Meet Ali Coll of Irvine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Coll.

Hi Ali, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi there! My name is Alitzel Yatzil Coll but I go by Ali . I first got my start way back when YouTube was the Wild West and Jenna Marbles was posting weekly. This was probably 11 to 12 years back but who’s counting. I remember starting my YouTube channel after I got my first digital camera and immediately began creating content.I didn’t know what I was doing but I liked it. So I started making content on the things that I loved ; art, food, animals. Not much has changed. I joined communities, collaborated with others, started a blog, became a YouTube Partner and even discovered what profession I wanted to pursue – marketing.

Fast forward, I’m still a content creator but have switch up on the platform I create on. Now I primarily freelance on TikTok (@uagoofy) and Instagram (@spotsoc) and promotes events, restaurants and things to do in the LA and OC area. It’s fun to jump around spot to spot filming and shooting and getting recognition to some amazing businesses. And along my content creating journey,I hope to start a business. Whether that be a to start my dream of owning my own art gallery or developing a new product or service the market has yet to see.

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?
By no means is this an easy job. It’s not an easy industry to sustain yourself gig by gig and the job market for marketing is saturated. Just because I’m shooting at the most beautiful restaurants or at the craziest looking events means I’m swimming in cash. Getting compensated with “free” products and compted meals surprisingly does not pay the bills. And I thought after graduating in Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing from CSUDH life would be easier financially. What I didn’t know was I’d have to go through several unpaid internships, pet sit and walk dogs for 8 years, work as a boba barista and even painted some murals yet barely making enough to stay a float.

Luckily, all that time working all those jobs helped me grown my skills and experience at a rate where I was able to align myself with the job I have. I applied to HUNDREDS of jobs and interviewed at more than I could count. But it only takes one job to say yes. And lucky for me it was a perfect fit. Their mission values aligned with those of mine and pushed you to grow your own skill set. And for the past 6 months, I’ve worked with Euroline Steel Windows where I can apply all my skills and expertise as their main Marketing and Sales Admin. I have a lot to learn and they push me while I continue with my own content creation.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am most proud of the journey I took to get to the point I am now. I began by helping companies with influencer marketing since it was a fairly new concept back then. I had the experience of being on the other side of the brand as a micro-influencer on YouTube and knew how to work with them. I was approached to work with a local Orange County startup called Babes Who Create and helped them grow from having one chapter to over 50+ including a chapter in Egypt.

After, I was recommended to partnered with a businesse based in Tokyo, Japan where I marketed their ghost kitchen called A Cup Of Sushi. I operated from the brand side and mainly ran campaigns to increase brand awareness and sales during Covid.

TikTok was a big hit during the pandemic and everyone was joining, including businesses. I thought, how great would it be to have a digital portfolio and basically show a 360 strategy view to my clients. I could once again speak from the creator perspective and be someone that is an expert in the video creating space.

Luckily, businesses started reaching out to me after seeing my personal content. I was discovered by LOCALE Magazine and became a digital contributor and helped grow their online presence after going from a physical magazine to fully digital. And at the time, helped grow their social media following with a cross platform total to approximately 600K.

What matters most to you? Why?
Happiness for myself and those around me. I feel best when I see myself succeeding in life and getting the chance to follow my dreams but even more so when my friends and family can experience the same too.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wincking/profilecard/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alitzel-coll
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thewincking?si=GPM1qgXfXhN8mTR4
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@uagoofy?_t=8qFrZdVzD6E&_r=1