Conversations with Michael Pepito

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Pepito.

Hi Michael, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
For as long as I can remember, I have always been a creative individual, through and through. I’ve danced & performed for almost 10 years in the socal hiphop dance community, on the team Q Minor, Underground Dance Team, Team Millennia & Miniotics. Once I concluded competitive dancing however, I faced an identity crisis of who I was without dance. The Influencer/content creator industry was sprouting in 2016/2017 and I remember seeing some mutuals on instagram getting PR packages and brand deals & I was highly intrigued. Thus, I started my content creation journey in 2017 within the beauty & fashion niches. Since then, I have grown my tik tok account to ovr 250k+ followers & my instagram to 16K followers. My social media growth landed me so many incredible and cool opportunities! I’ve collaborated with over 100+ beauty, skincare & fashion brands such as haus labs, rare beauty, maybelline, farmacy, and many more. I’ve attended brand events from Tik Tok, Urban Decay, Prettylittlething, The Ordinary & was even invited in 2023 to attend the Emmys as a guest in Los Angeles! I’m really thankful to be a queer, non-binary/transfeminine, Filipino creator and to have grown a community of followers, connections and creatives who align with my branding, my story & who I am. And the story still continues as I keep on the path i’ve carved and hoping to attract more aligned opportunities and experiences as a creative in this beautiful city.

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?
My content creator journey definitely came with a plethora of challenges. As a creative, burnout has ebbed and flowed with my creativity over the years. Due to social media being a consistency & volume game, the pressure to show up and post multiple content pieces everyday really came with it’s ups and downs. Although I enjoy showing up, the pressure to continuously show up to stay relevant was a very really stressor. On top of that, my fast and rapid growth on tik tok during the pandemic in 2020, was surreal and incomprehensible at the time. More visibility, meant more susceptibility to online bullying which I dealt a ton with from people online being homophobic and even racist at times. However, I knew from the very beginning of my journey that public opinion comes with the territory, so I wasn’t blindsided by this, however I did struggle and it did mess with my mental health deeply back then. But overall, the community i’ve built over the years and the amazing opportunities that have come my way have all been so worth it.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
On social media, I am a makeup artist, non-binary/transfeminine model & I am an internet personality who creates content around self worth, motivation, queer experiences and spirituality/manifestation.

As someone who is transfeminine and a person of color, I don’t come across many people in my day to day life who share this unique experience. My very existence is polarizing, attracting either alot of admiration or alot of scrunity. So by me showing up in the digital space in my purest artistic essence expressing myself through makeup, fashion and spirituality, I get to show up and show the world that a story and a life like mine does exist. And i know this gives people who are like me or are wanting to break out and be boldly queer and creative, hope. And that same hope was given to me by THE pioneer influencer who is also filipino & non-binary like me, Bretman Rock. His fearlessness carved a path that showed me someone like me could exist freely and inspire in this social media society.

I am most proud to be a Queer, filipino & transfeminine creator on social media, living my truth and authenticity through my visual artistry with makeup & fashion, my personality and my mind.

I believe there is a space for all to exist authentically in their unique expression. The brand and platform I have built over the years has served as a beacon of hope, inspiration and authenticity for all who come across me and share my similar experiences and artistry. To live authentically in your own lane, allows others to witness and be unafraid to carve out their own authentic lane to live.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
My absolute favorite early childhood memory was my weekend hikes with my Aunt and sister at Red Rock Canyon in Nevada when I was about 5 years old. (which was my birthplace before I moved to California in 2004). The Canyon was vast and the rocks were so uniquely shaped and had this beautiful red to it. My Aunt was always a huge influence to my fitness & wellness as an adult, and hiking was one of the first outdoorsy activities that was fun, adventurous and definitely a good workout. After hiking, on the drive home, my aunt would drive on the gravel in her white jeep and me and my sister felt like we were on a rollercoaster!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@themikeypeps
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missmikeypeps
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@missmikeypeps