Episode 37: Zaina Sesay - Strength, Reinvention, & Embracing the Unexpected

Episode 37: Zaina Sesay - Strength, Reinvention, & Embracing the Unexpected

Author: Kwame Appiah & Scott Sutton March 12, 2025 Duration: 47:34
Meet Zaina, a content creator and entrepreneur with a passion for fitness, wellness, and self-care. She shares her journey of personal transformation, from building a thriving creator community to finding resilience after heartbreak. In this episode, Zaina opens up about her public breakup after season 3 of “The Ultimatum,” the power of releasing negative energy, and why tough moments often lead to what’s truly meant for us. Plus, she shares how Snapchat’s creator program became a game-change...

Hosted by Kwame Appiah, a content creator known from Netflix's Love is Blind, and Scott Sutton, the CEO behind the popular social media management platform Later, Beyond Influence is a conversation about where our digital culture is headed. This podcast moves past the surface-level hype to examine the real forces shaping how we connect and consume online, arguing that influencer marketing isn't just a trend but a fundamental shift in media. Each episode brings in leading creators and the brand marketers who work with them, focusing on the personal stories behind the profiles-the risks taken, the failures encountered, and the strategies that actually work. You'll hear candid discussions about the business realities, the creative process, and the unexpected ways this space intersects with broader culture, entertainment, and news. It’s a look at the human element driving a multi-billion dollar industry, offering listeners a genuine understanding of the landscape from two insiders with very different vantage points. Tune into Beyond Influence for a nuanced exploration of the people and ideas defining the future of social media, far beyond the likes and follows.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 51

Beyond Influence
Podcast Episodes
Episode 50: Ohemaa Akosua - Creating Impact, Not Just Content [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:15
Ohemaa Akosua made the leap from flight attendant to full-time content creator during the early days of COVID, and hasn’t looked back since. In this episode, she shares how she’s landed dream brand deals, built a communi…
Episode 49: Andy Dooley - Faith, Fitness, & Showing Up with Purpose [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Episode 47: Olga Goffman - From Kyiv to Chicago [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:32
Olga Goffman started her creator journey in Ukraine, but it wasn’t until she immigrated to the U.S. that her content truly took off. Now based in Chicago, Olga shares how she built trust with her audience, and got brands…
Episode 46: Carrie Berk - Turning Anxiety into Impact [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:52
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Episode 44: Vin Matano - Building in Public, Leading by Example [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:30
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Episode 43: Justin Glaze - Betting on Community, Not Clout [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:35
Justin Glaze first rose to fame on season 17 of “The Bachelorette," but reality TV was just the launchpad. Since then, he’s carved out a space as a creator, artist, and now, founder of Love Potion—a canned espresso marti…
Episode 42: Coco Mocoe - Cracking the Code of Influence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:27
Coco Mocoe is a content creator, marketing strategist, and podcast host known for her sharp insights into pop culture, digital trends, and the creator economy. Through her TikTok account, she’s built a following of over…
Episode 41: Chris Allen - Building a Brand, Living Unfiltered [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:25
Meet Chris Allen, startup founder and cast member of Netflix’s “Million Dollar Secret.” Before stepping into reality TV, Chris co-founded Osena, the world’s first zero-sugar spiked coconut water cocktail. Navigating the…