Meet Emilee Frost

We were lucky to catch up with Emilee Frost recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Emilee with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I’ve always had this drive to stay busy—I just can’t stand being idle. There’s this underlying need to fill any downtime, which I think started early on. In high school, I was involved in every club I could join, and in college, I took on extra credits. When I went back to school in 2020, I was balancing a full-time job, full-time studies, and even started my YouTube channel. While it may not always be the healthiest pace, it’s taught me how to prioritize and manage time effectively. Over the past decade or so, I’ve gotten really good at juggling multiple responsibilities. I even make games out of mundane tasks, like cleaning, to keep myself motivated and on track.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a content creator and social media manager, and my journey into this space started with a simple passion: jigsaw puzzles. Growing up without electricity, puzzling was something I always did to pass the time. During the COVID pandemic, when many people rediscovered the joy of puzzles, I decided to create a YouTube channel to share my love for them. At the time, I was balancing school and work while pursuing a marketing degree, so the channel became a way to unwind and apply the things I was learning.

What I didn’t expect was how vibrant and engaged the online puzzling community was. I dove in, and over the next few years, as my channel grew, I worked as a marketing assistant at a mortgage company. My move from California to Washington state didn’t slow me down—I continued to grow my online presence, became an ambassador for several brands.

In 2024, I reached out to Puzzle Warehouse about potential collaboration opportunities, and that led to a major opportunity: becoming their social media manager. I work closely with the owners and am even exploring more marketing projects with them. My channel has continued to grow, and I’m especially excited about the Facebook group I’ve built around it. It’s a fun, supportive community of puzzlers, and I’ve also grown my Instagram to nearly 14,000 followers. One of my videos went viral last year with over 54 million views, which helped bring even more attention to my content. Instagram is where I get to show my lighter, sillier side, while my YouTube channel is where I focus more on in-depth content.

People often think being a content creator is easy, but there’s a lot that goes into it—especially since I also work full-time. From planning, filming, and editing to managing contracts and handling data, it’s a lot of work. I try to post on my own channel a few times a week, and every piece of content is a labor of love.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, I’d say the three qualities that had the most impact on my journey were resilience, curiosity, and time management.

Resilience: There were plenty of moments where it felt like things weren’t progressing as quickly as I wanted, or I was balancing so many responsibilities. But pushing through those times, staying persistent, and learning to adapt has been key. Building resilience means not being discouraged by setbacks, and it helpsme keep moving forward even when things get tough.

Curiosity: Whether it was exploring the puzzling community or diving deeper into marketing concepts, my curiosity has driven me to constantly learn and grow. The world is always changing. Staying curious about new trends, ideas, and skills has kept me ahead in my field. It also excites me and I enjoy learning new things. It also allowed me to connect with a like-minded community, which was crucial for my growth.

Time management: Juggling work, school, and a growing online presence required a strong sense of time management. It wasn’t always easy, but over time, I developed systems that allowed me to stay organized and prioritize my tasks. Managing my time efficiently has been crucial in balancing my professional responsibilities and personal projects. I try to time-block my day and focus on one thing at time.

One rule I live by is ‘Do it scared.’ It’s a motto I adopted to push myself to take action, even when fear holds me back. If I know something will benefit me but I’m too scared to take the leap, I remind myself to brush off that fear and just do it anyway. The worst that can happen is failure, but even that is a learning opportunity. I’m not talking about doing anything reckless or dangerous—but rather pushing myself to grow by tackling those moments of fear.

For example, I’d been putting off joining a community band for years. I knew it would be fun, but the fear of putting myself out there held me back. Once I started following my motto, I signed up, and I had an amazing time! I met new people, made great connections, and realized it was something I had been missing out on. Another example is when I signed up for my first puzzle event. As an introvert, I was terrified about going alone. But I pushed myself, and guess what? I ended up meeting a ton of people and making some great puzzle friends. The next time I went, I already knew a few faces. It just reinforced for me that the things that scare me are often the very things that lead to the most growth and opportunity.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

One of the biggest challenges I’m currently facing is my habit of canceling plans on myself. I often put my own needs or goals on the back burner when other people ask for help or when something else comes up. For example, if I’ve planned to go to the gym or work on a specific project, but someone asks me to do something for them, I tend to drop my plans and focus on theirs. Over time, I’ve realized that I’ve been neglecting my own commitments, and it’s something I’ve actively been working to change.

Each year, I try to adopt a phrase or word of the year to guide me, and a few years ago, I started using “Do it scared.” This year, my phrase is “Commit to Myself.” It’s a reminder that if I’ve set a plan, like going to the gym or working on a project, I need to stick to it—even if there are distractions. If something else comes up, I remind myself that I’ve already made a commitment to my goals, and I need to follow through.

On a personal level, I’ve also taken this mindset into other areas of my life, like my involvement with Speed Puzzling. I got into it in 2024 when I attended my first event at the USA National Championships. I’ve always been a casual puzzler, but I went to the event for the social aspect. To my surprise, I ended up in the finals for both singles and pairs, finishing 99th out of 100 in the finals. While it was incredibly nerve-racking, I did manage to finish my puzzle within the time frame and, most importantly, I wasn’t last!

Since that event, I’ve participated in several more competitions across the US, including Portland Jigsaw Masters, Winter Carnival, and a few wooden puzzle events. I even secured a sponsor to attend the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships in Spain, and I’ll be heading to the 2025 Nationals in D.C. in April. I don’t expect to win, but for me, it’s more about being part of the community and enjoying the experience. It’s a fun challenge that keeps me pushing myself, and I’ve met so many incredible people along the way.”

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