Humans of Patreon: Stephanie Smellie

Meet Stephanie Smellie. She drives Patreon's business development as our Head of Business Development. With a knack for forging powerful partnerships and an eye for innovative features, Stephanie plays a crucial role in expanding Patreon's success. Her work behind the scenes helps create new opportunities for creators to thrive on our platform. Let's dive into Stephanie's of hustle, creativity, and her passion for building relationships.

Question: Explain what your job is if you were talking to a 5 year old.

Stephanie: I work with other platforms to bring cool features to Patreon for our Creators and work with other businesses to get them to sign up all of their Creators on to Patreon

Question: Who is your favorite creator & why?

Stephanie: Jacob Collier. He's a musical genius and shares his creation journey in such a transformative way.

Question: If you started a Patreon, what would it be and why?

Stephanie: I would build a home decor community for sharing tips, interviewing experts and spotlighting member homes.

Question: What's one thing about working at Patreon that surprised you the most?

Stephanie: How many employees are also Creators (specifically musicians)

Question: If your career was a reality TV show, what would be its tagline?

Stephanie: If you can't build them, join them.

Question: If you could have any creator as your mentor for a day, who would it be and what would you learn?

Stephanie: Issa Rae. She has built an empire from creating scrappy youtube videos. I'd learn how to be committed to my dream, authentic to my vision, and leverage creativity to build a business

Question: If you could instantly master one skill to help creators, what would it be?

Stephanie: How to convert casual fans to paying fans.

Question: Describe each day of the work week in the form of a playlist/song. Please explain the reason for each.

Stephanie: Monday: Morning Asana - Londrelle, Tuesday: Energy- Beyonce, Wednesday: Million Dollar Baby- Tommy Richman, Thursday: Work - Rihanna, Friday: This is how we do it- Montell Jordan

Question: If your job had a theme song, what would it be and which lyrics best describe your role?

Stephanie: Hustlin' - Rick Ross Lyrics: "Ever day I'm Hustlin'"

Question: What is the best career advice you have ever received?

Stephanie: How well you build relationships determines how well you build your business.

Question: What are your words of wisdom to anyone trying to enter your field?

Stephanie: Your network is your currency. Learn to build relationships and leverage them for strategic benefits to your business.

Stephanie's approach to business development - rooted in relationship-building and strategic thinking - reflects the very essence of what makes the creator economy thrive. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories in our next "Humans of Patreon" feature!