Episode Details

You think being an influencer is free clothes and easy money. It's a $36 billion industry — and almost nobody understands how it actually works.

Francesca Hung: content creator and former Miss Universe Australia pulls back the curtain: how influencers really get paid, why she said no to brand money most people never would, how the algorithm keeps every creator guessing, and the impossible call every parent online eventually faces.

Follow Francesca:
Instagram: Francesca.hung
TikTok: Francescahung

In this episode, she explains:

■ How Influencing Crept Up On Her: Why she never thought of early Instagram as “content creation,” and how posting for fun turned into a serious industry.

■ Protecting Your Brand: How she works with her agent, why they decline more than they accept (“you’re defined by what you decline”), and why she only promotes products she genuinely uses.

■ The Authenticity Paradox: Why audiences crave “real” content, why behind-the-scenes posts are still curated, and where she draws the line on what she shares of her family and private life.

■ Feeding the Beast: The pressure to post constantly, how the algorithm has shifted from Reels to carousels, and what she learned when she stepped back.

■ The Hidden Workload: Why one brief means producer, stylist, hair and makeup, videographer and editor, all before the agency and tax take their cut.

■ Stigma and the Future: How she handles the negative image of influencing, why she’d ask her own daughter “what do you want to make content about?”, and the quick-fire round on money, stability and going full time.

Questions asked in this episode (for reference):

• When did you realise you had started a content creation career?
• How much of your work does your agent handle before you create anything?
• What was the conversation like when you decided how to handle becoming a mum online?
• Is there any part of your life where you say “this is as far as I’ll share”?
• Would you rather show more authenticity and have more success, or keep things the way they are?
• Do you follow creators who only post fashion without showing their whole lives?
• How do you navigate the products you really use versus the ones you have to show?
• Do you have the luxury of saying no because you’re at this point in your career?
• Do you feel you have to post constantly?
• Has the algorithm changed how you post on Instagram versus TikTok?
• Do brands see all your stats, and are prices based on a formula or negotiated?
• Do you get anxiety about how a post will perform?
• Have you worked with a brand where you thought “what was this?”
• Does the pressure of always being “on” lead to burnout?
• If your daughter wanted to become a content creator, would you say yes or no?
• How do you deal with the stigma of the job?
• What misconceptions do people have about your job that you wish they didn’t?
• What tip would you give young people getting into content creation?
• Quick fire: Is influencing financially rewarding? Financially stable? Is there a follower number you need to go full time?
• Was there a surreal moment in your career?