She made over $1 million in 2023 asking people on the street about their salaries - TechStartups

She made over $1 million in 2023 asking people on the street about their salaries – TechStartups

Time Stamp: January 15, 2024 4:21 PM
Source Node: 3062925

Meet Hannah Williams, the 27-year-old CEO and co-founder of Salary Transparent Street, a startup based in Alexandria, Virginia. Focused on addressing the issue of salary transparency, Hannah started this venture in April 2022 after discovering she was underpaid.

Driven by a mission to promote pay transparency, especially for women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community, Salary Transparent Street takes to the streets with the support of videographer James Daniels, who is also Hannah’s husband.

Through interviews asking people about their job titles and salaries, they aim to normalize conversations around pay and money. These engaging street interviews are shared on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

The movement gained rapid success, with the first video published in April garnering attention from over 2 million people across platforms, including 5.5 million views on TikTok. Hannah believes that the younger generations, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, are drawn to salary transparency because they are tired of the traditional mindset.

Hannah, a Georgetown University graduate, transitioned from a telemarketing job making $40,000 to a senior data analyst role with a $115,000 salary in just three years.

“I think we just haven’t been brainwashed yet,” says Williams on why younger generations are into salary transparency. “Our generation, Millennials and Gen Z, I think we’re kind of jaded. We’re tired of the ‘it gets better’ mindset. … When you are on the side that’s being taken advantage of over and over again, you get sick of it.”

Frustrated with the opacity surrounding salaries, she conceived the idea of Salary Transparent Street to make salaries more visible and fair. It was during this transformative period that the idea for Salary Transparent Street began to take shape, eventually leading her to leave her traditional day job behind.

“I was like, I’m so sick of this whole argument of asking for the range and going back and forth with recruiters — like salaries should just be transparent,” she says. “That’s just fair. And I had the crazy idea to go out on the street and ask people.”

Since its launch, Salary Transparent Street has been featured in BBC News, BusinessInsider, CNBC, Today’s Show, and local media outlets. Over the past year, Hannah has interviewed more than 5,000 people who shared their salaries, contributing to the Salary Transparent Street database.

In a recent YouTube video, Hannah revealed that her company generated $1,043,740 in revenue. Alongside her husband, James Daniel, they discuss various aspects of the company, including expenses, social media monetization, income streams through brand partnerships, ad revenue, and more. Check out the video for an insightful look into Salary Transparent Street’s journey.

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