FEATURED STORY
Three Aspiring Influencers
Meet Tyler, Jazlyn and Izzy - Three Young Bobcats Trying to Influence the Online World
Tyler Dixon '23: Health and Fitness
SCREENNAME(S): Instagram: ty.dixon23 / Business: Algorithm Athletics LLC / TikTok: ty23dxn /website: tylerdixon.me
FSU MAJOR: Computer Science
HOMETOWN: LaVale, Md.
CURRENT CITY: Tampa, Fla.
DAY JOB: Data Engineer with GDIT supporting the U.S. Air Force
What inspired you to want to become an influencer?
It all started in my freshman orientation class at Frostburg State, and the professor (Dr. Eric Moore ’00 in the Physics Department) showed a YouTube video of a guy, Joel Runyon, and his blog his idea of “The Impossible List.” The impossible list is NOT a bucket list, rather a collection of personal ambitions gathered into one place with the intention of never being completed. I had always had so many goals for my future as an ambitious 18-year-old, but never actually wrote them down. From that concept, I decided to create my own blog with my own “Impossible List.” Ironically enough, the blog itself was a goal of mine, so it was two-fold.
What do you feel you have to offer the online world?
I feel I have such a unique perspective of being an everyday, 9-5 desk-job professional who prioritizes health and fitness enough to train for Ironmans and Ultramarathons.
Describe your content.
My main pillar of content is fitness, but I also enjoy making travel and lifestyle content. I primarily create short-form content -- Instagram Reels and TikToks -- but I've started recently experimenting with long-form content. Long-form content has been documented during my traveling or while I am in training for a race prep that's typically anywhere between 15-25 weeks long.
How do you come up with content?
My perspective of the content that I create is more of a documentary of my life’s adventures. If I have a lot of travel lined up over the next few weeks or months ahead, I document my experience like snowboarding in the Rockies or cliff diving in Hawaii. I also enjoy trying to make similar content to creators that I enjoy, find inspirational or very relatable. To anyone who wants to create content, a motto I always remind myself: “Document, don't create.” It's so much easier to document your own personal experiences, because odds are someone is going through the same experience you are.
How has reaction been to your content?
I've had dozens of people reach out from seeing a piece of content that I created saying that I inspired them to get into fitness and start taking their health more seriously. It makes me feel like my goal of providing value was achieved, it makes me feel super happy and motivated to keep creating.
Do you have any sponsorships?
Just this past December, I had my first brand partnership event with Champs Sports and ASICS. I attended a run club event in Tampa, Fla., and documented my experience running. It was a super unique perspective attending as a creator and not just an athlete.
What is your hope for your sites?
My hope is that I can grow large enough that more opportunities present themselves to me. I've already ran races with friends, attended events and met new connections through the content I've created. I can only imagine what my journey will look like in three years from now.
Jazlyn Heeter ’20: Fashion and Fun
SCREENNAME(S): Jazlyn Heeter and @jazzy.dawn on Instagram and TikTok
MAJOR: Mass Communication
HOMETOWN: Rawlings, Md.
CURRENT CITY: LaVale, Md.
What inspired you to want to become an influencer?
It’s fun to be creative and to share your love and passions with others.
What do you feel you have to offer the online world?
Offering content that promotes being genuine and true to yourself, not caring what people think and just having fun. Documenting my love for travel, makeup tutorials, fashion and fun aesthetics.
How do you come up with content?
I would always just take inspiration from my favorite online creators and make them into my own but ultimately would just have fun and film/photograph whatever felt right for me to share.
How has reaction been to your content?
When I first started and was more involved and focused, some of my videos and posts would go viral but then most recently I decided to take a break and to focus more on the present and real moments in life.
Do you have any sponsorships?
TikTok & Celsius.
What has been an inspiring interaction with a follower?
I am followed on TikTok by one of the OGs of #momtok who stars in Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” reality TV show. Having a sweet and memorable interaction with her during a difficult time was something I’ll always remember and cherish.
How do you deal with haters?
I just ignore them because at the end of the day they don't matter, and my happiness is more important to me.
Anything else you would like to add?
Add me. ;)
Isidore “Izzy” Tabe ’24: Photography
SCREENNAME(S): Izzy, IzzyFlicks, IzzyMoneySniper, IzDaWiz, IzzyIzz, DaMotive
FSU MAJOR: Information Technology
HOMETOWN: Hyattsville, Md.
CURRENT CITY: Glenarden, Md.
CURRENT TITLE: Full time master’s student
What inspired you to want to become an influencer?
I was inspired through my [camera] lens and my community always giving me motivation and hope to keep going.
What do you feel you have to offer the online world?
As an influencer, I feel like I give the world a unique authentic different view far from others.
How would you describe your content?
Inspiring and motivational.
How do you come up with content?
I get inspired by lyrics in music and trends around the world and combine both to make my own content.
How has reaction been to your content?
My content reaction has been good. Sometimes I kind of know which content will get the most reactions than others. Other times I doubt myself or don’t even think much about reactions when I post and get a good audience out of it.
Do you have an sponsorships?
I have been in talks with Sprayground and Minute Maid.
How do you deal with haters?
If I do have haters it likely means that I’m doing something right. I hear people talk behind my back sometimes and that just fuels the fire. I refuse to stop pursuing greatness and reaching new heights.
What is your hope for your sites?
My hope is to keep growing my audience while learning, adapting and securing new opportunities along the way.
