Laid Off: Nécessaire's Director of Influencer Marketing
"Stepping outside the full-time structure has allowed me to show up in the creator economy not just as a marketer, but also as a content creator."
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In today’s issue, I talk to Cristina Vintimilla about her LLC getting approved the day she got laid off, why U.S. Hispanic audiences are a “smart long-term investment” that most brands are ignoring, and how the people who used to manage campaigns are becoming creators themselves.
Cristina Vintimilla, 29, had spent a year and seven months building Nécessaire's influencer marketing program from scratch. In May 2025, she was laid off due to “company restructuring.”
During her time at the beauty brand, Cristina had designed and implemented the company's entire influencer marketing strategy in-house, creating scalable systems for paid partnerships, user-generated content, and affiliate programs. Under her direction, the program drove an 88% year-over-year increase in Earned Media Value.
After Cristina was laid off over Zoom from her apartment, she called her best friend who encouraged her to take the layoff as a sign to rest and explore freelance work. Her friend then took off of work to grab a matcha with her at Blank Street and then celebrated this new chapter over Korean BBQ.
I asked Cristina what typically happens to influencer programs when brands go through layoffs.
“They are deprioritized.”
Did you see the layoff coming? Were there signs?
I didn’t see the layoff coming, primarily because influencer marketing remains one of the most effective and measurable channels for beauty brands. It’s a proven driver of both brand equity and revenue growth.
You’ve spent years in the influencer space, both in-house and now independently. What’s your read on where the industry is right now?
Influencer marketing budgets are growing significantly. When I first started, we had very limited resources and could only partner with micro-creators or a few macro-creators. Today, I’m seeing budgets surpass six figures even for brands that are just launching. This increased investment allows brands to quickly gain traction and build awareness at scale. While user-generated content (UGC) has always been in demand, its purpose has evolved. Previously, brands needed UGC primarily for their organic feeds now, it’s become essential for paid media campaigns.
Who are some creators you worked with? Can you walk us through how you selected them and what kind of metrics you looked at for success?
I’ve worked with hundreds of creators in the wellness and beauty space, but a few that stand out are Emily DiDonato, Melodie Perez, Eloise Dufka, Kaitlyn Davis, Manana Arakelyan, Ethan Gaskill, and Kwesi. I focus on a few key things: consistency in posting and performance — especially steady view counts across their profile, high-quality video content, and the ability to speak about a product in a way that feels genuine and integrated into their daily life. I’m not interested in content that feels like a scripted ad, authenticity and storytelling are much more powerful indicators of success.
What’s actually working right now with brand’s influencer marketing, and what’s just noise, based on your experience?
Affiliate marketing is especially effective for brands focused on driving conversions. Both micro and macro-creators can succeed in affiliate programs, what matters most is that they have an engaged community. These creators are incentivized to authentically share their favorite products, typically earning a 15–20% commission on each sale they generate. User-generated content (UGC) also remains a powerful asset for brands of all sizes, and its importance continues to grow. Gifting should also stay a core part of your strategy to keep your community engaged. Make sure to regularly update your gifting list by adding new creators and refreshing your outreach.
What other brands do you think are killing it right now in the influencer marketing space?
While it leans more brand marketing than traditional influencer marketing, I loved Oura Ring’s recent “Give Us The Finger” campaign. It’s bold, playful, and perfectly aligned with the brand’s identity and mission. The messaging is clever, the visuals are clean and confident, and it’s the kind of campaign that feels culturally relevant while still educating new audiences about the product. I haven’t seen a large-scale influencer rollout just yet, but I’d imagine that’s coming. It feels like the kind of campaign that would translate seamlessly into creator content.
How did your layoff shape how you view the influencer marketing industry?
It hasn’t changed the way I think about the industry. In fact, if anything, it’s reinforced that many brands still need support with influencer marketing, based on the number of inbound leads I’ve been receiving.
The day you got laid off was the day your LLC got approved — which says a lot about where your head already was. How long had you been thinking about stepping out on your own, and what finally pushed you to do it?
I've only had this thought for a few months and the layoff was what pushed me to do it.
What advice would you give someone who’s thinking about starting their own thing, but hasn’t taken the first step yet? What’s actually worth doing in month one?
I would say setting up your LLC and business checking account. Also figuring out what services you'd like to offer, what types of projects you enjoy the most.
What’s one unsexy or unexpected task that ended up being really important to getting your consulting business off the ground?
I would say announcing the news to my network. I immediately started consulting after the layoff but announced my layoff and pivot to consulting two months after. This LinkedIn post has led to a few inbound leads and discovery calls that hopefully will lead to new clients.
You’ve worked on creator programs for years. What do brands still get wrong when it comes to building real relationships with creators?
One of the biggest mistakes brands still make is treating influencers as one-off partnerships. If the goal is to build an authentic online community, brands need to invest in long-term relationships. That means offering recurring opportunities, ongoing collaborations, and creating spaces to connect beyond campaigns, such as through community events. Creators shouldn't feel like a transactional marketing tactic, they should feel like valued partners.
What's something you were really good at when it came to building relationships with creators vs. treating them like a marketing transaction?
I always made an effort to treat creators like people first, not just content deliverables. I’d follow them on social and interact with them from my personal account, ask about small life updates like a recent move, birthday, or even just something they did over the weekend. At Nécessaire, this approach helped build stronger, long-term relationships that led to continued organic posting, even after paid partnerships ended. That level of care builds trust and genuine advocacy.
You’re helping brands connect with U.S. Hispanic audiences in a more thoughtful way. What do you wish more brands understood?
The strength and influence of the U.S. Hispanic audience. This demographic makes up nearly 19% of the population. Hispanic consumers have rising household incomes, strong brand loyalty, and a deep appreciation for authentic, culturally relevant messaging. They're not just a target audience, they're a smart long-term investment for brands looking to scale sustainably in the U.S.
Now that you’re consulting, do you feel like you have more room to challenge outdated strategies — or push for things you couldn’t as an employee?
Yes, consulting has given me more freedom to use my voice and advocate for U.S. Hispanic audiences in a more intentional way. I’m able to push brands to recognize the value of this powerful and often overlooked demographic and show them how influencer marketing can be a meaningful strategy to genuinely connect with and win their loyalty.
Has stepping outside the full-time structure changed how you think about the creator economy and your place in it?
Stepping outside the full-time structure has allowed me to show up in the creator economy not just as a marketer, but also as a content creator. I’ve been leaning into my own creativity and building content. I truly believe there’s space for those of us who work behind the scenes in influencer marketing to become creators ourselves and to bring a unique perspective to the space.
I love that you're becoming a creator yourself… is that common among people who work in influencer marketing?
There’s definitely a shift happening. More influencer marketing managers are starting to show up like creators themselves. It makes sense since we’re already deeply immersed in the strategy and creative direction behind influencer content, so creating it comes naturally to many of us. We know what performs, how to tell a story, and how to engage an audience because we do it behind the scenes every day.
I think we’ll see more influencer marketing and social media professionals become creators in their own right. People are genuinely curious about the people behind the brands, and this perspective offers a level of transparency and expertise that’s really compelling.
Now that you've been behind-the-scenes of influencer marketing budgets, has that shaped how you'll negotiate deals for your own content?
Being on the brand side has taught me the true value of things like paid usage, exclusivity, and whitelisting. I now understand how much flexibility there is in negotiating whether that’s asking for paid usage fees, product exchange, or adjusting deliverables. I’m much more confident in advocating for myself and ensuring there’s mutual value in any partnership.
Cristina is open to opportunities to lead influencer partnership programs with premium wellness and beauty brands, focusing on brand awareness campaigns across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. You can find her on LinkedIn and Instagram.
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