The social media manager for small businesses with big goals and a big commitment to building a better world
Your business might be small, but your vision? That’s anything but.
You see the impact your work can have. The importance of raising good humans and being a good pet parent. Of showing up in your community, and fighting for causes you believe in.
You truly do dream of a kinder, more connected world, and you want to be a part of creating it.
And despite how it currently feels to open up Canva and design a carousel, I’m here to show you that social media actually can help turn that vision into a reality.
(Yes, really)
“Tori, isn’t social media kind of doing the opposite of making the world a better place?”
Not the way we’re going to use it ;)
Since we can’t afford not to show up on socials as modern business owners, and social media does have the power to be a real source of positivity and change …
We’re going to take these billionaire-run platforms and the “more, more, more” culture they represent, and use them for good.
Good for your business, good for your community, and good for the whole damn planet. You in?
POV: YOU READING THIS RN:
MEET THE SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Hi, I’m Tori — the girl shouting “we CAN use social media for social good!” all over the internet.
AND I’VE BEEN SAYING IT FROM THE VERY START.
Me and social media? We go WAY back.
I’m talking AOL message boards. Yahoo Groups. Friendster.
(See? I *told* you I was chronically online …)
Things in the early days of social media were … different. What I loved — and still love about social media — is the relationships. The joy. The creativity. Social media offered new ways to connect and build community — and I have always been ALL about that.
But then there are the parts I don’t love.
The whole “tech oligarchs who don’t give a rat’s ass about their users’ well-being” thing. The “comparative, exploitative, vanity-metric chasing performance” thing that it can so easily become. The information overload that’s actually just like, really fucking bad for our nervous systems.
Yeah, I actually HATE that shit.
Meet the Team
So if you are going to use social media to grow your small business…
May I recommend a few rules?
RULE #1
Values-First
Yes, social media can help your small business make money, but we’re going to do it in a way that shows genuine care for the people you’re serving.
We want the $$ in the bank, but not at the expense of our moral compasses, right? (I knew you’d get it …)
RULE #2
Be Human
Where they outsource it all to AI, we lean alllllll the way into humanity. Where they chase trends, we chase connection.
People buy from people, so we don’t do faceless. We don’t do superficial. We show up and share our stories — because that’s what builds trust.
RULE #3
Offline > Online
We’re not going to let social media take time away from the things that REALLY matter in life — like our families, our furbabies (any other Pit Bull parents out there??), our communities, and ourselves. The work we do online is there to fuel our life offline— not the other way around.
If I were planning a new “intro post” to pin on my profile, here’s what I might tell you …
💻 THE CAREER JOURNEY
I worked in higher education for 15 years before pivoting into private industry and working in HR for a local biotech. Then, in 2024, we got acquired by a larger company — and I promptly got laid off 🙃
During the year I spent looking for jobs (yes, YEAR), a friend of mine recruited me to do some social media work for a local swim school.
I lowkey owe her flowers because that’s exactly when it occurred to me — surely other small businesses need social media help too? Then, BAM! Golden Poppy Digital was born!
💛 THE GOLDEN POPPY STORY
After trying and failing to come up with a business name on my own (that shit’s hard, okay?), a different friend of mine suggested I pick a name that felt personal to me — maybe a location? Or a plant?
My reaction as an indoorsy person with an extremely black thumb was, naturally, “A PLANT? Who do you think I am?!”
But then I realized, she was totally right. (Shout out to Victoria!)
Golden Poppies, also known as California Poppies, are the official flower of my home state of California, and have long been my favorite flower — I even have a tattoo of one on my ankle!
They also represent joy, hope, and resilience — all things we desperately need in today’s world and digital landscape.
So I built Golden Poppy Digital, where we can bring joy, creativity, and real change to the world — one small business at a time.
🏡 THE SNEAK PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES
When I’m not wearing my “social media manager for small businesses” hat, I’m walking a Pit Bull named Ramona who actually hates walks (and the rain — sorry, baby; we do live in Seattle …), helping my daughter sell out her Girl Scout Cookies (hmu if you want to get on the list for Thin Mints in February!), and either cheering on the Mariners, the Giants, or my kid’s Little League team.
And since I’m basically an indoor cat in human form, if I do happen to have time for myself (which, let’s be real — isn’t often), I’m probably in my favorite Costco leggings, reading my latest historical fiction novel, dancing around the kitchen to some old school Alkaline Trio, or watching Mean Girls again while snuggling with Ramona or one of my cats, Inari and Maki.
⚾ THE “TAKE ME OUT THE BALLGAME”
I’ve been losing my mind over home runs and double plays since 1985 — and now you can catch me cheering HARD for the Giants (my hometown team), the Mariners (my adopted hometown team), and the Firebells (my WPBL team).
After growing up in a household with a dad whose only bucket list item was to visit every MLB stadium in the country (which he has since done!) — it’s no surprise that I’m over here catching as many games as I can, and, occasionally, shelling out a shit ton of money for crab nachos and vodka lemonade at T-Mobile Park.
Baseball references are a core part of my personality (and baseball hats are a core part of my wardrobe), so don’t be surprised by the presence of either on our first call ;)
I’d throw together some “fun facts,” but you don’t need to know my coffee order to know I’m a fuckin’ blast to work with.
I’LL LET THESE POSTS DO THE TALKING FOR ME INSTEAD:
NOW’S THE TIME TO TELL YOU …
I want you to get a divorce!
(I mean a divorce from the harmful impacts of internalized hustle culture that stems from our
patriarchal and capitalist society, obvi!)
AND THAT’S WHERE THE GOLDEN POPPY CORE VALUES COME IN:
I get it — having to use social media platforms run by billionaires as part of your marketing is a fuckin’ bummer.
But there are ways we can use these tools to genuinely foster connection, create community, and share messages that truly make the world a better place.
In this house, having a successful business and an impactful business don’t have to be at odds with each other. We can — and will! — do both.
Social Media for Social Good
Time is your only non-renewable resource. And I want you to use your time the way you really want to!
Nobody’s going to sit on their deathbed thinking, “I wish I’d spent more time curating my Instagram feed,” right?
So if your social media is not something you want to dedicate your precious time to, I’m here to take that off your plate so you can reclaim your time for yourself, your family, your community — or literally anything else.
Time as a Finite Resource
We’re all adults here. And as adults, I believe we should have a relationship built on transparency and candor.
When we work together, we’ll have a consensual and collaborative partnership where we can build on each other’s ideas in order to help your business reach its goals. I’ll always tell it to you straight, and I’ll always want the same from you.
Be For Real
The status quo? Mariah Carey voice I don’t know her! We work for ourselves, giving us the unique opportunity to do things our own fucking way. In everything from our work schedules to our brand strategy, we make the rules — and with that great power comes great responsibility.
When we choose this new way of being, we need to choose the way that does right by each other and the communities that we serve. The way that allows us to show up and care for ourselves differently. And through those choices, I believe we can begin to create the change we want to see in the world.
Freedom to Choose New Ways of Being
Optimism is a non-negotiable right now. In order for us to keep moving forward, in business and in life, we must believe that a better world is possible, and work like hell to create it.
The technologies we use are, unfortunately, designed to cause us harm. But we can flip that on its head by using them to create communities of care.
Cultivating community in this way is a revolution in and of itself, and in case it’s not clear yet: VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!
Building Brighter Futures Together
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NEWSLETTER
The social media newsletter even certified social media haters will love to read.
I know why the haters love to hate on Instagram, and honestly? I’m right there with them half the time! And that’s what makes Golden Hour (and everything else I do) different from every other social media manager out there.
Every other week, I show up in your inbox with ways to use social media for social good without feeling like you’re losing your soul in the process.
Hour
Golden
I CAN SEE IT NOW…
You and me, building a better world —
one social media post at a time.
And even though I have a reputation with my friends for being hyperbolic, I hope you know this time, I’m being 100% serious.
With me by your side, showing up online will be easier than ever, and you’ll know that every time your posts get double-tapped, it’s because someone out there felt seen, supported, and cared for.
That’s the legacy you can leave online — and I can help you leave it.
Let’s connect on Instagram!
Social media is about creating community — let’s build a brighter future together ✨
