Taking Charge From The Perspective of It Girl Nazla Alifa

Not content with just being a content creator, Nazla Alifa, our It Girl for 2022, dives into the world of talent management and F&B 

Last year, Prestige Indonesia teamed up with Nazla Alifa to highlight the most stylish bags of mid-2021 – the season’s “It Bags.” And now, the young content creator and entrepreneur is our “It Girl” of 2022. Nazla is a constant presence in today’s social media landscape, often appearing to promote anything from fashion brands to beauty products while also shining a spotlight on notable happenings. In one notable post she introduces her audience to some of the finer points of Thai cuisine as part of the lead up to 2022 APEC forum which was held in Bangkok.

More than just creating content, Nazla also manages content creator through her company KACA Kreatif and has even started a coffee business. And while juggling all of these ventures, she still manages to find the time to travel, learn Korean, and keep up with her favourite K-pop artists. In short, Nazla Alifa has plenty of stories to share… 

It’s been almost a year and a half since our conversation with you. What have you been up to since then? Especially in 2022…

A lot of things, really. I’ve been running my company, KACA Kreatif, and I’m still busy being a content creator, working with a lot of cool brands. And I’ve also become a huge K-pop fan.

On that note, while most people know you as a content creator, you’re also acting as a bridge between brands and content creators through KACA Kreatif. Can you tell us a bit about the concept of this company?

This is basically a talent management company that handles a lot of content creators. We have seven exclusive talents at the moment, along with many other creative figures which we connect with brands who are interested in working with them. 

At first, what was it that inspired you to create KACA Kreatif?

In the beginning, I handled everything myself as a content creator, and that was quite difficult and troublesome basically. I also know a lot of other content creators who can’t handle everything that goes into the job. Furthermore, I also started to think about how one day, I wouldn’t be in this business as a content creator any longer. So, why not create a company, so that when I’m no longer a content creator myself, I can still be in the industry from behind the scenes?

What are some of the challenges that you have to face in managing talents, projects with various brands, and so on?

There are plenty of problems that I had to deal with. Obviously, there are all the challenges that come from running a business. And then, managing talents means managing people instead of physical goods that we can design the way we want to. So, I have to deal with these people’s moods and conditions, because they are the products of this company. That’s the number one challenge, I’d say.

And on the flip side, what do you see as the most enjoyable or rewarding part of running KACA Kreatif?

When I see the talents that I manage thrive and when my company reaches its goals. When one of my talents wants to collaborate with a brand and we finally can connect the two, that’s very rewarding.

Moving on to a completely different line of business, what can you tell us about Kopi BotolKaca?

This is my coffee brand. Right now, I have two outlets in Kemang and Bintaro. Kopi BotolKaca was actually created during the pandemic, and it has thankfully grown stronger ever since.

The market for coffee products and shops is highly saturated these days – and therefore highly competitive. What convinced you to enter this tough business?

I decided to establish this business initially because I saw myself as a huge coffee enthusiast. And I felt that I had a product that was good and can compete in the market, as this is something that I’ve never seen anywhere else. I also feel that my tastes are quite sophisticated when it comes to food and drink, and I think many coffee drinkers will appreciate our brew.

If we could circle back to your activities as a content creator, you’ve collaborated with a wide range of partners, from beauty brands to the government of Thailand in preparation for APEC 2022. What do you usually look for in a potential collaboration?

I look for brands whose message is in line with myself, and whose branding creates a positive impact for many people. Of course, I also pick brands that have good reputations.

By the way, can you tell us a bit how you ended up promoting Thai culture in the lead up to APEC 2022? 

Well, Thailand is one of my favourite countries to visit. Also, APEC aims to create better economic opportunities in the Asia Pacific region, so it goes back to how I like to collaborate with brands – or organizations and forums – that create positive impact.

What would you say separates creators that actually create good content and the wannabes? 

I personally don’t think that there are content creators you can call “wannabes.” We all simply want to create content. At the end of the day, nothing in this world is purely original anymore – everything is inspired by something else. There are, however, content creators that rely on their “one night of fame” and those who don’t. And I’m not saying that the former is bad. It’s just that there are those whose rise to fame comes quickly and then disappears just as fast, and there are also content creators who can really establish and build up their careers.

A lot of young people these days see content creation as an exciting way to make a living. What is your advice for anyone who dreams of or have at least considered becoming a content creator?

First of all, you need to know what kind of content you want to share, what kind of branding you want to present, and what your goals are. And then commit! The hardest part of being a content creator is commitment. You can’t create content today and then do nothing tomorrow. Being a content creator means committing to frequent posting, so that people become familiar with you, and remember your name.

With the end of the year so close, what would you say has been some of your best memories from 2022?

That’s easy. I just came back from South Korea back in October. I went there with my friends for my 26th birthday. As it happened, all of my friends made it, and for the first time ever, we managed to go abroad as a complete team, for my birthday, to a country we’ve always wanted to visit since the pandemic. And we celebrated in the villa where they shot BTS In the SOOP. So, again, I got to celebrate my birthday, in my favourite country, with the persons I love the most, in a place whose history I really adore. It doesn’t get better than that.

PHOTOGRAPHER PANJI INDRA | STYLING BAGOES ABYOSO | MAKEUP ARTIST AMI BECKS | HAIR STYLIST NOR WULAN | DIGITAL IMAGING ARTIST ARDITYAS NUGRAHANI | STYLING ASSISTANT ISABELLA HARAHAP