Mariah Linney: Content Creator, Sports & Fashion

As Mariah Linney reflects on the source of her incredible success in the world of sports and fashion as a content creator, her response is simple. "I fell in love with being myself and sharing that with the world," she highlights. For Mariah, this journey all started during her time as a Division I athlete at UNC Charlotte. It was there where she embarked on a journey to discover her different passions and hobbies outside of basketball; and immersed herself in learning all things content creation. From filming to editing to planning content ideas, Mariah started making TikToks and learning the ins and outs of the space. She was all in. The more she built her following throughout her sophomore and junior year, the more Mariah

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confirmed her interest in pursuing a career in content creation upon graduation. Sure enough, she did just that. Over the past few years, Mariah has built a powerful personal brand rooted in authenticity and has collaborated with an array of brands including adidas, PLEZi, the NBA, and the Creator League. What once started as a hobby during COVID to express herself creatively has since morphed into a career that has allowed her to travel the world and work with world-renowned brands in sports and fashion. As she looks to what's next, Mariah is excited to grow further in the content creator space while also tapping into her passions for photography and fashion design. Incredible!

Take us back to the beginning! You played collegiate basketball at UNC Charlotte. What were some key takeaways or lessons that you learned from your time as a student-athlete that you carried with you as you embarked on this journey in content creation?

Sports correlates to real life in general in so many different ways. My journey in sports has shaped so much of who I am. I grew up around the game. It was just more than a sport. It was a space where I built confidence. I had discipline. I had a deep sense of myself in this sport and I experienced highs of competitions and setbacks. You know, just growth—being a part of a team, it not being about yourself, and having to work for other people around you as well. I think that basically plays into content creation because when you're making content you want to put yourself out there, but you also want to make the brand look good as well. For me, whenever I work with brands, I don't work with just any brand. It definitely has to make sense for my brand. It has to be a brand that I enjoy and I can authentically promote. I don't want it to seem like it's fake and just for the money. I want it to match me as much as that brand. I think I've just stepped more into the creative and influencer space—with basketball still being at the core—, and it taught me how to lead, how to show up, and how to stay locked in on my goals. It's not just something I did, it became a part of my identity.

Let’s talk branding! First, how did you get started building your personal brand in this space?

I think fashion is what really got me going into content creating. Recently, I just tried to put basketball as a thing where I could go to WNBA events or NBA events—that’s where I have a passion in (as well)—but fashion and lifestyle content creating is really what got me into building a job around it. I started with “Get Ready With Me” (videos). I'm really big into clothing and hats. I've always been into those things. I just didn't know I could make that a thing that people would enjoy watching me grow (in) or watching me do. It’s honestly all very authentic, and then you can get creative with it in any way.

Along with your fashion content, you have also tapped into the world of photography. How did you discover your interest in photography specifically?

That's something that I feel like I have been passionate about for a while. I got my first camera when I was 13. Then, my senior year in high school, I took a yearbook class and I think that's really what made me want to focus on photography. I was like, “Hey, I'm actually pretty good at this.” I was in charge of the boys football team and the boys basketball team. I would go to their games, take pictures, and then design the yearbook page for those teams. I really, really enjoyed that. I've gotten into film a lot lately, but I like sports photography and concert photography. I like catching emotion rather than telling somebody to pose or do this and that. With me being an athlete, I really looked forward to looking at my pictures after every game. Being on the other side of that, it's just a blessing. I made my photography page and it’s been there for a long time. I just started posting back on it more frequently when I got into film. Film has opened a lot of other doors for me as well. I shoot more film than I do digital, but I eventually want to have my own photography business. It's always been a passion of mine and I'm lucky that I had a passion in addition to basketball because I feel like that's what a lot of people struggle with growing up. You're so dedicated to a sport and that's all you know your whole life, you know? Then, when the chapter is ending or that journey is coming to an end it's kind of like: “Dang, what do I do now?” That's kind of what I went through whenever I graduated. I got into content creating but I was like, “Is this something that I want to do? Is it a dream of mine?” I wouldn't say it's a dream of mine, but I really do enjoy it.

Over the years, you've grown your brand tremendously. As you look back on that journey early on though, what were some challenges that you faced and how did you work to overcome them?

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