"I Saw Madi Do It": How Madison Harris Turned Content Into Connection

If you ask Madison Harris how her work in content creation began, her answer is straightforward: “I just started talking to a camera.” Known to YouTube subscribers as @lifewithmadii, Harris creates social media content based on day-to-day life, beauty and her Spelman experience. To her, the title of a game changer means being the inspiration she once wished to see.

“When I was thinking about college, I didn't see videos about how to go about the admissions process, how to go about being deferred from a college, how to go about pretty much anything. So to me, being a game changer is just continuing to make things that people don't necessarily see about college or beauty,” she said.

A sophomore Literature, Media and Writing major hailing from St. Louis, Harris has a passion for marketing work that she expresses through her content. During her time at Spelman, she amassed a number of brand deals and ambassadorships, including Poppi, Ulta and Good Molecules. She serves as a Social Media Intern for Spelman College, working to promote the college’s mission through digital content. 

“When it comes to social media content, I just know what I like, and I think in the mindset of ‘What would you want to see right now? You should make that,’” she said.

Harris started content creation in middle school, when she saw friends posting content on YouTube for fun. What began as a trend among her classmates would quickly take off into something more. 

“It was my 15th birthday, and I made a little vlog, just something really cute on my phone, and then it blew up. And I was like, ‘Okay, maybe I'm somewhat good at this.’ Then my 16th birthday came around and I made another one, and that blew up even more. So I'm like, ‘Okay, maybe I have a knack for this or something.’”

This initial success on YouTube would expand into other forums, such as TikTok and Instagram. As her platform continues to grow, Harris explained her commitment to keeping authenticity at the core of her content. 

“When I was younger, I had a really big issue with how I was perceived. I was like ‘I don't want people to think this of me,
I don't want people to think that of me.’ Coming to college, I had to get out of that,” she said. “Staying authentic to who I was brought people to me that were here for me, and here for my personality and content. So that's why I stay authentic to myself and I don't let brands try to change me, or just content in general change me.”

Harris says the most significant part of her journey has been becoming a source of guidance for others, as her content sees engagement from aspiring, incoming and current Spelman students. She lists one of her viral videos as the most memorable, where she answered questions and offered encouragement to deferred Spelman applicants, having been a deferred applicant herself.

“That video still recirculates around every deferral season. It goes back around, and then I get more girls asking me questions. That video is just the most impactful thing I've ever done because I wish that I had it when I was a senior,” she said. 

While Spelman does not offer a marketing or PR program, Harris has not found that to be a deterrent. Instead, she said the limitations on formal guidance have pushed her to “find a way or make one.”

“I knew that I wanted to go to Spelman. I didn't realize I wanted to do marketing until I already got here. So I was like, ‘I want to be a Spelman woman and I know that it's not the most conventional path, but I'm going to figure it out.’” 

Through her content, Harris connects with viewers across various backgrounds and experiences, showing the power of believing in and investing in oneself. She expressed her hope that her content continues to not only reach others, but show them that they can do it too.

“I hope that my content continues to impact people, you know? And I hope that one day, there’s another girl who wants to do marketing that gets this award in the future. And she'll say, ‘I saw Madi do it.’”