Let's talk about some internet drama on Big Business today. Xander, you're gonna have to get your mic because you're going to be in on this.
Am I in on this one today? Am I? Okay?
Not that this is a podcast where we talk about internet drama, because that's just not what we do here. And actually it's none of my business what happens with other influences in their life on social media, Like it's got nothing to do with me. But I think anyone that has TikTok has obviously seen at the moment there's videos being thrown around between Anna Paul and michaela Tester, who are two creators online. I'm sure you've seen it if you've got TikTok, And it's just got me thinking
in another way about online personalities and content creators. And we talk about that a lot here on the pod, like you know, social media in general, and I've seen a lot of videos being thrown around about you know, people are fake online. You know, I'm sure you've seen it as well Asxander. Like the whole conversation is like she's not who we thought she was, blah blah blah.
There is a real movement right now of exposing these and I hate saying fake, but fake influencers like they're putting on another persona and they're getting caught.
Out they are, And yeah, that's what I'm noticing too, Like just influencers being called left, called out, left, right and center about things that say online and contradicting themselves xyz. And it just got me thinking more so about me and my positioning, and it just made me want to talk about something which I've lightly mentioned before I feel on the pod, before I get into that, I think by this point we all know that the Internet is fake.
So I'm kind of shocked at everyone acting so surprised with this whole situation, which again is none of my business what's happening between these girls. I don't know them from a bar of soap, But why are people acting surprised that people may act differently online to real life, because surely we are all smart enough to know like social media is fabricated, it is edited. Like I'll even go as far as saying, like all of my videos
are strategically planned. We set the camera up and we start talking, and we know what we're going to say, and then we edit it and then we post it online. So of course social media in general isn't real life because it's not natural, like it's not natural in any sense.
But one thing that I experienced that I think people would find interesting, or maybe someone listening has done this before, but one of the most interesting parts of my journey and how I was an influencer in youtubeer and all that kind of stuff, and then I, you know, slowly over the years started fade, and then I became more of, I guess, a business owner and an entrepreneur than transitioning
into employing people. But how weird it is that I still have this following online and people might see me in a different way. And what shocks me is whilst we're hearing all this conversation online now about influencers a fake and Anna Paul's a liar and Xyz she's different to what she is in her videos, people do that with my staff, not in a way where they're saying
to my staff, Britney's fake. But it blows my mind how often I speak to team members of Fate and how often they are questioned about me as if though I'm some fucking alien online. And it's the weirdest thing for me to experience and maybe people don't think about it when they do this, because I genuinely think people view people online as not normal people, like they put influencers in a different box.
I think I actually disagree with that a bit. I think some people awes. Yeah, I think a lot of people do view them as normal people. And that's why you're seeing such a crazy amount of people coming to their defense, Like it's kind of a bit unhinged when like things are exposed and then the things that have been exposed are pretty fed up. Yeah, and the people are writing and dying for these people. I'm like, Number one, they're not your friends, that is true. Number two, you don't know them, No.
One hundred.
Even even when you feel like you know someone online, you don't. It's very interesting and the interesting part, which I guess just got me thinking about me and my journey and going from influencer to business owner and people's boss when I still have a following and other people view me as an influencer, but my staff don't because they're with me in real day to day life people I don't want to say daily, but weekly. Especially in our retail stores, they go in to shop, which we love,
we love people supporting fate and going in. But they'll go up to my staff and be like, so do you know Brittany what she really like? And that, to me is the weirdest thing that people would go and ask a random person what their boss is like in real life. Hmmm, Like you don't. You don't go and do that at Cohle's. You don't go to Cohl's and say,
what's the manager he like in real life? But because I've got this online social media thing tied to me from like having a following, it's just the weirdest fucking thing ever.
Yeah, And it's a funny question to ask because immediately my mind goes to that people want some as much as people support you or support other influences. I secretly, I think they secretly want want them to fail and want tea. Yeah, Like they don't care if you fail or if you're succeeding. They are just kind of a loong for the ride a lot of people.
It's wild to me that people walk in my store and ask my staff what I'm like in real life, and that's the number one question they get asked. And they'll come to me and be like Oh, someone just came and asked, like, what she It's not even oh, it must be great to work at Faith, it's what is she really like? They have the guts to go and ask that to the people that I employ and pay.
I know, as if they're going to tell them.
I knows if.
Okay, So let's say I'm a massive fucking bitch in real life, as if my staff member is going to go and spill that to some random and risk losing their job for talking shit about me in my own workplace. But the thing is, and I've said this a billion times, I am completely different online to what I am like at work because at work, I'm working at work.
I'm not an influencer.
At work, I'm not there to create funny content to entertain my staff like I do the content creation online because that's my job online. My job online is to entertain people, make fun videos, give them something to laugh at.
You almost have to think of it as like and people always use example of acting, it's not acting. It's like say, for example, you're going to see someone host a show, and that persona they have on stage to host the show to keep an audience engaged, to keep them interested is different to what they're like once they're off that stage exactly. It's not to say that they're like an awful person when they're when they're not doing this or performance.
Sorry, we're going to be different, but they're going to be different.
Yeah.
And like, my staff gets so thrown off when they get asked these questions. And it's not just in our stores. It's like just say, one of our office employees will be at a party on the weekend and it comes up that they work at Fate. Like immediately it's like, oh, what she like really, and they're always like, she's the same person. But also, my staff don't see me as an online influencer and creator.
I'm their boss. It's just fucking mind blowing to me.
I'm all for people being curious, but it blows my mind that people have the audacity to ask my staff what I'm really like in real life, as if though they're hoping that they're gonna say, oh, she's this, that and the other. And you know what, there'd be some people that have worked at Fate that probably wouldn't say nice things about me, like, yeah, I'm not at Fate to create entertainment for my staff the same way that I'm online to create entertainment for the people that follow me.
Have you had any instances of like inappropriate behavior of like people coming into stores and wanting to like interact with you or you know, approach your staff.
Yeah, I'd say sometimes, like I do get people like people will DM me just randomly and be like I'm going into the store of.
Yours tomorrow, like will you be there?
You know, And I'm like, first of all, that's in Brisbane and it's Saturday, Like I'm not there right now. Like maybe they're wanting to see me when they come in kind of thing.
But it's just I can't even put.
Into words how interesting it is to have an online following and I guess be popular online but then run a company and be people's boss. It's just two completely separate things. But I'm in a position where they are overlapping and the stuff that we deal with because of that, you know, it's very interesting. And I've had a few run ins with past staff members from years ago where like they've been upset at me because I think they
had different expectations coming to work at FATE. I think I said this age is ago, but years and years and years ago, I didn't invite someone that worked at Fate to my birthday party and she lost it at me as if it was the weirdest thing ever, Like this was when she was lea the workplace. Ye. And I've had one other person who we unfortunately had to take off the roster send me like a really nasty email saying like you're nothing like you are online xyz.
And it's just I keep saying the word interesting because I think just the lines become blurred.
Yeah, I think.
I mean, God, I had I looked up to a lot of YouTubers back in the day, and like you do you want to be their friend, But I think that want to be their friend within that you're actually losing that they're a real person, Like they only see one side of it. So once they're around you or once they're working with you, yeah, that illusion is broken.
And again like me having this big following online and creating all these fun videos and people loving them, and let's say they come into work at Fate. Let's so they come into work at one of our retail stores, and then let's say they're being late a lot and they're doing something else that isn't the best if I've then had to go to them and say, look, we know that you're being late, and this is just like a verbal warning that you need to stop being late.
Instantly, those feelings.
That they had about me from following me online are changed, and instantly it would be she's different. She's different to social media. But that's because I'm not on social media when I'm your boss and I'm going to call you out if you've done something wrong in the business that you're working out that I own that I pay you for. Yeah, And I've had instances like that where people like you're nothing like.
You are online.
Yeah. Correct, I'm not an influencer as your boss. Like i'm your boss, I've got to call you out when you've done something wrong. And I think this is just something that I'll always have as part.
Of my life.
Is just the difficulty of having those two worlds crossover.
In real life. I'm a regular person.
The best thing that you do, and it's important for other people who are in the industry, is that yes, you are different online, but you're being authentically you, and you're.
Also not wanting to be someone online, and you're.
Also not lying and doing all these sneaky things, which is where people are being.
Called out and at the moment.
So that's that's the biggest thing to note. It's that, yes, you're a different persona online, but you're still authentically Britge.
Yeah, I'm still me, Like I'm not out here pretending to be someone else on social media. And then I'm different at work, but like, of course I'm going to be different in a fun video than when I'm knees deep in shit at work.
Making sure the orders come in exactly right.
Like it's just two different things.
And I guess just seeing all these videos popping up over the last couple of weeks about influencers being fake or not the same way that they are online, Like, no one is exactly the same as they are online, because online isn't real.
It is filmed. It's captured in a mindent.
My Instagram's fake, yeh. People me and probably think I'm an asshole, so someone else.
I was on TikTok Live the other day and someone said, someone said that you're socially awkward in real life?
Is this true?
And I'm like, again, probably, yeah, Like I have had some of the weirdest fucking interactions with people, because when people come up to like, I love people coming up and saying hello.
I'll say hello to anyone.
But sometimes people come up and they're like hello, and they don't know what to say, and then I feel awkward because they're awkward, So of course I'm.
Going to come across awkward sometimes.
Or maybe sometimes I've run into someone at Aldi and maybe I've had a really fucking shit day and maybe they've met me and I've been underwhelming for them because I'm like, oh, hello and asked to meet you, and maybe I look like shit and felt.
Like they're expecting Brittany who just reacted to her video from ten years ago. I've got Brittany who's just had an awful day at Well Day with an order go missing and then a staff member not show up.
It could be whatever.
Yeah, I'm all FORUL being my authentic self online, which I am, And I know that influencers are getting called out, you know, especially a lot recently for like lying online, which I'm not for at all. But I think it is important for all of us to be aware of the fact that we all know that social media is fabricated. We all know that people want to show their best selves on the internet and get the most views and get the most engagement. So it's just something to be
mindful of. Is like, Yeah, social media is fake. We fucking know that.
So I don't know.
I've just seen all this stuff popping up about these two girls, which again is none of my business because I don't know either of them at all. But it just got me thinking about just those lines being blurred between online and real life, and we just need to be mindful of who we are following online and whose content we are loving. And please stop going into stores and asking my staff what I'm really like in real life.
Please. That's the weirdest fucking thing ever.
Anyway, this has been another bonus episode of Big Big Business. I'll be back next week for my mane