The Small Things Content Team!

It’s been a while since I shared the team members who work behind the screens with me at The Small Things. I introduced you to them awhile back, and wanted to share a bit more about what they do here, as well as congratulate Taylor on becoming an employee with a new role!

Amanda started working for The Small Things in the Spring of 2019. She was hired as an assistant but was promoted to the Creative Operations Director in 2021. She is involved with nearly every moving part of the business, handles most of the communication between my manager, brands, and other agencies. Beyond the professional experience and skills she brings to this role, she’s also just a pleasure to be around! The line between me as “Kate Bryan” and me as “K8_smallthings” is thin, and Amanda understands that and supports that so well.

I asked Amanda to share a bit about what she does in her role as Creative Operations Director, and here is what she shared:

-I am behind all of the operations of the Small Things business and overall the touchpoints of the brand’s blog and social media, working with both organic and sponsored content.

-I am in charge of the calendar and organizing the details of what we want to see happen each month.

-I work with Kate’s talent agency in LA/NYC to solidify contracting with dream brands. 

-I communicate with The Small Things community and hopefully am helpful in answering your questions and passing along great content ideas from you to Kate. 

-I edit Kate’s blog posts for clarity and grammar as well as link posts to make it easier for you to find the items she references.

-I organize photo and video shoots and am available during them for any needs that may arise, including wrangling Grits. He loves me.

-I pull insights and work with the analytics of the business. 

-I make sure Kate has everything she needs when creating sponsored content including any legal or logistical considerations. And when content is approved, I make sure she has all of the information she needs to post. 

-I help brainstorm content ideas and help Kate work through her thoughts to help great ideas come to fruition.

-I manage Taylor, our lovely and talented Creative Assistant. 

-I make a mean lunch order for our team and love getting us all together for fun nights out!

And as I mentioned earlier, Taylor was originally our graphic designer who worked as an independent contractor that started in the late summer of 2018. In January of this year, I shared that I was looking to hire, and we learned of some shifts in Taylor’s life that meant she would be available for a bigger position! We were thrilled to adjust that role to fit Taylor’s skills, and she was brought on as an employee! Taylor is still making all the collages, and any other graphic/digital art for the site and socials, as well as assisting in parts of content creation! She’s such a positive, hard worker and has perfectly fit this position that serves both Amanda and I so well.

I asked Taylor to share a bit more about her role as Graphic Designer and Content Assistant at The Small Things, and here is what she typed up:

-I create on-brand graphics that are shared across various platforms such as the blog, LikeToKnow.It, and Instagram stories

-I’m responsible for creating, posting, and linking the weekly ICYMI series

-I help manage The Small Things Blog Facebook page by responding to messages, answering questions, and scheduling content

-I assist in scheduling LikeToKnow.It posts and linking products

-I update links of items that are out of stock or unavailable as needed on the blog

-I pull previous content from the blog to share across Instagram stories and Facebook

-I analyze Pinterest insights and create pins for the Small Things accordingly

-I share fashion and beauty items in the links + small things monthly newsletter

When I started this blog in 2011, I didn’t have a roadmap of what the potential outcome could be. Never in my life did I imagine it turning into what it has, and I mean with all sincerity that it wouldn’t be where it is today without the skills of Amanda, Taylor, and the thoughtful engagement of readers.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the incredibly talented photographers and videographers I’ve worked with throughout the past 10 years as well. Jordan Maunder has worked with me since 2013, and I’ve recently had the pleasure of working with Joanna Sue Photography as well. Here lately, I’ve worked with Big Dog Little Bed on a handful of video projects and am always amazed at how effortless they make it look (when I know full well it is NOT effortless to shoot/produce a video). If you are ever in need of photography or videography services, I cannot recommend these talented people enough.

photos by Joanna Sue Photography