More on this episode + show notes here.

Whatever you think my conversation with a 23-year-old adult content creator who has made millions to fund her future career as a public defender is...

This is better.

In this conversation, Emily Cocea (a.k.a. @hotblockchain) shares her journey into the world of social media and adult content creation, discussing the impact of personal loss on her career choices, her early experiences with TikTok and Twitch, and the challenges of navigating public perception and family dynamics as a young influencer. She reflects on the confidence that fueled her ambitions and the evolution of her online presence, and she should probably be President.

Find show notes, video, and tons more content on my Substack.

Before “influencer” was a job title, I was already making a living selling my life online. Long before algorithms or sponsored content line items, a small group of women began turning personal, unfiltered spaces into careers, and I was one of them.

This episode traces the early days of influencer culture: The moment marketing entered spaces that once felt intimate and real, the monetization of “authenticity,” and the strange emotional alchemy of being simultaneously rewarded and punished for vulnerability. I talk about building a career based on access, relatability, and performance — and the anxiety, imposter syndrome, and eventual reckoning that came with it.

I also touch on what happened later: Aging out of the algorithm, pivoting away from visibility, and living with the aftermath of having once been extremely online — but there's a lot more to come on that topic.

This episode sets the foundation for the season ahead, which will explore influence from the inside: the people who helped build it, the culture that sustained it, and the complicated lives that followed.