Discussing the Impact of Social Media With Cameo

Recently Brody and I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago and meet with the amazing team at Cameo. With a special spotlight on social media creators, we were able to chat all things Instagram, TikTok, and what it really means to be an “influencer.” I’ve been doing this for 10 years—back when a website and Facebook were pretty much all you had!—and it was really fun to be able to reflect on where we started and talk about where we’re going next!

Humble Beginnings

I started this journey 10 years ago when I first moved to San Diego! I decided I didn’t want to just focus on Facebook anymore, so I started my own website. Going in, I really wanted an audience. But I soon realized that just wanting it wasn’t going to give me the audience I actually wanted. I made a decision early on to just be real and authentic regardless of what I thought others wanted to see. It seems obvious, but with social media that can be a lot harder than you think. But I’m proud to say I’ve stuck to my guns and now I have a real true audience that gets me, gets my family, and connects with that. 

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When Things Took Off

Who knew it’d be our little tiny dancer to launch us Schaffers into the spotlight! It’s been nearly three years since Brody first went viral. By that point, I had already built a strong following on my Instagram, but I don’t think any of us were prepared for what was about to happen.

I knew Brody was different when he was around 18 months old. As he continued to grow I knew I had a superstar on my hands. His talent at such a young age wasn’t normal! The kind of musicality he was displaying and his dance moves before he could even walk… it was incredible!

I always called him ‘boss’ because he was a demanding baby for sure and over time that nickname turned into what he is now known as Boss Baby Brody! Then Oprah said he was the next big thing and that basically sealed the deal!

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What’s Next For Us

Sitting down to speak with Cameo, it’s clear social media is ever-changing. Just as Instagram was the hottest thing four years ago, TikTok has now taken over. Like a lot of you, I was 100 percent influenced by the pandemic to join TikTok. We started to feel virality when we hit 1 million followers and have had continuous steady growth after that. Now that we are almost 4 million, Brody gets recognized constantly. It’s unavoidable; he’s a little celebrity. That’s part of the reason we’ve done so much with Cameo. We love sharing Brody’s magnetic talent and personality!

But I’m a mom first. Showing your family on social media can be such a slippery slope. I never want to throw him out there like a show pony. He’s a kid first, always. But he’s also a dancer with an insane passion to share it. Brody’s not an influencer he is a talent, he is extremely skilled in what he does and for being so young it is unbelievable. You can’t deny his passion. He’s unique and genuine and people really connect with that.

That’s what led us to where we are now—signed with WME and taking social media by storm! I always follow my gut, mom knows best, but of course, I am backed by my agents and they offer more than what my gut can, given how long they have been in the industry. We’re able to really focus on the important messages we want to share and be selective about who we work with. The end result is an inclusive, welcoming space where everyone is invited to be themselves.