JMatt’s Journey to Self-Employment with HashtagMKE

It’ll never be the ‘right’ time to take big risks. But with the right preparation, you can improve your chances of success. After a lot of consideration, I’ve made the decision to go fully self-employed with HashtagMKE.

Skip to read about HashtagMKE’s services.

I founded this brand in 2017 as a passion project to help me network with local social media professionals. The popularity grew to an average of 50 people in attendance at each monthly networking event.

We were gaining so much momentum that HashtagMKE, LLC became an official business in February 2020. Even then, I didn’t intend to make this my sole source of income.

Pivoting in 2020

The next month, like many of us, I had to put my plans on hold. One pivot had me dedicating more time to content creation. All while searching for a new job that could hold my interest.

Through a mixture of trial and error with consistent effort, I stumbled upon a new niche. Short-form videos that provided options for locals in the city of Milwaukee. In July 2020, I gained 50,000 followers in a week on TikTok and would gain another 100,000 over the next year or so.

By 2022, my social media presence led to collaborations with Culver’s, Pepsi, Red Bull, and more. This was the first time I started to wonder, ‘could HashtagMKE become my full-time job?’ By the end of the year, I had hired an assistant to help me strategize and share some of the work.

In February of this year, I started asking local entrepreneurs for advice. They provided a lot of valuable insights, including the challenges that will inevitably come.

Is Self-Employment Realistic?

My momentum did slow a little before Q2. My ability to create consistent content was just not manageable, even with help. Burnout came for me hard and definitely took a toll on my mental health. It was a tough realization. I could no longer neglect my well-being while trying to accomplish everything I set my sights on.

I started to wonder, was it a fluke that these brands reached out? What if I went self-employed and couldn’t find enough income to sustain my cost of living? As a solo-income household (a fancy way to say, I’m single), I only have myself to rely on. The fear of taking the risk started to set in.

Beyond working with brands, my organic posting frequency was cut down significantly. It was becoming a lot to juggle.

Regaining Momentum

A few months ago, the Milwaukee Mile wanted to collaborate for the August NASCAR race. That started my… engine (bad pun, I could help it, but here we are). Even with this renewed excitement, I just didn’t have time to pursue my own partnerships. Especially not when I needed to prioritize my 10a-6p salaried position at an ad agency.

By the date of this publication, Old Milwaukee and I have collaborated in November. I have other new partnerships coming that I can’t announce quite yet. It won’t be long until you see the posts on my Instagram and TikTok via @JMattMke.

I even secured a monthly client!

‘Could HashtagMKE become my full-time job?’ This question was once again, top of mind.

The Decision

While not an easy decision, it became clear that I needed to take the leap and become my own boss!

Up until now, I’ve let brands and potential clients find me. I’m fortunate that my strategic efforts have led to some great partnerships over the years. Now that I have time to make the first contact myself, it should be easier, right?

I certainly won’t minimize the difficulty ahead. But for the first time in years, I am waking up before my alarm clock goes off. My days are filled with excitement again; the excitement that has been missing since a global pandemic forced me to leave my dream job.

I have a new dream job, being fully invested in myself!

HashtagMKE’s Services

It’s a great story (though, as the author, I’m biased). The question you may be asking is, what does HashtagMKE even do? Well, I’m excited to tell you!

Social Media Coaching

Coaching > Consulting. The coaching approach is more collaborative.

Our monthly coaching services are intended to empower small businesses and individuals to gain the confidence and skills needed to manage their own social media presence. All within 6 months of coaching.

While we work together, we’ll establish a strategic plan for your social media goals while giving you the tools for success.

Of course, if you don’t need ongoing support, HashtagMKE also offers 1-hour coaching sessions on demand.

Workshops

We offer ‘Intro to Social Media’ for small business owners and entrepreneurs who aren’t sure where to start. If you want a specific social media topic covered, we can customize our workshops for your group too.

Since hosting networking events for 7 years, we know how to make the experience more comfortable. Our ‘Networking 101’ workshop will give you tips to help you gain confidence before attending your next event. This is great for college students or anyone who has been out of the networking scene for a while.

Public Speaking

I (JMatt) am available for hire as a public speaker. As a former top-40 on-air personality and wedding DJ, I have no problem talking to large crowds. Foureva Media invited me to join the Entertainment Panel for their 2022 Lead the Movement Conference which put me at the center of Fiserv Forum.

Social media is a broad topic for sure, I can speak to my specialties in personal branding, short-form video content, and storytelling.

I’m also available for mental health events. My mental health advocacy can be seen through my content via @JMattADHD. This includes my participation in the 22 Pushup Challenge for over 2,500 days (nearly 7 years).

Events

Every second Thursday of the month from 6-8p, HashtagMKE hosts a free networking event for content creators and social media enthusiasts. We’re looking for a sponsor to cover 12 events/year. You can also book a vendor table during an event. Vendor tables are great for brands looking to reach the creative community in the Greater Milwaukee Area.

We’re also eager to bring back the Agency After Hours with drinks provided by Low Key Hospitality. This event series is every other month at creative/ad agencies in the city of Milwaukee. We’re looking for a sponsor to cover 6 events/year. We also need agencies to host us, in addition to a 2-hour networking event, the agency provides a 20-minute presentation on a social media topic of their choice).

Content Creation

I (JMatt) have 181,000 followers on TikTok and over 11,000 followers on Instagram. My audience is largely concentrated in the southeastern Wisconsin area. Recently, I was nominated for Milwaukee Influencer by the readers of Shepherd Express for the 2023 Best of Milwaukee awards.

If you’d like to partner with me, I’d be happy to discuss options for collaboration.

If you need help with your own short-form video content, HashtagMKE is available for hire. We can make content specifically for you to own and post as needed.

Influencer Marketing

I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on both sides of influencer marketing. Hiring influencers through an agency on behalf of brands and contracting out deliverables. On the flip side, I have been approached by agencies and brands to produce deliverables.

My experience gives me a unique perspective that can be helpful in teaching how to reach out to influencers and get responses. I can also help you navigate negotiating and setting your rates.

My favorite acquired skill is scouting up-and-coming content creators and coaching them in order to grow more intentionally. I can also help brands identify influencers that fit their campaign goals.

HashtagMKE Apparel

The highly requested signature HashtagMKE hat is now available. Our shop also has a few other clothing items you can purchase.

Affiliate Marketing

Amazon invited me to join their Influencer program and I may have put off setting this off for a little too long. It’s live and I’ll be adding more to it soon, my affiliate marketing link is Amazon.com/Shop/JMattMke.

I’m looking for brands to work with, like Koss headphones (their HQ is in Milwaukee!).

For The Skimmers…

With all this going on, why did I wait so long to go self-employed? A great question that I have been asked by many for years. I tell myself it’s because I wanted to be smart about it (or at least be more confident in myself).

Long overdue is email marketing. I know, I know, I was focusing my limited time on the things I enjoyed most and email marketing didn’t make the cut.

If you want to stay in the loop on upcoming HashtagMKE events, social media best practices, and local content – sign up for our e-newsletter. We won’t bombard you with emails. I don’t like when brands do it to me, so I won’t do it to you!

If you’d like to work with me or HashtagMKE, fill out an inquiry on our contact page. Or DM us directly on the social media platform of your choice (@HashtagMKE, @JMattMke, or even @JMattADHD).

Thank you for reading, or at least skimming this article!