Images courtesy Greg Finck
The new influencer platform Hey Hero offers a solution for people who want a better way to communicate directly with influencers—and for influencers who want to better monetize that connection.
Co-founders Katie and Cole Zucker essentially elevated the “ask me anything” concept, making it a win-win for everyone involved. Platform users can search for their favorite influencers and ask questions or request personalized recommendations for a fee. Then influencers can accept the offers, and respond on their own time—via video, voice chat, or text.
I caught up with Katie and Cole about the Hey Hero concept and what we can expect from using it.
Tell me about the idea for the influencer platform Hey Hero.
Like many of our friends, we reach out to people we admire on Instagram and other social platforms looking for quick tips. However, the majority of the time, the questions we ask are left unanswered, especially from the influencers with blue checkmarks!
We highly respect the opinions of certain influencers and wish there was an easier way to connect with them directly. However, we also recognize that many top influencers are bombarded daily with personal questions and comments from their fans.
We started thinking, what if there was a way we could bridge the gap? We are willing to pay certain influencers for their time and opinions but there was no elegant solution available. A DM saying I will pay you $50 to tell me your favorite “x,y,z”….just feels uncomfortable. So we started Hey Hero.
Who is Hey Hero for?
Hey Hero is for anyone seeking personalized advice from influencers whose opinions you trust. Whether it helps to match the right shoes to your date-night outfit, customized training plans from an athlete, insider advice for your next trip, tips for new moms, diet hacks, beauty tips, or even help to select a wedding venue – you now have the ability to tap into a network of highly sought after people who have opinions you trust.
What can we expect from using the influencer platform Hey Hero?
Besides the ability to ask your favorite influencers for personalized advice, you will be able to discover new tastemakers and may find yourself asking for advice in areas you hadn’t considered. You can log onto the site for help buying your boyfriend a birthday present, and then find an influencer who can help you build a nutrition plan for your marathon training.
Who will we find on Hey Hero?
You can expect to see influencers from many different verticals of expertise – fitness, beauty, travel, fashion, parenting, wellness, nutrition, cooking, design, sports, events, and many more!
You’ll also have the ability to ask for and receive advice on your own time – no scheduling or uncomfortable face time necessary!
What does an average day look like in this stage of pre-launch?
Given the Covid-19 quarantine, each day looks very similar! We exercise in the morning and then work from the kitchen table for the remainder of the day.
We joke that if the quarantine didn’t exist, our lives would look pretty much the same – though perhaps fewer Zoom dates and more time with friends and family.
What was life like before starting this business?
We were married this past November. It was an understated but gorgeous 17 person wedding in Mexico! In January, we decided to build a business together and by February we were focused full time on Hey Hero. We are now targeting an early May launch.
I (Cole) am an entrepreneur who previously started and sold an LED lighting company.
And…I (Katie) am a People Leader, with a background in Technology and M&A, most recently leading Human Resources for a hedge fund.
When can we join Hey Hero?
We are going into beta in Mid-May. If anyone wants to sign up for our prelaunch mailing list, please visit heyhero.com and share your email for early access and updates!
We hope to see you on Hey Hero!
Follow @hey.heyhero on IG
