Now Introducing: Kari Jo Stefanski!
Fresh off the announcement of another new client, Lavender Menace is pleased to introduce our newest member of the talent network: Kari Jo Stefanski! Kari Jo brings over 40 years of professional experience to the table, spanning marketing and sales management, development, and leadership across industries (including automotive, public radio, nonprofit, and community-centered marketing). Now, she serves as 989 Creative Group’s Relationship Manager, and she’s also launching a career as a part-time UGC content creator and voiceover talent!
As a proud member of Generation Jones — bridging Baby Boomers and Gen X — Kari Jo understands firsthand how to connect with audiences 45+. She knows what resonates, what feels authentic, and most importantly, what converts. Her content speaks directly to Gen X and Boomers in a way that feels natural, trustworthy, and grounded in lived experience.
Trying to Reach an Older Audience?
As a proud member of Generation Jones — bridging Baby Boomers and Gen X — Kari Jo understands firsthand how to connect with audiences 45+. Her experience is firsthand: she doesn’t just know Generation Jones, she IS Generation Jones!
What makes Kari Jo different?
Kari Jo specializes in authentic, genuine recommendations of products and services she can see, touch, feel, or fully understand and experience. Her online presence is that of a warm friend who’s telling you about a secret she just stumbled across, and it just so happens to be a brand new wax melt, or skincare product, or a new accessory. Her followers trust her because they know she actually tries the stuff she recommends, and because she lets them know when something wasn’t up to her expectations. She’s honest, genuine, and welcoming, and her followers respond to it.
In addition to product-based content, Kari Jo excels at:
Service-based storytelling
Educational explainer-style content
Voiceover-driven ads and tutorials
Conversational testimonial-style videos
Scripted and unscripted UGC
Brand narration with a warm, mature, trustworthy voice
Her tone is confident, calming, and relatable — especially powerful for brands targeting audiences who value clarity, honesty, and real-world insight.
Who Is She? What’s Her Deal?
Kari Jo’s biggest strength throughout her diverse and wide-ranging career has been the same: people. Her insight, compassion, and ability to build genuine connections with people is unmatched. She’s the kind of person who remembers your dog’s name, asks the right questions, and follows up when it matters most. She understands customer psychology because she’s spent decades in leadership, sales, and relationship management roles. She’s a passionate advocate, a strategic thinker, and a natural connector who sees and values the heart inside every person and behind every story.
As a wife, mother, and grandmother living in Northern Michigan, Kari Jo brings a grounded love for nature, clean living, and community into everything she creates. Her lifestyle — rooted in the Great Lakes, waterfalls, and intentional living — resonates deeply with audiences seeking authenticity over flash.
Connected to What Really Matters
As a wife, mother, and grandmother living in Northern Michigan, Kari Jo brings a grounded love for nature, clean living, and community into everything she creates. Her lifestyle — rooted in the Great Lakes, waterfalls, and intentional living — resonates deeply with audiences seeking authenticity over flash.
Kari Jo and one of her seven sons, Cam Stefanski, who is also a Lavender Menace Talent creator.
Now, Kari Jo is using her voice to help brands speak directly to the people most important to them: their potential customers. And when it comes to Gen X and Baby Boomers?
She doesn’t just understand them — she is them.
That generational alignment builds trust quickly and translates into meaningful conversions. By helping connect interested buyers with the products and services they love, she’s helping her community and creating a second act in her career all at once. With profiles across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, Kari Jo meets people where they are with the message they need to hear.
Why UGC? What Even Is That?
UGC, or User Generated Content, is taking over social media marketing, and in fact, digital marketing at large! We are all growing accustomed to watching unboxing videos, shopping hauls, and product try-ons, and that’s exactly the kind of content that makes up UGC’s bread and butter. Basically, a UGC content creator produces brand-specific content designed to look native to social platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and emerging vertical video feeds. Rather than traditional brand collaborations, where content creators are paid for the engagement and reach on the video in question, UGC content is typically compensated for usage rights, with brands using that content across paid ads, product pages, email campaigns, and in-app experiences.
Kari Jo’s UGC feels like advice from an aunt or a grandma you really like. She’s authentic, genuine, and enthusiastic about what she shares.
Authenticity Matters
The heart of UGC is authenticity. Across social media, we’re seeing people grow fatigued with overproduced, glossy ad campaigns featuring big-name celebrities and influencers. We’re tired of being sold things by out-of-touch folks with nothing in common with us! According to Billo, 93% of marketers say that UGC performs better than branded content. This only highlights how the need for authentic, relatable content has never been higher. Now more than ever, brands are prioritizing user-generated content because it connects with their audience better than any straightforward marketing campaign could.
Kari Jo Stefanski’s UGC for Fresh Pet dog food
Increasingly, audiences—especially Gen X and Boomers—are fatigued by glossy influencer culture. They want trustworthy voices and clarity. They want someone who understands their stage of life. That’s where Kari Jo thrives: her mature presence, professional background, and natural storytelling make her uniquely positioned to create UGC that feels less like an ad and more like a recommendation from someone you trust.
In this brave new world of social media marketing, that means that having a huge follower count isn’t the end goal. You may actually be more effective at marketing to your audience if the creators you work with have lower follower counts, landing in the nano- and micro-influencer range rather than mega-influencers with millions of followers. Increasingly, people online are turning to smaller accounts with a more genuine, human presence for recommendations about what to use, watch, and buy.
Available Collaboration Opportunities
Kari Jo is open to collaborating with the right values-aligned brands and services to create impactful UGC content that delivers results. Take a gander at the types of brands she’s most interested in working with:
Tea & Coffee Brands
Wineries
Restaurants
Women’s Clothing
Tech
AI tools and services
Self-Help
Wellness
Automotive/Cars
Insurance
Pet Supplies
Pet Care
Family Development
Parenting/Grandparent
Travel
Airlines & Hotels
If you’re interested in learning more about Kari Jo’s profiles, the brands she’s worked with so far, or want to get in touch about a collaboration opportunity, please reach out to Rowan at Lavender Menace Talent! We’d love to hear from you and chat about potential options.
Ready to Hit the Ground Running
Kari Jo is on top of her game, and she knows how to turn a concept into a finished product on a tight timeline. If you’re hoping to introduce your brand to a new audience, or you’re hoping to reach folks aged 45 and up, working with Kari Jo is the perfect place to start.
Where Can I Find Her?
You can find Kari Jo Stefanski around the web on her UGC and content site and social media profiles. You can find her as Relationship Manager at 989 Creative Group, where she works with one of her sons (and fellow Lavender Menace Talent creative) Cameron Stefanski. You can also find Kari Jo @jojostefanski on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.