Happy Birthday to us! 🎉 CookIt is celebrating 10 years in business. Join us as we take a trip down memory lane and look back at some highlights from the past decade! 📖

From NYC to LA, @creatoriq’s coast-to-coast events gave us a front-row seat to where influencer marketing is headed.

In New York, the message was clear: influencer marketing is maturing. It’s no longer about one-off posts or quick conversions. Brands are building full-funnel strategies — awareness at the top, education in the middle, and conversion at the bottom — and creators are being brought in at every step to make it all feel seamless.

But maybe the most important takeaway? Don’t forget the brand story. In a world chasing ROI, it was a much-needed reminder that marketing isn’t a math problem. It’s about people, connection, and choosing the right voice to tell your story.

In LA, we heard echoes of the same. Creators aren’t just content machines — they’re collaborators. Co-strategists. And platforms like TikTok are leaning into that, building tools to make it easier for brands and creators to build something together, moving beyond even the sponsored post.

Across both cities, one thing was clear: influencer marketing is evolving — from transactional posts to long-term, strategic partnerships. It’s no longer just part of the plan — for many brands, it’s the foundation of how they tell their story, build trust, and drive real results.

And that’s exactly the kind of shift we’re here for!

The other week, Carly and Molly were in Chicago for the @nationalrestaurantshow — their first time attending, but definitely not their last! 🙌 They connected with incredible chefs and brands leading the way in restaurant innovation, exploring everything from front-of-house experiences to back-of-house operations. Days full of learning, inspiring conversations, and big takeaways they’ll be able to carry into any future talent convos! 💛

We are incredibly proud of @grillin_with_dad, who was invited to speak at a corporate conference for a legacy media agency with Fortune 500 clients. Hosted by @google at their Chicago office, @lauriebuck had the good fortune to join him and watch as he entertained the crowd (ask him about the grilled alligator incident!) and enlightened them about what it’s really like to be a creator, from his early days in social media to now, with more than 3.5M followers across all platforms! 🙌