Career Champion: Austen Tosone
Today I am happy to share all about this month’s Career Champion, Austen Tosone! Austen has been a huge resource and source of wealth to anyone looking to start blogging, start a side hustle or move into freelancing. She is the creator behind Keep Calm & Chiffon. Austen has great career advice and I personally love following her around for New York Fashion Week. Read more on this inspiring woman! Editorial Note: This interview occurred in September. Since then, Austen has begun working as the Beauty Content Director at Jumprope.
1) You went from magazine editor to influencer/YouTuber/freelancer. Tell us about your career - how did you get here?
The short answer is I got laid off! When I was in college I wanted to work in magazines so I attended Barnard in New York City and did four internships with print and digital publications while I was there. After school, one of the publications I interned at, Nylon, was hiring an editorial assistant for the print magazine so that was my first job out of college. I worked there for a year and a half primarily working on writing and editing fashion, beauty and art stories for both the magazine and the website. When the magazine folded in 2017, they laid off the whole print staff. After that I got hired as the assistant editor at Interview magazine, which was also a print position but I contributed to the website as well and started an online series called Clothes on Film where I interviewed costume designers about iconic looks from TV and movies. After eight months there, they folded as well and I was out on my own. I was still applying to some full-time jobs but didn’t quite know what I wanted. I started freelancing to make some money in between and ended up loving that I got to work for different editors and extend my services into copywriting and blog editing as well. I actually started my blog, Keep Calm and Chiffon, in 2012 and I’d been doing it on the side while I was in school and at my jobs at magazines. I started more actively pitching brands and getting paid collaborations on my website, Instagram, and YouTube channel and that pretty much leads us to today.
2) What was the transition like becoming your own boss?
I think that probably the biggest learning curve for me that I was so used to being a good employee that I also had to learn how to be a good boss, which meant saying no to projects that weren’t a good fit even if they were paid, making sure I was taking adequate breaks, and setting myself up for long-term success, not just floating through to the next month. I try as much as I can to check in with myself and ask “is what I’m doing today really serving me and my business?” And if it’s not, I figure out how to maneuver so that it does. I think that as an assistant editor I was used to taking on some of the not-so-fun work like invoices, scheduling, transcribing, and all of that so I’ve always kind of been down to do whatever I needed to so that things were moving forward. I think you really need that as an entrepreneur, especially when you’re a one woman show.
3) Walk us through a day in the life of Austen.
Unless I have a shoot or a meeting, most of my days actually start out the same. I wake up around 7:15 and make coffee and have breakfast at home. I do work from home but I like splitting the day at a café or co-working space if I’m able to so I can change my scenery. I’ll answer any emails that are urgent and then map out my big three for the day, as in the three things that must get done on that day. This really helps me prioritize what I’m working on. Some days are filled with interviews, PR meetings, and writing stories for publications I contribute to and other days are spent creating video content for YouTube or IGTV. I usually watch an educational YouTube video or listen to an entrepreneurship podcast when I take a lunch break. I usually try to be done for the day by the time my boyfriend gets home from work unless there is a project that is taking extra time. Then I like to go to the gym, cook dinner, and relax.
4) One thing I admire about you is that you diversify your brand - you have an e-book, YouTube, blog, etc. How do you balance all your platforms and why is it important to diversify?
Deciding on a content schedule has really helped keep me on track with various platforms. I currently upload two YouTube videos each week on Monday and Friday, one blog post on Wednesday, and have my blog newsletter go out on Sundays and my career newsletter go out on Wednesdays. Something that has helped me a lot in terms of balancing this all is batch work. I love taking a day where I’m just filming YouTube videos or I’m just writing newsletters because it helps me get in the zone for that one particular task and especially for something like filming it eliminates the need to set up my tripod, do my makeup, etc. many different times. I think it’s important to diversify your revenue streams whether you’re a business or a content creator because you never know when things will change. You could get blocked on a social media platform for reasons out of your control or your biggest client could drop you because of budget cuts. You always want to have options for yourself and one of my biggest tips is to create your own services and products (like my e-book Right on Pitch) because then you’re not dependent on external factors if something goes wrong.
5) What is your favorite platform and why? What is the most challenging platform?
My favorite platform is definitely YouTube right now. I love long-form video storytelling and when I spend time learning new skills for YouTube I see my work pay off and my following grow. Instagram is my most challenging platform right now and I’m trying to strike a balance between what I want to share and then what performs well. I want to make sure I’m still giving my audience what they like to see from me while slowly testing out some new content ideas. It’s hard to grow on the app, but right now I’m more focused on connecting with the audience that is already there.
5) What is the most impactful story or lesson from your career?
I think the most important thing I’ve learned is how to adapt to new situations and teach myself new skills. I taught myself so many things like copywriting, invoicing, negotiating, and these are all things I never would have learned had I not gotten laid off. You can figure out how to do anything if you’re willing to put in the time. Plus, Google has all of the answers you’re looking for.
6) Where do you see your career going in the next few years? What's your big aspiration?
I always want to continue to grow and impact others in a positive way. I’d love to continue freelance writing and add some more big names to my writing portfolio, but I’d also like to continue to learn new skills and try different things. I’ve gotten very into video content in the last year and it’d be great to get to learn more about how that world works and continue to improve my content. I also want to help other women create their dream jobs so that they can earn a living doing what they love.
7) Go back to college graduation: what would you tell yourself?
Trust the process and know that you can get through anything. Keep seeking opportunities that interest you, even if they’re outside of your “job description” and always, always ask for more money.
8) How do you find inspiration?
A lot of content on Instagram looks the same right now so I like looking at Pinterest, Tumblr, and old magazine editorials to get out of the cookie-cutter content that I usually consume. I’m also super inspired by street style and day-to-day life here in NYC.
9) Who is your role model?
I love looking at other women and content creators who initially started out in magazines and see what they’re doing now so Kristie Dash who works on beauty partnerships at Instagram is a big inspiration for me along with Alyssa Coscarelli, Olivia Muenter, and more. I also have to shout out my mom who is also a writer/editor who has always encouraged me creatively.
Rapid Fire:
Favorite workout: Spin class at Swerve
Favorite spot in NYC: Williamsburg Waterfront
Favorite snack: Cheez-Its
Favorite movie: The Devil Wears Prada
Favorite phone app: Jumprope, a video editing app that makes it easy to create how-to videos
Best way to spend a Friday night: order in pizza and split a six pack with my boyfriend