Today we’d like to introduce you to Riley Clayton.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been interested in cameras, videography and photography since I was a kid. People like Casey Neistat, Jay Alvarrez, and Sam Kolder were an inspiration in the early stages of picking up a camera. I got my first Gopro when I was 12 years old and started filming anything and everything I could. I started filming at skateparks which was my life at the time, and with the inspiration from Casey Neistat that slowly turned into vlogging. I eventually started daily vlogging for a couple months (was definitely the trend at the time), and eventually started to figure out what I wanted to get out of being a creative. To me – being a “creative” always meant you had to be putting out the highest quality content in you field, but now looking back being a creative is something that’s ingrained in you from an early age, and eventually it just all clicks. I started to get more into the fashion & clothing space in 2015-2017 and thats where I started to gain momentum across different social platforms. Supreme and Bathing Ape clothing hauls where kryptonite during those years lol. As I grew in my creative skills, I started to study and learn social media in all aspects. The early years of social media were ver changing and I knew I had to “play the game” or get left behind. I grew my own personal brand and platform as well as multiple different social platforms such as “@VansFiles” in collaboration with Oldmanalan to over 100K followers.
From there I realized the potential in social media and went all in. I dedicated all my freetime outside of working a warehouse job to sharpening my skills, connecting with brands, doing as many photoshoots as possible, and growing multiple niche instagram profiles. I eventually connected with a fitness brand and came on fulltime as their chief marketing director. I helped them scale over 5 years to multiple locations across the US while simultaneously working on my own personal branding. It came a time were I outgrew working with them and I felt it deep in my soul I needed to commit to growing an agency full-time. I was about to close escrow on my first house, had a few clients I was working with, and no clue if I’d even be able to pay my first months mortgage. I had the full support of my fiance, & if it wasn’t for her I don’t know if I ever would have fully committed. I quit my full time job, took the jump and never looked back. I quickly was able to connect with all of the people & brands I connected with over the years, and put value as the forefront of my business. Over the past three years I’ve been able to travel the world, work with amazing people, help scale various different brick & mortar businesses, and help brands find their identity and bring it to light. All glory to God.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Financially:
By no means has it been a smooth road. In the beginning I worked a warehouse job to make ends meet, and did free photoshoots to get my name out there. 90% of the time I didn’t know if I would make it to the next payday, but on the outside I was always happy and you’d never know. When I came on as a marketing director for the fitness brand, it was still a semi small company in the sense of franchises – and I took a lower pay cut trusting that I would grow with the brand. I ate shit for YEARS. I had a one bedroom apartment with my girlfriend and could hardly afford to make ends meet. It was a blessing in disguise because it forced me to take on more side work which I eventually used as the basis for my agency. I stayed with the company for 5 years and never was compensated financially with what I was putting in – which eventually led to me making the jump along many other reasons.
Mentally:
The battle of “will this ever make sense?”, “will people actually want to work with me?”, “what if I fail and this doesn’t work out?” never seemed to go away. You eventually learn to talk to that inner voice and assure yourself it will all be okay.
Relationships:
I commited everything to my work and knew there would be sacrifices. I lost friends, time with family, missed events. But I knew it would all come with a price. It all goes back to that inner doubt of “will this all be worth it?, and you just hand on to the hope that it all will be.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Unlost Cause Consulting?
We are boutique agency that focuses on helping entrepreneurs & brands bring their mission statement and core values to social media through photos & videos. Our team works very close and directly with you to learn, understand, and dissect your business and how you operate – and then through our curation process we find the best way to communicate that to your ideal audience. We specialize in social media management, videography, photography, and creative directing.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
At the end of the day – God, My fiance, and my family are my everything. I think 90% of people chasing success would say the same, but some get lost in the chase and lose it all in the process. I’ve built my business and life around being able to be present, be in control of my time, and to be a light to God through my actions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://therileyclayton.com
- Instagram: instragra.com/therileyclayton
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ITWASLIT
