Today we’d like to introduce you to Roger Ma
Hi Roger, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Before I even knew that being a content creator was a possible career choice, I was always interested in the world of beauty. In middle school, I’d sneak powders and pencils from my mom’s makeup bag, learning how to apply them through countless YouTube tutorials. My first high school job was at the mall, as a skincare sales associate who also created content for the brand’s Instagram. Then in college, I worked remotely for a Korean marketing agency that managed social campaigns for a portfolio of beauty brands, which taught me how different audiences responded to different types of content. Yet, even with that experience, which I really enjoyed, becoming a creator full time wasn’t on my radar.
It wasn’t until I started casually sharing my beauty and skincare tips on TikTok—and saw my following skyrocket during the pandemic—that I realized: everything I’d done up to that point had led me to that moment. And because it had been my actual job to market and sell beauty products, I was comfortable sharing product knowledge and giving very honest reviews. Luckily, people found my advice helpful and funny.
Fast forward, 4 years since I posted the first TikTok on my own channel, I’m still honing my knowledge, content style, and connection with my community. And I’m so grateful!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My journey as a creator took off during the social media boom of pandemic, and I’ve been lucky enough to keep that momentum going for the past few years. I was kind of doing the right thing at the right time. But you know how many wrong things I did at the wrong time before that? A LOT.
Before finding my career in social media, I felt so lost. I had just finished my first two years of college, spending half that time trying to win the approval and attention of the wrong people. The rejection and shame I felt from that led to depression—it was a rough period that wasn’t easy to overcome.
Looking back, my biggest struggle was not knowing who I really was. I lost sight of what I was truly passionate about. It wasn’t until the pandemic isolated me from all those outside influences that I finally reconnected with myself. This allowed me to find my voice and my community, online and in real life.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
For the past four years, I’ve focused on creating skincare content through reviews, experiences, and travel. It’s very personal for me, and I love it. But it still surprises me when people say they’ve visited a skin clinic in Korea or bought a pimple patch because of my videos. While it’s my job, but every time I realize that my content has impact outside of the views and metrics that it generates, it’s a really rewarding and humbling feeling.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Since I was born and raised in LA, I always thought about moving to another city in my 20s. When I actually did for a few years during college, I ended up missing LA so much that I came back every weekend. It’s hard to put into words… but I know that LA will always have my heart because my family is here, my best friends are here—plus, the amazing food scene and incredible mix of cultures.
