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Self Discovery and Authenticity

An Interview with Writer, Educator and LGBTQ+ Influencer Zoe Stoller

By Meg CorrieriPublished 2 years ago 8 min read
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Zoe Stoller (she/they) is an award-winning writer, educator, and speaker based in Philadelphia and New York City. They create educational content about the LGBTQ+ and mental health communities, as well as share their stories of self-discovery, to spread visibility and inspire others to be their fullest, most authentic selves. Zoe is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, and she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Social Work at Bryn Mawr College.

******* Interview Time! *******

Question: Can you tell me a little bit about how you got started as an influencer/LGBTQ+ educator and how you found your own voice in the space?

Answer: It all started when I was trying to figure out my own gender in Fall 2019 — I was searching for answers on social media, and I stumbled upon several LGBTQ+ creators whose education truly helped me discover my gender identity: genderfluid. Through this process, I realized that there is a huge gap in LGBTQ+ education in mainstream culture, but social media can be an incredible source of this knowledge, in a free and accessible way. I became very passionate about this idea and decided to put it into practice myself by making my social media pages a place where I could share education about all of the LGBTQ+ identities out there, as well as answer people’s questions — and hopefully make a positive difference in the world and people’s lives. Once I decided to pursue this, I definitely leaned on my marketing and writing backgrounds, as I had the skills and resources to create helpful content and grow quickly on social media. There’s been a lot of trial and error along the way, but with time and practice, I do feel I’ve found my voice in this space — and in all of my content, I strive to be my most authentic self.

Question: There are queer influencers all over the internet, but somehow you’ve managed to cut through the noise and make a name for yourself, with a following of over 65,000 across social media platforms. What do you think sets you apart?

Answer: Thank you so much! I think that I set myself apart in several main areas: namely, my professional background; my engagement with my community; and my overall authenticity. First, as I mentioned, I have a writing and marketing background — I studied creative writing in college, and I worked in the digital marketing field as a social media manager for several years after graduating in 2018. I have the knowledge and skills to create a successful brand, and I think that definitely shows in my personal brand!

Second, I always try to incorporate my social media community’s interests and needs into my content — I directly answer people’s questions in my videos, and I’m always asking for suggestions for future content. My goal is for my community to feel seen and heard, which in turn makes my page a space that they want to keep coming back to. I value my community so much, and I try to always communicate this through my work.

And finally, I think that people follow me and engage with my content because I am always showing up as my authentic self -- I share both the highlights of my life and the more challenging elements, such as my mental health struggles. This authenticity is something that’s lacking in social media as a whole, and so I try to work against this and help transform social media by making my corner of the internet as real and honest as I can.

Question: What advice do you have for growing a personal brand to this level?

Answer: The biggest way to grow your brand on social media right now is through creating short form video content (max 60 seconds long, but the shorter the better!). This form of content is what’s really captivating audiences right now, and many platforms even have their algorithm set so these videos get pushed to people who don’t already follow you — whereas other types of content is mainly shown to your current followers. You can also repost this content across multiple platforms (namely, TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Pinterest Idea Pins), which allows you to grow a following on a lot of social media sites without having to create new videos for each. (I always tell people to work smarter, not harder!) So overall, I’d suggest experimenting with making these short form videos and sharing them across all your platforms — it will definitely include a bit of trial and error, but with some work and time, you’ll have a leg up in growing your personal brand.

Question: What’s been the most exciting event/moment you’ve experienced since becoming an influencer?

Answer: It’s definitely hard to pick just one moment -- my life has been changed so positively by becoming an influencer! For example, I’ve discovered a new career path — social work — that feels so fulfilling and exciting. And I’ve formed a creative outlet that allows me to express my feelings and share my experiences. But I think that the best thing that becoming an influencer has brought me is a true community full of queer people of all identities. I have formed true friendships through social media, and this has been so empowering and inspiring, as I’ve never really had a huge group of LGBTQ+ friends. And I feel honored that I get to connect with new people on a daily basis and add new friends to my circle — some who live nearby me, and others who live around the world!

Question: Which people or books have had the most influence on your growth and why?

Answer: This is such a great question! And again, it’s hard to answer because there have been so many creators and resources that have helped influence my growth and personal work. But I’ll highlight a few main people here — I’ve been so inspired by the educational work of Ash Hardell, Christopher Rhodes, Jamie Raines, Lex Horwitz, Addison Rose Vincent, Schuyler Bailar, and so, so many more people. There is such a huge number of LGBTQ+ creators on the internet who are working so hard to spread queer visibility and information far and wide. And I’m so proud to be working among all of these incredible people!

*The creator links above are for Instagram, but these creators have pages on many other platforms as well.

Question: What are your 3 favorite tools for creating content?

Answer: My three favorite tools for creating content are Canva, Planoly, and Adobe Premiere Rush! I use Canva to make all of my social media graphics and cover photos — it’s so easy to use, and there are lots of great templates you can choose from to get started! Then I use Planoly to organize and store all of my content — I keep all of my potential photos and captions within the platform, and I plan out my grid for the upcoming weeks! And finally, I love Adobe Premiere Rush for editing videos for social media directly from my phone — it’s super easy to use, and I can easily trim and rearrange clips before I post the final product online. All of these apps have free versions, as well as paid options with more features.

Question: How do you create balance and establish boundaries between being an influencer and your personal life?

Answer: This is something I’m still working on, honestly! I’ve definitely always struggled with having a work/life balance, as I tend to pour myself into my work. And this becomes especially challenging when my work is social media, as that treads a fine line between work and entertainment, and so it’s easy to get even more absorbed into it. But I’m learning how important it is for my own mental and physical health to take breaks, and to focus on self-care separate from the internet — and so I’m trying to actively incorporate this into my life. (Of course, it’s a lot easier said than done! But it’s a work-in-progress!)

Question: What specific steps will you take/are you taking to achieve your vision of yourself in the next 5 years?

Answer: I’m currently a first-year graduate student studying social work, with a focus on LGBTQ+ community education and social justice. And I’m so excited to be using my education to inform and grow my personal brand! My overall goal is to meld my career with my work on social media, and I’ve discovered that operating through the lens of social work is a perfect way to achieve this. I’ll be graduating next spring (in 2023), and while I’m not exactly sure what my future will look like after that, my priorities are that l remain on a path of lifelong learning and staying curious about the world, and that I ensure I feel fulfilled by and passionate about everything I do. These two principles have guided me greatly in my life so far, and I know that whatever the future holds, if I remain true to these, I will be on the right path.

Question: Finally, do you have any upcoming events or announcements you wish to share?

Answer: I just became an official It Gets Better influencer on TikTok! For those who don’t know, It Gets Better is a non-profit organization that works to support LGBTQ+ youth — and one of their big projects as of late has been using the power of social media (especially TikTok) to spread educational information about the LGBTQ+ community. This is perfectly aligned with my own mission and passion, and so I’m very excited to be creating videos for their platform and helping to empower queer youth across the globe.

____________________________________________________

Thank you Zoe for taking the time to answer these questions and I appreciate everyone who took the time to read this interview! I have no doubt she will continue to inspire others to be their full authentic selves. Their hard work to increase queer visibility and educate others is incredibly admirable. -Meg

Check out the links below to stay updated on their journey: 

zoestoller.com

Instagram

TikTok

YouTube

Pinterest

Linkedin

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About the Creator

Meg Corrieri

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