Nadya Okamoto BEGAN USING SOCIAL MEDIA LONG BEFORE “content creator” WAS CONSIDERED a career path.

As the founder of August and a longtime advocate for menstrual equity, she first turned to digital platforms as a way to mobilize volunteers, educate young people, and normalize conversations about periods. What started as grassroots advocacy evolved into a powerful personal platform, with viral videos that made period education accessible.

As August grew, Okamoto’s social presence became a key driver of the brand’s early awareness, helping establish the company as a modern voice in reproductive health. Today, she’s focused on ensuring her business and her identity extend beyond any single platform. Read about Nadya Okamoto’s journey in her C&C 100 interview below.

Was becoming a content creator something you set out to do intentionally, or did it happen by chance?

I started using social media as a tool for my period advocacy over a decade ago. I didn’t even know that ‘content creator’ was a professional option – I just saw social media as something I could use to mobilize volunteers and peers. A few years in, when I started realizing that a social platform could turn into more of a career, I leaned in very heavily. So I would say, while I didn’t set out to have social media become a career, I’ve been much more intentional with it over the last 5 years.

When did you realize your content had really taken off? Was there a video that went super viral unexpectedly?

One of my first viral TikTok videos was actually a video of a speech I gave.

I remember having this go viral, and then figuring out how to replicate the performance with other content. It took a lot of experimentation, but it was amazing to see the growth, especially in the early days of TikTok (2021).

What is the hardest part about building your brand August while being consistent on social media?

In the early days, my performance on social media was a really helpful asset to growing August, so it actually felt very aligned. As a new DTC brand, we were all about brand awareness, and I used my TikTok to do that. I think over the last few years, the challenge has been more about trying to differentiate myself from August, and ensuring that August is growing and existing way beyond me.

How do you draw the boundary between who you are in front of the camera and who you are IRL?

I don’t…

On the business side, what advice would you give to emerging creators about owning their value in brand negotiations, even without a large following?

Talk to other creators! I think it’s so helpful to have open and transparent conversations with other content creators so you can learn how you should represent yourself – whether that be with your rates, or figuring out when and who to go to for management. This career can be lonely, so I think being in community with other creators is so important.

What’s a piece of content that surprised you with how well it performed?

A lot of my initial content was about basic period education. I knew there was a market for this content but some of my original videos would get millions of views just from answering questions like ‘what is a tampon?’

What is the most common thing that lands in your DMs?

Nowadays, a lot of questions about how to start a business or how to train for a marathon (I’ve gotten really into running lol).

What goals do you have for the year ahead as you grow your brand?

I’m very interested in leaning into long-form content. I’ve been practicing with vlog editing on my youtube, and am interested in potentially going back to podcasting.