By Isabelle Shee, CFO at GROW and 1/2 of @sheesisters, digital creators specializing in golf and lifestyle.

Let’s face it: Making friends as an adult can be hard, especially for influencers. With a tight schedule and countless events at our fingertips, finding success isn’t just about making quality posts anymore; it’s also about forming quality relationships.

Back in school, we made friends easily because we were on the same path together, had mutual friends, had set schedules and saw each other every day. Without that consistent environment, the people in the industry sometimes become known as “flaky,” “fake” and willing to drop you if something better comes along. All of this makes it difficult to make true friendships, build trust and truly collaborate with fellow creators in a meaningful way.

But what if you could start from a place of authenticity? As a content creator, I believe true collaboration starts with real friendship—and that requires getting to know someone on a personal level.

The magic starts to happen when you're working with people you like, a.k.a., people you would hang out with even if there wasn't a business reason to spend time together. Once you’ve established that trust and those friendships, creators will likely start sharing trade secrets, tips and relationships and, ultimately, begin collaborating with each other.

I’ve had genuine, fantastic creators tell me that they came into the industry with so much excitement and passion but have, over time, become burned out. I think the missing piece in our industry is trust and genuine friendships, which is a huge reason why I partnered up with my sister for our own creator journey: I truly believe we are stronger together than alone. As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

The social media route is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. If you’re tired of the influencer rat race and experiencing that “burnout” feeling, here are four ways to help change that.

When you date romantically, you go on one-on-one dates where you get to know each other as people. So why not do that with your business relationships?

There’s only so much you can learn about someone while yelling over DJ music in a room of 50-plus other people. Ditch that party-networking mentality for spaces where authentic connections can actually thrive. I like to schedule one-on-one hangouts with like-minded creators where we can actually get to know each other. Whether that’s hitting balls at the golf range, grabbing a latte together or meeting up for a doggy playdate, I've found that the best way to become friends and build trust is over mutually shared passions. Get to know each other away from chaos.

Before you know it, the relationship you’re developing becomes more about genuine friendship, not a "tool" to further your career. Believe it or not, many creators are actually introverts and can get shy when jumping straight into collaboration. You’ll know when it’s time for a partnership. Once you’ve gotten to know each other on a personal level, you’ll be able to plan out your content ideas. The content will also be more likely to come off as authentic to both your audiences instead of transactional and be a win-win for both of you. Hopefully, it’ll be the first of many collaborations.

Every creator I've ever spoken with has expressed social media fatigue. We’ve committed our time and careers to churning out content that resonates with our audience, which can make for long hours that rarely lead to shutting off or taking a break. Creators are expected to share all the good aspects of their lives with their audiences, yet they may still experience some of the potential negative effects of social media use, such as depression, anxiety and loneliness.

It's important to remember the benefits of unplugging and chatting in real life with real friends. You know that time when you go home for the holidays and start spending quality time with your family and childhood friends? You put your phone away, have deep conversations and let the world slip away. This is how it should be with our creator friends—it’s about more than content collaboration. Without technology, true innovation and magic begin to happen when two incredibly creative and passionate people come together.

In what can sometimes feel like a dog-eat-dog industry, people are tight-lipped about their trade secrets, content ideas and connections. But you’ll be surprised how willing to help your peers actually are once you build that trust.

Sometimes it takes you taking the first initial jump and sharing. You may be surprised at how reciprocating creators actually are.

Even recreational Instagram users sometimes link their identity and self-worth to vanity metrics such as followers, likes and views. When these metrics are tied to your income, focusing on them can affect your self-esteem and mood.

Creators can have a difficult time separating their social media presence from their self-identity. With these metrics, it can seem as though your identity and self-worth are at the mercy of the social media algorithm. The best thing we can do as creators is to remember that our social media doesn’t define us. Instagram is not your entire life; Instagram is just a piece of your life.

If recent data has taught us anything, it’s that the creator economy is likely just beginning. According to 2022 Adobe data (via Hubspot), in August 2022, the creator economy grew by more than 165 million people globally in just two years. More and more businesses and marketing teams are turning to influencer marketing than ever before. No matter where you fall in the creator chain, it’s important that you take preventive measures to stay in the game. Being a creator is not for the faint of heart. It can be lonely, draining and never-ending. But when you have industry friends who actually have your back, you can help each other find sustainable growth long-term. When creators come together, they can be a powerful force in the world.