How I Went From Underpaid Clothing Store Manager to Successful Entrepreneur & Full Time Content Creator
Hi, I’m Alyssa Sumption—founder of SOCIAL ASSUMPTIONS®, a social media management and content creation agency built on authenticity and organic growth.
Today, I help brands capture high-quality content to post online with confidence, creativity, and strategy. But it wasn’t always this way. Just a few years ago, in 2020, I was an underpaid clothing store manager, feeling stuck and dreaming of something more. This is the story of how I went from retail burnout to building a business I love—and why every risk was worth it.
The Breaking Point
In 2020, I was managing a clothing store, clocking endless hours for a paycheck that barely covered my monthly college student loan interest payments. I had my own team of 6 staff members, posting 6 times a day for our social media channels. During high school, I ran multiple social media accounts and fell in love then. For a multi-location business, it was even better.
I loved fashion and connecting with people, but deep down, I knew this wasn’t my future. Growth felt impossible. Promotions were rare, creativity was stifled, and every day felt like a repeat of the last. One night, after closing the store and staring at my bank account, I realized: If I don’t make a change now, I’ll be stuck forever. So, I quit.
Walking away was terrifying—but it was the first step toward building something that mattered. I quit without a backup plan, just with a Mom in the background saying “quit” and a determination to build something of my own.
Growing up in a family where progress was the unspoken rule shaped how I approach business today. My parents were the first in their families to go to college, and I watched them work tirelessly to build a life better than the generation before. While there are a few entrepreneurs in the family, my parents or sister do not have the entrepreneurial trait. Trying to explain to them my vision was hard work and never easy.
Discovering a New Profession From TikTok
After quitting, I spent hours scrolling TikTok, searching for inspiration. That’s when I stumbled across creators talking about Canva templates and social media management freelancing. It was like a door opened. I thought: I can do this. I can design. I can help businesses grow online.
I downloaded a Canva Template that night and started experimenting. At first, my designs were rough, but I kept learning—watching tutorials, studying trends, and practicing every day.
Before Canva templates and social media strategies, I was the girl with a camera in her hand, planning Instagram captions in a notebook, and choreographing dance routines in my bedroom.
I loved creating—whether it was a YouTube video, a Tumblr aesthetic, or a perfectly curated feed. Those early hobbies weren’t just pastimes; they were the seeds of the creative business I run today.
They taught me how to tell stories visually, which is now the backbone of SOCIAL ASSUMPTIONS®.
Two Years in My Mom’s Basement: Building Revenue Streams
The next two years were humbling. I worked from my mom’s basement, creating Canva templates and selling them on Etsy. My goal wasn’t just to make money—it was to learn everything I could about online business. Etsy taught me how to optimize listings, write SEO-friendly descriptions, and understand buyer psychology. Every sale felt like proof that I could create something people wanted.
But I didn’t stop there. I knew visibility was everything, so I dove into Pinterest. I studied the algorithm, learned how to design pins that convert, and eventually became a verified creator with over 1 million monthly impressions. That milestone showed me the power of organic reach and how platforms reward consistency and creativity.
From there, I turned to Instagram. I started from zero and grew my account to 12,000 followers in two years—without buying followers or running ads. I focused on engagement, storytelling, and creating content that felt human. Then came Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Each platform taught me something new about audience behavior and content strategy.
I even taught myself WordPress coding so I could build a blog and control my own website. I wanted to understand the backend of digital marketing, not just the aesthetics. Every skill I learned became a piece of the puzzle for SOCIAL ASSUMPTIONS®.
Experimenting With Memberships: Pocket SMM
At one point, I launched a social media membership called Pocket SMM. The idea was to give small businesses a monthly calendar that has templates to post on social media. It didn’t take off the way I hoped, and eventually, I closed it. But that “failed” project taught me invaluable lessons about pricing, positioning, and the importance of validating an offer before scaling.
“Failure isn’t the opposite of success, it’s a fractional part of a future success story.”
Becoming a Canva Creator
In 2022, everything changed: I became an official Canva Creator. This wasn’t just a title—it was validation. It meant my designs were good enough to be featured on a global platform. It gave me credibility and confidence to pitch myself as a creative professional. But more importantly, it reinforced what I had learned: quality matters. Templates weren’t just pretty graphics—they were tools for businesses to save time and elevate their brand.
Landing My First Client
When I landed my first social media management client in 2022, it was a vocal studio—and honestly, it felt like the perfect fit. They were inclusive, creative, and passionate about helping people find their voice. That energy made content creation feel natural for me because I had a background in choir during school. I understood the language of music, the excitement of performance, and the sense of community that comes with it.
Creating content for them wasn’t just about posting—it was about storytelling. I focused on showcasing their students’ progress, highlighting the welcoming atmosphere, and sharing behind-the-scenes moments that made the studio feel approachable. From Instagram Reels of warm-up sessions to TikTok snippets of vocal tips, every piece of content was designed to celebrate their mission and attract new students.
That first client taught me something important: when you align with a brand’s values, creativity flows effortlessly. It also gave me confidence that I could take what I loved—music, creativity, and connection—and turn it into a service that helps businesses thrive.
Expanding Into UGC and Agency Work
By 2023, I added UGC (User-Generated Content) to my services and started working with a marketing agency. This experience was a turning point. I started creating content for myself. This time, for my personal brand, too. This was something I had not done in years, so it was hard to break out of the promotion/business box.
When I also got into an agency this year, everything changed. Up until then, I had been focused on creativity and consistency—but the agency environment taught me that quality is everything. It’s not enough to post often; you have to post well. Every piece of content needs a purpose, a strategy, and a measurable outcome.
I spent months perfecting my craft, going beyond aesthetics to understand the science behind performance. I dove deep into analytics, learning how engagement metrics tell a story about what resonates and what falls flat. I studied creative direction, ensuring every visual aligned with brand identity and campaign goals. And I mastered trend forecasting, so content wasn’t just timely—it was ahead of the curve.
This experience taught me that social media isn’t about throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. It’s about intentionality. Every caption, every video, every graphic should serve a clear objective—whether that’s driving traffic, building community, or increasing conversions. I learned how to create content that not only looks good but performs, and that mindset—quality over quantity—became the foundation of SOCIAL ASSUMPTIONS®.
Working in that high-pressure environment also showed me the importance of systems and scalability. I learned how to manage multiple accounts without sacrificing creativity, how to streamline workflows, and how to maintain brand voice across platforms. It was a crash course in professional standards, and it pushed me to level up in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I was working from my mom’s basement.
Launching Wedding & Event Content Creation
When I launched wedding and event content creation in 2025, everything finally made sense. All the skills I had spent years building—storytelling, social media strategy, trend forecasting, and creative direction—came together in one service that felt like home. This wasn’t just another offering; it was the work I truly love to do.
Photo taken by: Cota Creative Media
There’s something magical about being alongside a bride on her big day, capturing moments that will be loved for years. It’s not about staged perfection—it’s about the laughter during hair and makeup, the quiet nerves before walking down the aisle, the spontaneous dance moves at the reception. These are the moments that couples want to relive, not just in a photo album, but in real-time snippets they can share on Instagram and TikTok.
For me, wedding content creation is storytelling in its purest form. It’s about preserving emotions, energy, and authenticity. I focus on creating short-form videos and candid photos that feel effortless yet intentional—content that couples can post immediately, without waiting weeks for professional edits. Delivering everything within 24 hours means they can share their joy while it’s still fresh, and that instant gratification is priceless.
This service combines everything I’ve learned: the creativity from my design days, the strategy from social media management, and the quality standards I mastered in agency life. It’s where my passion meets purpose—and where SOCIAL ASSUMPTIONS® truly shines.
2026 Vision
As I step into 2026, I feel more aligned than ever. I love the balance I’ve created—spending my weekdays managing social media strategies and creating UGC for brands, then shifting into wedding and event content on evenings and weekends. It’s a rhythm that keeps me inspired and challenged, and honestly, being busy has never felt so good.
Every part of my business reflects what I’ve learned along the way: the creativity from my Canva days, the strategy from social media management, the quality standards from agency life, and the storytelling that makes wedding content so special. I’m not just building a business—I’m building a life that feels full, purposeful, and exciting.
SOCIAL ASSUMPTIONS® isn’t just about posts and templates; it’s about helping people and brands show up authentically, creating content that connects, and capturing moments that matter. And as I look ahead, I’m ready to keep growing, keep learning, and keep doing the work I love—because this is exactly where I’m meant to be.
Learn More About Me
I’m Alyssa Sumption, the founder of SOCIAL ASSUMPTIONS®, a brand built on creativity, strategy, and authenticity.
KEEP READING
TOP CATEGORIES
SOCAILASSUMPTIONS SERVICES
