Blog

Get to Know Our Brand Ambassadors: Carly Allen

by Lauren Scheller

In our first Brand Ambassador spotlight, we are so excited to bring you a detailed conversation with Carly Allen, a Communications Professional with an awesome Instagram and her very own Youtube channel.

As one of the first people to join our brand new Brand Ambassador program, Carly is incredibly creative and contributes to the program by sharing snapshots of Tea Drops in her own life. Read more about how Carly connects with her community by sharing magical tea moments on her various social media platforms.

How did you discover Tea Drops?
I discovered Tea Drops in college when I was searching for a DIY Thai Tea kit while grocery shopping one day, because I didn’t want to have to go out every time I wanted tea.

After being a part of our Tea Drops community since the beginning, what made you want to join our Brand Ambassador program?
Tea is one of my favorite beverages and something I enjoy almost daily, so finding a brand that created an authentic loose leaf tea experience without the hassle was something I knew I wanted to be a part of. I also love all of the unique varieties that Tea Drops offers. I discovered the Brand Ambassador program and wanted to join a community who thought the same way.

What has been your favorite aspect of being an Ambassador so far?
I love creating fun lifestyle images and videos on YouTube to share this brand with my community. Food and drinks are a big part of my social media so I enjoy being able to recommend something that’s already part of my normal routine.

Are there any particular Tea Drops combinations or recipes you love to make?
Pumpkin Spice Tea Drops, Copper Cow Creamer and a splash of vanilla almond milk is one of my favorite drinks to make! It tastes just like a Pumpkin Spice Latte without all of the crazy added sugar and artificial ingredients.

Many of you may wonder why Carly started creating Youtube videos and the advice she has to share with those who aren’t sure how to do the same. Read on to learn more about the content she loves to share on her channel and how her daily life has changed since the start of the pandemic.

A lot of us enjoy watching our favorite stars and celebrities on Youtube, so how did you know you wanted to start your own Youtube channel?
I started my YouTube channel during my senior year of high school because I knew I was going to be doing some traveling that I wanted to remember. Vlogging my trips was the only way I could think of to remember them in the detail that I wanted to. Uploading them to YouTube to have somewhere to store them seemed like a good idea. People seemed to like what I was doing so I kept going from there and sharing more of my life with my subscribers

Starting a channel may seem intimidating, so do you have any advice for budding Youtubers who want to create their own videos but aren’t sure how?
The biggest advice I can offer is to start with a topic you’re passionate about or at least have a lot of knowledge about. That way, you’ll never run out of things to talk about. I know that I’m always going to love traveling, food and makeup, so I center my videos about these topics. Next, if you’re camera shy, you can story board your videos to have a general idea of what you’d like to talk about. Pick some main points you want to make and create your dialogue based on these. Don’t be intimidated by feeling like you have to have the best of the best when it comes to editing and camera gear either. Lots of YouTubers started on their phone!

What are your goals for your Instagram platform and Youtube channel in the future, and what do you hope to achieve by partnering with different companies and sharing new products with your followers?
Instagram and YouTube compliment each other when it comes to the way I create content. If someone wants to learn more about something I post about then he/she can head over to my channel and check it out there. When people discover any of my social media platforms through a niche topic, I hope they stay around to see what else I’m up to! I love sharing life tips and tricks and brands that make life simpler or better in some way. Creating a community of people who share these types of things with one another is the ultimate goal of my platforms.

Many of us have been forced to adjust to a new work-from-home lifestyle, so how has your daily routine changed since the start of the pandemic?
I’ve been working from home since March and I feel like I’ve just recently been able to settle into a routine. Balancing working and maintaining strong mental and physical health have definitely been a challenge. As someone who has a full time marketing job and creates my own content aside from that, I do my best to take at least a 30 minute digital break between work and my own projects since it can be a lot of screen time. To keep myself active I like to go on walks at the beach since I’m in a coastal town, and follow fitness influencers on TikTok and YouTube. All in all, having some sort of schedule has been very helpful throughout all of this.