Last week, we touched down in Houston for a night of real talk, real strategy, and a room full of creators ready to take their affiliate game to the next level.
Hosted at the effortlessly chic Ostia, this intimate creator meetup brought together powerful voices in the content space for a lively panel, tasty bites, and a little friendly competition (did someone say Creator Bingo?) It was the kind of night that reminded us: affiliate marketing isn’t just something you do — it’s something you build.
Real Talk Meets Real Strategy
The evening included a live panel-style interview with featured speakers, Khadijah “DeeDee” Oliver (a chiropractor and content powerhouse known as @deedeesade to her followers) and Kai Scates (beauty, fashion, and lifestyle creator @mskaimichelle). Together with Mavely’s Creator Education Manager, Shauna Hollinger, DeeDee and Kai showed us what it looks like to turn affiliate strategy into a sustainable revenue stream, opening up about their early affiliate wins, content strategies that convert, and how they’ve used Mavely’s data insights to negotiate better brand deals.
The theme of the night? Affiliate marketing isn’t a side hustle — it’s a business model. And this duo brought the receipts.
Some key takeaways:
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Start with strategy. Understand your audience, know what they come to you for, and build your platform around that niche.
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Trust takes time. Don’t get discouraged by slow conversions — affiliate is a long game, and your audience is watching.
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Proof of influence isn’t about follower count. It’s about data, engagement, and showing brands you can move products.
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Authenticity wins. Share what you love, keep it relatable, and never promote something you don’t believe in.
As DeeDee put it, “You deserve to monetize your content — don’t feel guilty for that.” Absolutely.
Networking Never Looked So Good
Getting to meet and mingle with creators is always a highlight, and our Houston meetup was no exception! We loved getting to know Houston creators, and also enjoyed the sense of warmth and community that radiated throughout the venue.
And when we say community, we mean it — because after the panel, we brought back a crowd favorite: Creator Bingo, which has been such a hit at previous meetups. Connections were made, prizes were won, and the energy stayed high all night long!
Gifting Goals
No Mavely event is complete without a curated gift bag stuffed to the gills with goodies. Huge thanks to our brand partners who made sure attendees left with more than just good vibes:
Whether it was your first meetup or your fifth, we hope this one lit a fire under your content goals and reminded you of your power as a creator.
Houston, you were everything. Until next time.
Our events are thoughtfully curated and invite-only, featuring standout creators recommended by our team and community. Want to be on our radar? Keep doing your thing — we’re watching (in the most encouraging way possible).
