Before content creation became a career, it was simply something Raeesah Makuse loved. Pure. Unfiltered. No pretences.

Now 31, a mother of two and wife to Immanuel, Raeesah has spent more than a decade building a career in lifestyle content, staying true to the authenticity that has connected her with her community from the very beginning. But she is entering a new chapter, one where she is not only creating content she loves, but figuring out how to turn that passion into a sustainable business.

“Right now I’m at a really exciting point in my career where I’m learning how to take something I’ve loved doing for so long and really turn it into a sustainable business, while still keeping the heart and authenticity that made me love it in the first place”. 

Raessah was still in Grade 8 when her interest in content creation was sparked by blogs such as Fashionbreed and Baked the Blog .

“I remember spending my free time just going through their blogs, and when my dad eventually allowed me to have social media and start modelling, I knew this was something I wanted to explore.

But now that she’s grown, Raeesah’s  reason for creating has changed. ” Now, the community inspires me. Knowing that I can use my platform to reach people from all walks of life, share my own story and sometimes help someone through theirs gives what I do a real sense of purpose.”

She has come a long way from her early days on social media. Like other content creators who are now pivoting to digital entrepreneurship, Raeesah also has great plans.

 ” I think one of the most exciting things about this space is that you really get to create your own opportunities and, hopefully, opportunities for other people too.

I would love to get back into my clothing brand, Off Duty, and I’ve also recently launched my new event, Behind Her. I’m really excited to see what I can build within that space and where it could eventually grow.”  she says.

Growth is key to her  and she is currently “figuring out how to turn content creation into a real business.”

“I want what I’m building to be sustainable and reliable, but most importantly, I want it to be something that allows me to provide for my family while still doing work that I genuinely love’, she describes her vision. 

Raeesah is not shy to share her real life experiences as a mother, her faith and  even tips of making ‘ yummy oats’  for the kids. 

“Curating a perfect version of motherhood just isn’t real, and honestly, it’s exhausting.

Being real has actually given me so much freedom. I can create in the middle of the chaos because that is my life. And in return, I’ve found this incredible community of moms where we share, laugh, ask questions and help each other through the different stages.

Motherhood can feel lonely sometimes, so having that community has genuinely been a lifeline”, she says. 

 

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It’s exactly the appreciation of the importance of the community that has now led her to expand the family page.

” We really want to focus on building community, and what better way to do that than by sharing more of the moments we experience and achieve together as a family? It’s also an opportunity for us to show how we navigate and integrate two different cultures within our home, which is such a big part of who The Makuses are. I’m so excited to see that page grow.”, Raeesah adds.

The strategy also benefits the couple’s individual pursuits.

“It gives our individual platforms room to breathe.  As much as I’m a mom and wife, I’m also still a girl in her 30s who loves fashion, beauty and all the other things that make me me. The family page gives us a home for our family, while still allowing us to have our own identities.”

To those who are starting afresh in life, taking a leap of faith in their careers or switching to entrepreneurship, Raessah shares her pearls of wisdom.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Your first video, your first business venture, your first event, your first anything is probably going to make you cringe one day, and that’s okay! It means you started.You can tweak it. You can learn. You can get better. But you can’t improve something you were too afraid to begin. So just start.”

And her parting words” I’d love to leave you with something I try to remind myself of too: whatever happens to you, let it happen for you. Take the lesson, take what you need from the moment, and pivot. And thank you for taking the time to read a little bit of my story. I’m genuinely honoured.”

 

 

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