I stopped being an influencer and got a corporate job after facing online hate. The stability has made me a better creator.

• After being a fitness influencer for three years, Taylor Olsen has entered the corporate workforce.
• Working a 9-to-5 has ironically made her a better creator, which remains her largest source of income.
• This is the story of why Olsen made the unconventional pivot and what she's learned, as told to Geoff Weiss.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Taylor Olsen, 22, a fitness influencer and marketing coordinator. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I started posting fitness content in 2020 during the pandemic as a 19-year-old freshman at the University of Florida — right when TikTok was taking off.

It was that first wave of people who started taking TikTok seriously. I think I got lucky in getting lots of followers really fast because it was still very new. It wasn't as saturated.

In 2021, I dropped out of school due to personal struggles. I'm very introverted, which is odd given how much I post online, and I didn't have a lot of friends. I also wasn't accepted by any sororities during rush. I became depressed, lonely, and isolated. But I saw influencing as a way out. So, I moved to Texas from Florida and started doing social media full-time.

I was doing well financially. I was able to buy a car and live in downtown Austin. But as an influencer, the money is very uncertain. And the uncertainty made it impossible for me to even fall asleep at night — going from high five-figure paychecks during certain months to one paycheck of $1,000 during others.

Then, at the beginning of 2022, I faced a big cancellation moment. It was over nothing. A fellow creator met me and said I gave off "mean girl" vibes. I ended up losing roughly 100,000 TikTok followers and 40,000 Instagram followers.

People reported my TikTok page, and it was taken down. I didn't get it back for six months. While some time without it was nice for my mental health, it was terrible for my work.

After that, I realized I did not love my career being at the hands of people who don't know me.

I know I have another purpose 

I was always intrigued by the influencer business and dreamed of being the one negotiating deals behind the scenes. 

This summer, I decided to explore my options. I went on LinkedIn for two weeks straight, applying to social media manager roles until I came across my current job. They liked the fact that I was an influencer myself, and I got hired to work remotely. 

Now, I get feedback from my manager and our CEOs – not just internet trolls leaving comments. I have health insurance, a 401k, dental insurance, and PTO.

And I desperately needed the structure. I love being told what to do, finishing the tasks at hand, and then closing my laptop (rather than having my whole week consumed by trying to create work for myself). 

Being an influencer on the side has made me connect to my audience more authentically

I also feel more liked by my audience than ever. I think people are sick of watching influencers be so out of touch. They want to see people who are working like them, and I think they respect my hustle.  

At the end of the day, I want people who dream of being influencers to know that the grass isn't always greener. It's not as amazing as you probably think it is. 

People always dream of being their own boss, or say that having a 9-to-5 is a failure. But there's nothing wrong with having a stable life and career that you built for yourself. 

Now, if I lost all my followers tomorrow, I still have a job. And I generally care less what people think because I know I have another purpose.