Meet the interior design creator who made a reluctant pivot that paid off

Sousa’s background in marketing made experimenting with content creation a no brainer, and her quick ascension proved she understood the inner workings of platforms like Instagram and TikTok. But because her content was focused on incredibly intensive, time-consuming home DIY projects, by 2022, the time she was spending working on deals and reading through contracts was putting a damper on her creativity. 

“That’s when [Currents Management] approached me,” Sousa said. “You quickly realize that they have a rolodex, they have people in the field, they have ties that I don’t.”

Clarke told Digiday that Sousa was a unique creator client in that she built her following off of her business, Avant Garde Interior Styling. Clarke focused on a longer-term plan, rather than looking at the next year, which meant a content pivot into what Clarke saw as an untapped marketing space: hosting at-home parties. Two years into their professional partnership, Clarke noticed the home design space slowing down: brands weren’t spending as much, and there were fewer deals on the table. 

“It’s your creative POV that you’re putting into your content,” Clarke recalled telling her client.

Sousa began making content about hosting events at her home, and all the different ways you can decorate for themed parties, starting with tablescapes. She was resistant at first, believing no one cared about decorating a table, and when the video didn’t perform well, she believed it was a sign her audience wouldn’t catch on. 

But Clarke persisted, encouraging her to try to play up the food and beverage space, which would offer Sousa more opportunities to integrate brands into her content. She took a brief vacation, during which she considered Clarke’s proposition, and returned ready to post with that new strategy. 

“It was NFL season, everyone is hosting a game day party, and the first NFL hosting video she posted did 5 million views right off the bat,” Clarke said. “She hasn’t looked back since.”

That successful video also signaled to Clarke that Sousa invest in the sports space, which has led to partnerships with the NFL and brands activating at this year’s FIFA World Cup.

Sousa told Digiday that her yearly revenue is now nearly three times the amount of what she made the first year working with Currents Management, though she did not provide details.

“We’re diversified — food, cleaning brands, everything in the crafting space, and things [content] flip a lot faster,” Sousa said. They’re also worth more, and because she can make crafty, DIY hosting content much faster than when she had to evacuate entire rooms to do interior design renovations, she can make more.

She did note that her following has slowed down significantly, though wouldn’t provide numbers, which she chalks up to her original content having more educational value. Because of that, Sousa and Clarke came up with a strategy to bring people back to her page after stumbling on her content: at the start of videos, she’ll show three clips of her past projects, to showcase what kind of content she’s done before.

Though Sousa’s followers may be slowing down, her brand partnerships are picking up, and Clarke is looking at more longevity plays.

“Getting her in front of Home Depot, Lowe’s, in-person with these brands, getting to conventions… Julie didn’t go into this industry to do brand deals, she started as a business because she went to school for that, that’s what she loves,” Clarke said.