be confident. The influencer industry is one that practically requires you to step out of any comfort zone you previously had. And the people that do get out there are the ones that have a higher potential to be discovered. So No matter what the outcome is, never stop trying to put your best foot forward. Every no leads to two more yeses in the end, so just don't give up.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
I wish I hadn't focused so much on planning my blog and I just started earlier. What I thought I wanted to do, I ended up not doing at all. Like, I started my blog as a portfolio and like for graphic design, and here it now, it's a life and style blog. Um, but I spent so many time like years kind of planning it, thinking I wanted it to be perfect. But instead, I should have just jumped right in and started it immediately and gotten my foot in the door earlier. So I guess that's one thing I wish I could have done is just start right away and stop thinking it's going to be perfect from the get-go.
And in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
Positivity. I always try to look on the bright side of things no matter how difficult a situation. And I feel like if there's something that threatens my ability to be happy, I remove it from my life immediately, whether it be my friend, like not my friends, sorry, but the people that I surround myself with. I surround myself with people that are my friends, not someone who's going to bring me down or the environment that I find myself in. And I used to think that like making everyone else happy would make me happy, but that's not really the case. So, you know, staying positive and keeping positive people and positive things around me, I think has been my key to happiness, which has been my key to success.
And what is the best book that you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from that?
I loved Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. And I think the number one thing I learned from that book, and I feel like many people can relate to that, is just to live every day to the fullest. And, you know, I want to look back and see like I lived every single day in the most satisfied way and be proud of what I did. So every single day until, you know, my time comes, I'm going to never look back. I'm going to, you know, face every challenge and be really appreciative for everything that comes my way.
Yes. And I just want to chime in real quick because that is actually the last audiobook that I just finished like 2 days ago. And so that's like weird that you said that. And that book is incredible.
Like, it's incredible. It changes everything. Like, how do you feel about everything?
It does. That book is straight fire. Like, I—
so funny.
So very cool. And yeah, the next one is what is your favorite quote and why?
An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it's going to launch you into something great. And I really like this quote because I really believe that where I am now is because of the result of my perseverance and starting with those 70 job rejections. Like my road to becoming my own boss was very, like, it still isn't easy at all. Like I've only been full-time for 4 months. Last year, 2017. But I feel like all the setbacks I faced and every challenge that I had is what only shot me into doing something I absolutely love and couldn't be happier with. So I guess with every— the only way to go forward is to kind of, you know, face difficulties because it'll make you pursue something really fantastic in the end.
Thank you so much for coming on. We really appreciate it. The last question I have for you before we let you go is where is the best place for people to find you online?
You can follow me on Instagram @2b_bright, or you can check out my blog and my blog post at 2bbright.com.
Perfect. Thank you again. We appreciate you coming on.
