mara james

content creator & founder

want to work together?

I make content around friendships, finding connection, and strengthening the connections you have with the people you love.

London, United Kingdom
what the content is for

helping people build strong relationships with the people around them.

  • subjecthuman connection
  • formatprimarily short-form video
  • platformsTikTok, Instagram, YouTube
  • based inlondon

what i make

I create the majority of my content around these three pillars:

human connection building a business being unique
1

human connection

Helping people build strong relationships with the people around them, whether that's their family or their friends. Discussion of topics around this theme, and sharing research insights.

making friends
finding community
cultural commentary
things to try in london
examples and tips for making friends
how to build community in your area
be a regular somewhere

The same café, the same class, the same time.
Familiarity starts to build connections.

adult friendships
should we be making friends in groups?

Meeting people individually might add unnecessary pressure and stop the friendship forming organically.

sharing useful information
what the studies actually say

Research on friendship and connection, and what it means for how we live.

2

building a business

I'm building okino, a platform that helps people manage in-person communities and social clubs more effectively, and creates a place for everyone else to find them. This pillar is life as a founder: the struggles, the things I'm learning, the tools I'm using.

founder life
what's hard
what i'm learning
tools i use
see what i'm building
okino

okino

A tool for people running real-life communities, and a place for everyone else to find them.

  • stagebuilding
  • backed bySimon Squibb, £8.5k
  • basedlondon
3

being unique

Being unique helps you connect with people. You're more confident, you've got things to talk about, and you have a strong sense of self. You're more likely to be remembered, and that leads to opportunities.

self-expression
niche interests
standing out
having fun
harp
sewing
painting
pole dance
the gym
meal prep

find me here

Have a look at the content I'm currently posting on my platforms.

what i could create for you

collaboration ideas

A collection of ideas that slot into the content I already create.

Most of what I make is built around human connection, and I work with brands that share those values or want to be associated with them. If you think your brand aligns with me but doesn't link directly to my content pillars, please reach out for further discussion. Although these are my pillars, I create a variety of content and sometimes branch out of them.

If my content lines up with your brand, or you'd like to be associated with the mission behind it, I'd love to hear from you.

Showing all six formats.

format 1

lifestyle content

Visuals of my life. The product becomes part of my daily routine, so it sits inside the video rather than interrupting it.

  • Getting ready while talking through a connection topic
  • Spending the morning with me, using the product as I go
  • Cooking dinner while talking about an idea
why it worksThe product integrates into the video smoothly and feels natural. It's introduced and spoken about properly, without ever feeling too in your face.
format 2

out in the world

Finding connection by going places. Community events, clubs and co-working spaces.

  • Trying out something new alone to see if you can make friends
  • Reviewing clubs and co-working spaces
why it worksIt shows that bringing people together is something your brand actually values. It also shows viewers where they could go to meet people, which ties your brand to my content directly.
format 3

series

A run of videos with a repeatable format, so people follow along and come back for the next one. Challenges, experiments, or a theme carried across several posts.

  • We work out a series together where your product genuinely fits, rather than one I've already planned
  • It runs across several videos, so your brand is attached to the whole thing

This is a bigger piece of work than a single post, so it's worth a conversation first. Get in touch and we can talk about what it could look like.

why it worksThe product or service is integrated into the series itself and becomes associated with the whole run, so you get multiple touchpoints rather than a single post.
format 4

the importance of confidence

How you present yourself changes how you interact with other people, whether you start conversations, and whether you turn up at all.

  • Getting ready for an event or occasion where I'll be socialising
  • An outfit for an event where I don't know anyone
  • Dressing in a way that lets me show up as myself
why it worksIt positions beauty and fashion as something that makes a real difference to how you feel in social situations. How you look changes how you show up, the opportunities you get, and the people you end up connecting with.
format 5

hosting & entertaining

Tips and inspiration for hosting people, and creating a space that allows people to connect.

  • A curated event or occasion with your product woven through it
  • Making guests feel welcome through the product
  • Designing a social occasion around a product
why it worksIt associates your brand with bringing people together, and shows how your product can inspire an occasion like this or make it better.
format 6

brand events & trips

Coming to your event and creating content with the people in the room. Brand activations, brand trips, and anything where people are brought together.

  • Asking the people there questions that deepen connection
  • Interviews and discussion about topics around human connection and friendship
  • Giving viewers ideas for what they could do with their friends
why it worksIt links your brand to moments where people actually experience connection, and puts real people at the centre of it. That makes the brand feel grounded and human, and allows people to form positive associations with it.

brands i've made content for:

BetterHelppaid partnership
Skimsproduct for content
Halaraproduct for content
Hey Bud Skincareproduct for content
Papierproduct for content

excited to collaborate?

working together

guide prices

If you don't see a package here that fits, but you'd like to work together, I'd love to hear from you. Get in touch and we can put something together that does.

what content would you like?
on which platforms?
type of content?

Short-form videos can be cross-posted across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Stories and static posts go out on Instagram. Pick as many as you like, and how many of each.

paid ads?

Posting it organically on your own channels is included. This is for putting spend behind it.

anything else?
estimate
£150
    turnaround
    7 to 10 days from receiving the product, attending the event, or agreeing the brief
    revisions
    One round included
    payment
    50% upfront, 50% on delivery
    gifting & PR
    Get in touch to discuss further

    excited to collaborate?

    Mara James
    22 · London

    content creator & founder

    I make content around human connection: friendships, finding connection, and strengthening the connections you have with the people you love.

    I'm also building okino, a platform that helps people manage in-person communities and social clubs more effectively, and creates a place for everyone else to find them.

    my journey

    education
    All 9s and A*s, but decided to pursue my creativity.
    undergrad
    3 years of lingerie design.
    Experienced a lot of loneliness.
    2024
    Became very passionate about
    human connection.
    masters
    MASc in complex systems and problems at LIS.
    accelerator
    Completed a startup accelerator, resulting in £8.5k backing from Simon Squibb to build okino.
    now
    Full-time content creator and founder.

    excited to collaborate?

    get in touch

    let's work together