Creator Spotlight Series Intro
Welcome to Creator Spotlight, where we celebrate the incredible stories and achievements of the talented creators who make The Sociable Society so special.
This series shines a light on the journeys, creative processes, and unique perspectives that fuel the creator community. Whether you’re a seasoned influencer or just starting your journey, let these stories inspire and motivate you to take the next step.
Meet Cynthia “CityCyn” Jeyakumar
This week, we’re thrilled to feature Cynthia “CityCyn” Jeyakumar, a rising star in the beauty content world. Starting her journey on TikTok as a fun side project during her college days, Cynthia quickly found her passion for connecting with her growing online community. Today, she captivates her audience with creative beauty content and has successfully turned her love for makeup into a career.
Balancing grad school and content creation, Cynthia has worked with dream brands like Skims, Sol de Janeiro, and Amazon, showcasing her dedication and talent. Her journey exemplifies the power of following your instincts, embracing authenticity, and putting yourself out there despite fears or challenges.
Get ready to dive into Cynthia’s story, her creative process, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. From her favorite advice — “just post it” — to her vision for the future of the creator space, Cynthia’s insights are a must-read for anyone aspiring to make their mark.
How did you get started with social media? Was it a goal of yours or on a whim, and which platform?
I got started with social media through posting on TikTok. It initially started on a whim and simply just for fun but the more I did it, I found myself actually loving connecting with my online community and here I am today.
What were you doing (or where were you in life) before you started on social media?
I was doing my undergrad in college just living a regular college life when I first started, and I am currently in grad school. TikTok and now Instagram are my two monetized platforms.
Who were some of the creators or influencers you looked up to when you first started posting on social media?
I don’t necessarily look up to other current creators or influencers however, I will say I always pretended to be talking to a large YouTube audience on my iPad when I was younger because of my love for popular beauty YouTubers back in the day.
Was there a specific piece of content or instance in which you went viral or was it a slower build up over time? How did you feel and what did you do afterwards?
My following started to grow once I started posting more beauty content instead of random content.
I remember one of my first videos that blew up was me doing a get ready with me while you get to know me as well as a full face of makeup product.
For the record, that second video, was a parody for a full face of makeup products. I absolutely love.
At what point did you decide to go “all-in” on social media? What were the factors that made you decide to pursue content creation full-time? Did you have a back-up plan?
My moment of clarity when choosing to pursue social media with the intention of monetizing it initially started when I was considered a micro influencer, but I was still pulling in brand deals that I never pitched to.
I just felt a certain calling to my type of content in the beauty industry and I still feel that way till today and as for my backup plan call, I guess you could say I’m still in college, so does that count?
Every creator’s creation process is different. Take us through how you typically create content? Do you have a set process or how much of it is on the fly?
I’m not going to lie the ideas behind most of the videos I have posted till date, have come up to me super randomly throughout the day.
Usually when I’m not camera ready and I get a great idea, I usually just jot it down and save it for later.
My Notes app and my planner are filled with these ideas and I love that every time I execute them, everyone seems to love them.
If you could go back to when you started your journey as a creator and give yourself two pieces of advice, things to keep in mind, or things you’ve learned — what would you say to yourself?
The first thing that I would say is not to worry what people (that I happen to know IRL) think of me posting my content — because influencers with over 1 million followers will not judge me for trying and putting myself out there when they started there as well.
The second thing that I would tell myself is to brace myself for the realization that strangers on the Internet will be more supportive than people you know in real life.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten for being a creator?
“Just post it“ is the best piece of advice I’ve ever received. Anytime I’ve had a viral moment on the Internet, It’s often over a video I initially cringed over posting.
Not everything has to be picture perfect and that’s exactly what people love because it shows people your real personality and who you are as a person.
Is there a piece of content or story you’ve shared that is most memorable to you? Why is it meaningful?
I’m not sure if this is the right answer, but I genuinely love all the content I put out because I happen to be very proud of how far I’ve come as a creator.
However, content that has been most memorable to me so far has been the opportunity I have gotten to work with my dream brands, such as skims, sol de Janeiro and so on. It just brings a certain level of gratitude in me every time I’m given this opportunity along with how amazing it is to be part of the talent roster here at TSS.
How did you hear about or get connected with The Sociable Society? In what ways have TSS helped you pursue your goals and aspirations?
I got connected with TSS when I received an outreach email from my manager, Arianna.
To be frank, I was interviewing with multiple talent agencies around the same time however, I decided to go with TSS because I loved Arianna‘s energy and my own personal research on TSS made me choose to follow this route.
TSS is such a fun group. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of the talent management roster at the LTK Con event here in Dallas and TSS is such an amazing soul. Special shoutout to Brooke as well, she made that weekend magical.
What’s been your biggest “win” with The Sociable Society?
I would say my biggest win is the work environment. Again, shout out to my manager, Arianna. She makes everything flow together so well and not to mention the amazing brand deals with great budgets as well.
What do you value most in a Creator manager?
The ability to balance work and life in general. I feel like me and my manager happen to have a great relationship where we are able to talk business and be in touch, socially as well.
To date, what has been your favorite or most memorable brand partnership? Tell us why?
Since signing with TSS, I’ve honestly been blessed with the opportunity to work with all of my dream brands. However, for special shout outs in particular, I would say skims, sol de Janeiro, HAIRITAGE, a couple perfume brands as well as Amazon Prime Day deals.
What’s one thing in 2024 that brands should know about working with creators, but don’t?
One thing brands should be more attentive on is once the content brief is sent out — it needs to be crisp and clear on what exactly they’re looking for as well as links to examples for the influencer to follow.
There have been a very few instances where this was not the case and it just made reshooting multiple times a thing.
Since you started, how has the social media and/or creator space changed?
I haven’t noticed too many changes from when I first started creating content as I haven’t been in the game for too long. However, I have noticed that the content that is on TikTok has definitely branched out way more than just doing viral dances.
What are some of the biggest changes that have affected you personally?
I feel like previously, people would go viral for their dance moves or choreography to a new viral hit song. However, I am thankful for growth because I am not the best dancer out there so I make do with my beauty content.
What are some trends of shifts you did not expect coming?
Four years ago, I did not think that TikTok would ever be an app where I saw myself enjoying long form content. However, I will say from a personal standpoint as well, my long form content does well all the time without fail and I happen to love long watching content on TikTok as well.
What’s one prediction you have for social media and being a creator in 2025?
This might be a hit or miss, but I feel like since almost all social media platforms have gotten super saturated, content creators are going to start engaging with their followers on specific niche channels, such as their broadcast channels on Instagram, where they have one on one conversations with their followers.
I also feel like AI is going to be very big in the creator industry, whether it’s in generating ideas, handling tasks or even editing and post scheduling content.
Any projects, news, or exciting details/sneak peaks you’d want to share?
I don’t really have anything in particular to share. However, I look forward to sharing a lot of good news as the year progresses.
Any special shoutouts, mentions, thank you’s or anything else you’d want to share?
Oh absolutely — big special shout out to my manager, Arianna. She’s a queen and I can’t thank her enough for taking a chance on me and reaching out to me earlier this year.
Also, special shout out to Brooke because I just met her last month at LTK Con but she is amazing and the sweetest person ever.
Cynthia Jeyakumar’s journey proves that authenticity and passion are key to standing out in the ever-evolving world of social media. From college life to partnering with top beauty brands, her story is a testament to the power of seizing opportunities and staying true to yourself.
Stay tuned for next week’s Creator Spotlight, where we’ll bring you another inspiring story from our talented roster. Don’t miss a single moment — subscribe to our Creator Newsletter for exclusive interviews, insights, and tips from the best in the business.
