Inspiring Conversations with Aaron Chism of Inner ChYld Creative

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Chism.

Hi Aaron, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. I grew up in a tough neighborhood, but I always tried to stay focused on school, church, and reading. In high school, I picked up football, which taught me a lot about discipline and structure. My grades weren’t perfect, but I still managed to graduate and became the first in my family to be accepted into a four-year college.

At first, I planned to stay local in LA, but right before my freshman year, I got a call from Morehouse College in Atlanta letting me know they had a spot for me. I had never been out of state before—barely even out of the city—but with encouragement from my high school counselors, I took a leap of faith. Since my mom was afraid of flying and had never left California since moving from Memphis, we made a two-and-a-half-day Greyhound trip across the country so I could start my freshman year.

I majored in Biology/Pre-med because, at the time, I thought I wanted to be a doctor (thanks to watching Grey’s Anatomy). By my senior year, I realized medicine wasn’t for me, but I stuck it out and graduated with my Biology degree. After college, I moved back home to LA without a clear plan. My first jobs were bagging groceries and working as a teacher’s assistant at my old elementary school in Watts while I figured out my next step.

Around that time, I read a book that mentioned many great leaders had sales backgrounds, so I decided to pivot. I landed my first sales role cold-calling companies at a recruiting agency, then moved in-house as a recruiter at Internet Brands. From there, I jumped to Snapchat, where I recruited Android and iOS engineers, but eventually I realized recruiting wasn’t the long-term path I wanted.

In 2019, I joined DoorDash as a Strategic Partnerships Manager, helping marketing and operations for top restaurants across the U.S. When the pandemic hit, DoorDash’s role in supporting restaurants grew, and it became an incredible learning experience. After 2.5 years, I made the move to TikTok as a Creator Partner Manager. Over four years, I worked with hundreds of top creators—supporting their content strategies and helping them grow. I was lucky to collaborate with creators like Keith Lee, Jordan the Stallion, The Sign Guy (Austin Mollno), Emely Moreno, Antonio Neville and many more.

After TikTok, I decided to take another leap of faith and launch my own company: Inner ChYld Creative. It’s a brand agency that connects top brands with creators and influencers. On the other side, it’s also a creator collective of 100+ members, where we provide education, strategy, and support, while also opening doors to brand opportunities that come through the agency.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Someone once asked me in a job interview what my superpower was, and the first thing that came to mind was being present. I have the ability to block out the noise and focus fully on the task in front of me. I don’t see “struggles” as something to get stuck in. I’ve always gone into new challenges knowing the road won’t always be smooth, and when things get rough, I view it as a redirection toward a better path.

One of my biggest struggles came earlier this year when I launched Inner ChYld Creative. After years of steady income, those first few months as an entrepreneur were tough. There were moments I seriously thought about throwing in the towel and going back to a job. But I reminded myself of the pivots I’ve made throughout my life. If I could grow up in South Central, make it through college, and defy the odds so many times, then this was just another moment to trust that inner voice telling me to keep going.

That perspective helped me realize this journey is bigger than me. The creators and businesses I serve need someone to bridge the gap between them and I want to be that bridge.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I launched Inner ChYld Creative back in February after spending four years at TikTok. At first, I thought I’d go the traditional route of managing digital talent. But after countless conversations with creators, I realized most of them wanted flexibility with who they partnered with and didn’t want to be tied down to exclusive contracts. At the same time, I wanted to build a business that could also be a resource for traditional management companies. That’s when the idea of the collective was born.

Today, our Inner ChYld Collective is made up of over 100 creators across every niche—ranging from 10K followers to millions. It’s more than just a network; it’s a community. Creators join to learn, grow, and access brand opportunities. We’ve hosted sessions with teams from Snapchat and Substack, teaching creators how to scale on those platforms, and even brought in an entertainment attorney to break down the legal side of being a creator. Every creator in the collective is vetted through an application and interview process, so brands know they’re working with professionals who have already been approved.

On the brand side, we provide full-service influencer marketing support: sourcing the right creators, handling communication and contracts, tracking deliverables, and providing performance insights and cultural context. Unlike traditional agencies, we’re constantly engaging with our vetted creator community, which gives brands access to authentic voices that truly fit their campaign goals. Beyond digital campaigns, we also support experiential activations by filling events with top creators nationwide, thanks to our strong presence in most major U.S. cities.

What sets us apart—and what I’m most proud of—is the culture we’ve built. For creators, the collective feels like family. We highlight each member by sharing a childhood photo, which ties back to our name and mission: helping creators tap into their “Inner ChYld.” We believe that when creators create from a place of joy and remember their “Y” (their why), there’s no such thing as failure.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Creators who are interested in joining the Inner ChYld Creative Collective can apply directly through our website at innerchyldcreative.com under the “ For Creators” section.

Brands looking to collaborate are welcome to reach out to me directly on LinkedIn or by email at aaron@innerchyldcreative.com
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And for anyone who wants to support in general, give us a follow on Instagram @innerchyldcreative and spread the word!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.innerchyldcreative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innerchyldcreative/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-chism-b6932b113/