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Nara Smith’s Secret Ingredient For Building a Multimillion-Dollar Business | Aspire with Emma Grede – Transcript
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Today I was craving some cereal and popcorn, so I decided to make it. Most people know Nara Smith from the world she's created online. But behind the recipes, the fashion, and the millions of people watching is a 24year-old businesswoman who understands how to turn attention into opportunity, and she knows exactly what she's doing. What you created was like this unbelievable visual language. The whole thing was like hypnotic.
>> It's just me filming the content and editing and doing the whole thing. It usually is a 7 to 8 hour standing day in the I don't want anyone telling me what to do. I don't want anyone editing. I don't want any input. That's my thing. That's my lane. You stay out of it. >> We all know the label that's been attributed to you.
>> Yeah. >> Trad wife. >> Yeah. We as women can do anything we want to and we should stop putting women in boxes. I put my revenue very specific places. I invest in companies. I do all these different things that aren't just one stream of income or one way of saving. One thing I always tell my team is I want longevity. When I do different partnerships, I don't want you to guys to pay me in just cash. I want equity in the company. Do you think that you're able to talk openly about who makes what
in the relationship? Do you see yourself as the next Martha Stewart? Why do you think people have such strong reactions to you and what they think you represent? It's always so crazy to me when I look at the data, but the large majority of people that watch this show aren't subscribed, and it's the only way that we can grow and keep bringing you
the content that you want. So, do me the biggest favor. It costs absolutely nothing. It takes no time at all, and it would mean the world to me and the team at Aspire if you would subscribe to our YouTube channel. It means you'll get all of our best content without needing to search. Thanks so much, >> Nara Smith. Welcome to Aspire.
>> Thanks for having me. >> I am so happy to have you today. You have no idea. It is so fun. >> I've been listening to the podcast for a while. >> You have? >> Oh, yeah. >> Oh, that makes me so happy. >> Like all kinds of episodes. Like I think it was Did you guys have the Poppy founder on?
>> Oh, yes. >> And then the divorce attorney just barely >> Oh, yes. You got something you want to let us know, babe? I'm just intrigued. I love knowledge in any way or form. >> Well, you know what we're about to get into today. You know, you know what to expect. I don't want any surprises. I don't want your team to come back to me.
They're >> going to be like, um, flag that question. >> Flag that question. I have nothing as such for you. But I do actually want to talk to you and I've wanted to speak to you for the longest time because I think you're one of the people in the culture right now that everyone thinks that they know something about. everyone has an opinion on you and what's really interesting is that I wanted to have you on Aspire because I want to understand what people don't actually know about you that at the end of the day you are
an incredibly successful businesswoman and I wonder if you actually feel that way about yourself. I never did. So starting out I didn't and still sometimes when people say it I'm like oh you're right but I know what I'm doing.
I know how I'm positioning things. I know what I'm investing in. I know what I spend my time on doing. So, yeah, I'm running a full-on business. And the older I get, cuz I'm also only 24. Um, >> that is crazy. By the way, >> as I turn 44, the fact that you're only 24 is like insane.
>> But that I love sitting down with people that have done this and are doing it successfully and just learning it all. But like as time goes on, the more I feel comfortable using that term and doing all of that. So, yeah, I am a businesswoman. >> There you go. She said it. She said it.
Absolutely. >> Look, I when I when I look at you as very clearly a successful businesswoman, a marketeteer, something that absolutely fascinates me is the distinction that you have. You've created such a persona around yourself, the voice and the clothes and the food and the pacing, the way you do things. I wonder how consciously you've built that version of Nora Smith. In the beginning, it was very unintentional. The voice came from my kids sleeping next to me and me
having to get this video up. So, I spoke quietly. It resonated with people. I also love ASMR. So, it kind of was that. After a while, I'm like, "Oh, this is actually very soothing." And that's what people recognized me for. The clothing, I have a fashion background. I love dressing up. I've been a model for 10 years now. It just is naturally always there. And then during the pandemic, I had nowhere to wear my clothes to. And then after it felt weird and everyone was adjusting, so I just wore them at
home. and then started filming in them. And then with the recipes, I got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and developed really severe eczema to where I had to look at food completely different. Also, not being American, food in America is a little wonky sometimes. So, I started making >> Say that again, babe.
>> But I feel like anyone who knows you, who's follows you, like we understand your story. We know exactly where you come from and why you did what you did. I wonder to me because there's an element of what you do which is there's so much character in it. There's so much performance. It's almost like performance art. And a part of me kind of wants to ask you like how much of it are you in on? Like how much of it do you consciously understand that the audience is actually responding to
something that you're getting so much attention and that you're building a business in this way and therefore you're purposeful with how you're coming across. In the beginning, I wasn't because it all kind of came together naturally and I didn't really think much of it. I just posted what I posted and didn't think much of it. And then the more backlash and positive feedback I got, the more I kind of realized and understood what was happening and what was working and what wasn't working. And obviously if something works, you tap into it and keep doing it. So that's
kind of how I figured that out. But it wasn't born out of me sitting down and strategizing on what to do. It was kind of born out of need essentially. >> Yeah. And then at some point you go, "This is working. I love that. And I feel like that's how so many true, honest, authentic businesses are built. You start doing something, you test, and you iterate, and you learn, and you lean into what works. And so, I don't think that it's any different when you're an incredibly successful creator. That makes total
sense. What's the biggest thing you think the internet gets wrong about Nara Smith? >> You know it. >> I love how you're skating around to ask me straight out, say it, Ben. I would never say I was actually hoping that you wouldn't say that because I think that what's so interesting, we all know the label that's been attributed to you.
Yeah. >> Trad wife. It's really funny because I have never thought about you in that way. I've never either, which is why I was silent about it for so long because I thought it was just this random thing that popped up. I'm because I don't think that. I'm a working mom. I work very long hours. So does Lucky. We juggle the kids so we figure it out. So to me, I never saw myself as that and I corrected that and said that and showed that, but it got misconstrued. So I
don't really necessarily I don't really care whether people whatever they do with that information. I've been very clear on what I am and what I like doing and you can take that as you will. Do you think that there was a point in time though where that label was actually a good thing where it was additive? Because I feel like Tradice had such a moment and you being like the queen on the top of the pile of everything maybe wasn't that >> yes and yes and no because I think
sometimes that we get labeled as things and it's not always entirely negative. I never really sat with it that long. I kind of just let it brush off. I never addressed it. I went about about my life, got on the next flight out to make some money and didn't really think much of it. And then >> here we are talking about it now because maybe it is important for me to have the conversation that we as women can do anything we want to and we should stop putting women in boxes that they don't
belong in. Like we're so multiaceted. So if me saying that will help the conversation, great. >> Yeah. I mean, say it a little louder for the people in the back cuz that's what this is about at the end of the day. So, when did it move from you from being like this hobby and the idea of like you cooking to this is a format and this is somewhere that I can make money? I think after a few videos blew up that were from scratch cooking, I kind of leaned into the from scratch angle a little bit more and then my content kind of evolved
into what it is now. There wasn't a distinctive time that I remember being like, "Oh, this is a business." It was more so, it's working. Let me repeat it and keep going and keep going. And then I've been signed to a modeling agency. Well, I'm not anymore, but I was signed to a modeling agency since I was 14 to where I've always had agents in whatever capacity. So then when the social took off, they kind of took that over. And now obviously the business has grown so much to where I left the agency just because the model didn't suit my career
and where I wanted to go. So I took on management agents, have other partners, and now we're in a totally different spot. >> It's a whole new world. Was that a good decision for you? >> Absolutely. I was nervous. I'm very indecisive when it comes to stuff, but I listen to my gut and figure out what is the best for my business. And sure, was it hard leaving my agents that I've had such a close relationship to? Yes. But from a business perspective, it made no sense staying. So now I've I'm with a new team and it's been amazing.
>> Yeah. There's a necessary evolution there because I think what a model agent does is nothing to do with actually Nara Smith, right? You become a face for whatever brand somebody wants to pay you to be a face for. Now you're anchoring off some. Yeah, it's a very very different thing. And also hopefully they're not just booking you because you've got partnerships and you've got big agreements going on. You're creating yourself and of course you've got this book which I am dying to talk to you
about. Um but before we get into that, like I think that what's so interesting about you is that you've created something that you know is so instantly recognizable. What do you actually think with the benefit of hindsight? Like what made it work? I think it was a combination out of the hook of the video which was my kids are craving, my husband's craving, I'm home alone, so I'm making a girl dinner and that not being a girl dinner or being elaborate, but that's just what I prefer. And that
was actually the reality. So it didn't feel like I was being inauthentic to myself or to what was going on. And then the outfit, the crazier the outfit, the better people have started having conversation about it and I had fun expressing myself in that way. And then the recipe obviously.
>> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's interesting because what you created was like this unbelievable visual language and then you created this thing that we didn't even actually need to be watching it because if we were just hearing you like that pace, your point of view, the way you speak, like the whole thing was like hypnotic in a way, right? like it was I mean it's so interesting but even like to go back now I I'm assuming that you understood that this thing plus this
thing plus this thing the voice plus the outfit plus the pacing like it all came together and you understood that actually you were creating more than just an individual video it was like you were creating a content format >> yeah I was creating a world I guess I love the idea of world building and marketing and kind of being this person that has all these different avenues that she's in but she's essentially created this little world that people want to be a part of or that just want to people just want to watch essentially. So that's kind of what my
content became. >> So Nara, if social media disappeared tomorrow, what would still exist because of everything that you've built? >> I think people really want extreme things. I think it's kind of transitioned from people being fascinated by content. Their attention span has has got shorter and shorter and you really need to capture their attention quick and with something insane for them to stick around. But I also think we're transitioning more into long form content now, which is really