Blurring the line between work and life: How Dylan Huey, an entrepreneur and influencer

Work-life balance as a concept is nonexistent in Dylan Huey’s life. He has been active in cyberspace as an influencer since he was 16. In TEDxSacredHeartSchoolsAtherton’s “Social Media Saved my Life,” Huey was open about his experience of being bullied in middle school because he was “the new kid in school.” To cope, he turned to social media for hope and love that were missing in the classroom, creating music that sends positive energy to the online community.

Today, Huey has garnered over 2 million followers on social media, released over 15 songs and launched three startups including Reach, whose mission is “to nurture aspiring influencers and provide them with the tools to navigate the creator economy successfully.” Reach is a community where student content creators and others interested in pursuing a career in the social media industry come together to refine their skills and network. The club has branches at over 10 universities.

Yet, the line between transactional relationships and friendships blurs when you have an online presence and command influence. Huey has admitted that his influencer life leads to no sense of real privacy and has created difficulty around social climbers befriending him.

“It’s lonely at the top. The circle becomes smaller the higher you reach.” Huey said, “Contrary to the majority, to me, money is not the motivation. It’s about being vulnerable and building a community. I saw that a lot of creators went through similar struggles as me. Everyone, at the end of the day, is a human.”

Graduated in May 2024, Huey majored in business administration with a minor in music industry. He now lives in Downtown LA with his roommate from USC.

Waking up to respond texts

“I usually sleep at 5 a.m. and then I’ll wake up at 7 a.m. So I’ve been running on two hours of sleep every day for three or four years. And I’ve never had coffee in my life.”

“If you come here at 7 a.m., you will catch me sitting on my bed, staring at my phone for 30 minutes looking at friends’ Instagram stories.”

“I’ll text people at 5 a.m. for company ideas: ‘We have to do this,’ then I’ll wake up at 7. And I’ll also respond to people when they are awake.”

“I am very responsive and pride myself on taking less than five minutes to text back unless I’m in a final exam or other situations when I genuinely can’t get to my phone.”

“I eat two meals a day, typically breakfast/lunch and dinner. But I don’t cook, just DoorDash. I haven’t cooked in like a year. Other than baking once or twice.”

Why college?

“There was a point in my life where I wanted to drop out of school, but my parents valued education. So, I negotiated with them and came to a compromise: if I wanted to live in Los Angeles, I’d have to go to college in LA. USC was my first choice and I loved my time here. I wouldn’t change a thing, especially because Reach was born out of USC.”

“Graduation doesn’t feel any different, minus the classes. My education was more focused on networking and gaining resources rather than the textbook style of learning.”

“As an entrepreneur, I was already doing everything I learned in class. I took what I learned in class, including skill sets and values, and applied it to my company.”

Influencer event No.1 — influencer gifting

“Typically, I’ll have one or two influencer events every single day. I haven’t had a day where there were no events.”

“It’s my job to show up to events to network and hang out. As an influencer, you dress on the extreme side of the spectrum: either go very formal or well dressed or casual.”

“This is a small intimate event with forty people, and there are events of a larger scale. I did a gifting suite for Coachella, and we had 750 people. Giftings are always enticing though. Look at the bag: a trucker hat from True Religion, makeup from Pixi Beauty, essential oil and extra crispy chips.”

“For influencer events in LA, it’s the same group of people. Everybody knows me if they’ve been to my events.”

“If you don’t dig the host, you won’t get in. In this case, I was approved because the host knows who I am. It’s not only based on followers but also on them knowing who you are. I have six million followers, but if they don’t personally know me, they won’t accept me.”

Working style

“I have a team, but I try to be independent and not rely on them. I like to get ahead and do work myself. I’d say the successful people are the ones who are working their ass off every day. Then there are people who are complacent with where they’re at and rely on their team. But even then you still need to keep growing your team if you’re trying to elevate yourself, there’s only so much bandwidth that you can do alone.”

“We’re deciding between being a small business or a large corporation. At Reach, we’re trying to build a company that has longevity.”

Gym

“I used to work out every day. Because I’m more busy now, it’s four to five times per week. It’s at an obscure time too. For example, today is in the afternoon. I rotate between cardio only and cardio/weight training.”

“Sometimes I answer calls while I am on the treadmill. It’s all about multitasking. As an entrepreneur, you have to do a little bit of everything simultaneously. So, if there’s a call I have to take, I will take it.”

Work — event planning

“I am making a playlist for a Creator House that’s coming up in Chicago this August. We have 10 artists right now.”

“I have reached out to companies, and seven have got back to me. I would love to get a million brands to sponsor this event. It’s the more, the merrier at the end of the day.”

Influencer event No. 2 — OTH

“I generally don’t have an agenda for every event. Sometimes I network and meet cool people, sometimes for the vibe or for free products. It’s different every time.”

“The crucial message I want to deliver is that I’m here, being present. In terms of social media, going to events shows that you’re relevant and brands will register that as a sign of loyalty. People who show loyalty will get future opportunities from that company, who recognize that they are fans.”

“So, that’s what’s important for me as someone who attends these events, especially if it’s a branded event.”

Work — playing catch up

“I go to sleep when my eyes close, but until then, I am responding to more emails until 1 a.m. Sunday is a perfect time to play catch up since people won’t actively respond. At least I can clear my inbox. Because I have meetings every single day on the weekdays, so there’s no time to respond to emails until late at night. And then late at night, there’s only so much work that I could do. We can have more time to do work.”

“Starting tomorrow, I will have Zoom meetings every 30 minutes. While my calendar is tight, I’m flexible other than meetings since my hobbies and the events are comprehensive. A lot of people have different hobbies which are separate from each other. For me, it’s a package — all my hobbies make up who I am.”

“I’m glad I run my own company so I don’t have to seek motivation elsewhere. If I were working for someone else, that’d be a whole different story.”