Photo courtesy of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy

BY: JESSICA GUTMAN

Hannah Rodriguez, a recent graduate of Clayton Bradley Academy, is making strides as a social media expert and influencer.

With more than 140,000 subscribers and nearly 8 million video views on YouTube, as well as more than 10,000 followers on Instagram, Hannah has built a powerful lifestyle brand as a teenage entrepreneur and content creator.

Her social media and web expertise led her to create a company – Hannah Ashton Content – that helps others grow their online presence. Hannah offers one-on-one consultations and YouTube training courses with the personal flair and knowledge of running her own successful social media channels.

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Her six-week digital course helps people create and grow successful YouTube channels, including sessions about theme consistency and scheduling, content creation, understanding the YouTube algorithm, social media and marketing and planning for future growth.

In addition to providing coaching services, Hannah regularly produces videos, podcasts and blog posts about lifestyle, entrepreneurship and women empowerment.

Hannah took part in the Knoxville Chamber’s 2017-18 Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) to finalize her business plan and dive deeper into finances and analytics.

After pitching her business at the Knoxville YEA! investor panel, she was awarded $500 in start-up funding and selected to represent East Tennessee at the YEA! Saunders Scholars National Competition in May. She took home second place out of nearly 70 students from across the country.

Hannah will attend Belmont University in Nashville this fall to study entrepreneurship and marketing.

Q&A WITH HANNAH RODRIGUEZ

DESCRIBE HANNAH ASHTON CONTENT. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH IT?

I not only run a YouTube channel, podcast and blog focused on women’s lifestyles, but I also consult with women on how to start and sustain YouTube channels that share their voice. With this business, my goal is to share the knowledge and passion I’ve gained from owning a YouTube channel!

WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE YOU WANTED TO START AND RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

My dad is an entrepreneur, so I’ve seen the benefits of running a business throughout my whole life. When I started my YouTube channel, I wasn’t expecting it to turn into a business. I just continued to upload videos about my life and all of a sudden, I was making money doing what I love.

HOW DID THE CHAMBER’S YEA! PROGRAM HELP YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS?

YEA! was a huge inspiration to me. I loved my main mentor, Haseeb Qureshi. He gave great advice on the financial and analytical side of the business, but more than that he was motivated and engaged throughout the whole program. I not only left the program with a more detailed business plan but also a life-long business friend.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS?

In five years, I hope to be living in Nashville, Tenn. and still coaching women on social media, YouTube and how they can create a career they love through the internet! I also want to be hosting events and workshops to inspire not only digitally, but in communities too.

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