Hi, my name is

Joëlle Anello and I’m a full-time content creator in Toronto, Ontario. I started my journey as a blogger in 2013, originally starting my blog L Petite Noob to document a ‘30 things to do before 30’ list. Over time, the blog evolved into a lifestyle brand and now I’m creating written, photo and video content for a variety of different social channels! My content is for a female millennial audience, under the umbrella of my favourite city (go Toronto) and with a heavy dose of pink.

Who is your target audience?

My audience is so important to me, and has been instrumental to where I am in my career today. Because I started blogging so long ago, I feel as though I’ve grown with my audience; from first jobs, to getting married and now to navigating life as a new mother. I speak to an audience of primarily Canadian women, ages 25-35 who enjoy learning about fashion, lifestyle hacks, travel and just want someone in a similar life-situation to relate to.

How did you get into content creation?

I started my blog La Petite Noob while I was working as a funeral director - a big change! Because my job was so heavy and serious, I really wanted an area in my life that was a little bit lighter and allowed me to tap into my creative side. I was a big fan and reader of blogs and one day just decided to start my own! Back in 2013 putting your life online was not as common, so I’m very happy that I pushed past my insecurities to start my blog. It’s been such a rewarding journey!

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What or who inspires you?

I’m inspired largely by the city of Toronto, and all of the incredible people that I’ve met here - both online and offline. I grew up in a military family, so I have been used to moving every few years and have never really felt like I’ve had a home town. It feels incredible to call a city home, and I feel very lucky that the city is Toronto.

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What is your favourite platform to create for and why?

My blog will always be my number one! I love how it’s a time capsule of my life for the past 8 years. I also love creating beautiful photos for Instagram, as well as short-form video content. While I love the romance of photography, there’s nothing like the personal connection that you get by creating video. It’s honestly hard to choose, each platform is so fun in it’s own right!

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What did it feel like the first time you went viral? What happened next?

I feel like this feeling changes with each year, and as the content creator industry grows and changes. Back in the day, ‘going viral’ felt like writing a blog post that really resonated with your audience and generated a lot of comments and engagement. It also may have been one of my first paid jobs through online content creation, which seemed like such a dream - it still does!

Now everything happens much quicker and on a larger scale. I recently joined TikTok, have had a few videos go viral, and am still shocked by the amount of reach and engagement you can get by just simply uploading a short video. It’s truly incredible! The same goes for Youtube. One of my first videos got picked up by the algorithm and grew faster than I ever anticipated. I think the viral factor now is amazing, and also refreshing; no matter where you are in your content creation journey, you may just be one piece of viral content away from your life changing.

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What does success look like to you?

For me success is freedom, whether it be through time or finances. When I was a funeral director, I would work nights and weekends and would dream about a day when I would be able to spend time with friends and family. Having weekends off seemed like a true luxury, and now that I control my schedule I can honestly say that getting my time back has been my biggest success. Not to say that you don’t work constantly as a content creator but when you love what you do, it rarely feels like work!

What is one piece of advice you'd like to share with other / aspiring Creators?

Just start. Don’t let your own insecurities get in the way of sharing what you have to say online and creating beautiful content. The same piece of advice can be shared with creators who have been in the game for years; don’t let your ego get in the way of trying something new. There’s rarely going to be the perfect time to do anything. Just start now.

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What advice would you give brands looking to partner with Creators?

I think the most incredible brand partnerships, with the best content created, happens when creators are able to speak and create in their own authentic voice. Having the discussion about key talking points between brand and creator is important, but then trusting the creator with the execution afterwards always generates the best results. Think of the creator as the expert in what will resonate most with their own audience, giving the brand the best ROI.

If you could have your dream Creator collab, who would it be with and what would you do?

I am so fortunate to have collaborated with many incredible brands and projects, all of which I’m so grateful for! Now any collaboration that I can share with my son, especially if it’s travel or experience related, is a dream come true. Partnering with an airline or tourism board to show my son the world would be a dream. Sharing these beautiful moments with my family gets all the more important as I get older.