Seven years ago, Kimberly Foster started her blog For Harriet with the hope of designating space online for her community full of authentic content. After dreaming up its tagline, “Celebrating the Fullness of Black Womanhood,” the blog began to churn out posts that analyzed issues such as Black women’s bodies and perceptions of beauty, self-esteem, and alternative medicine. 

In 2018, Kim published her last blog post and poured all her energy into cultivating the For Harriet YouTube and Patreon accounts, offering paid memberships for access to exclusive content.

.@KimberlyNFoster blogged 4 years “celebrating the fullness of Black womanhood” before she transitioned @ForHarriet to @YouTube and @Patreon. #contententrepreneur #creatoreconomy Click To Tweet

Kim prefers not to do brand deals or sponsorships. In an interview with The Information, the creator says, “I like being able to have people who I know really get me, where I can go deeper and make content that is behind the paywall.” She doesn’t like brands requiring approval for the sponsored content she would publish. “I’m very opinionated. I want to say exactly what I want to say,” she told the outlet.

Her business model is working, earning about $25K a month this year, mostly from YouTube (189K) and Patreon.

We’re a #Stan for @KimberlyNFoster of @ForHarriet. She’s a #contententrepreneur who sees sponsored content as potentially limiting what she has to say, so she doesn’t usually do it. She still makes $25K a month. Click To Tweet

Why we’re a Stan: Adhering to the guidelines dictated by brands isn’t easy for all creators. If you’re an entrepreneur with a distinct voice and message, it’s best to only accept sponsorships that fall in line with your message. That way, all the content you publish is authentic.

About the author

Shameyka McCalman is a wordsmith whose work often centers around fashion, art, and other creatives of color. She earned her communications degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston and enjoys sifting through clothes in local vintage shops, frequenting nearby plays, and gazing at exhibitions on view in museums.