> At a Glance
> – Amanda Rollins, 28, has built a 1 million-plus following from Paris after moving from Boston in 2017
> – She says French influencer events are smaller and more low-key than the U.S. “content studio” culture
> – Rollins swapped a corporate visa for full-time content creation after a layoff and never looked back
> – Why it matters: her story mirrors Emily in Paris and shows how creator economies differ on opposite sides of the Atlantic
After eight years in France, Amanda Rollins has lived the real-life version of Emily in Paris-complete with Fashion Week galas and Versailles masked balls-while chronicling the move abroad that turned her into a full-time social-media creator.
From Boston to the Banlieue
Rollins, originally in tech sales, quit her Boston job in 2017 on the heels of reading The Alchemist. She:
- Took a nine-month au-pair stint to secure a visa
- Hunted for a CDI-France’s near-unfireable permanent contract-printing “reverse calendars” to stay on schedule
- Leveraged native English to help French firms crack U.S. markets
Three years later, a pandemic-era video on French healthcare went viral. When her office job disappeared, Rollins gambled on content full-time and now earns “almost the same” income via the French creator fund.
Culture Gap: U.S. Hype vs. French Chill
She sees a clear divide:
| Aspect | United States | France |
|---|---|---|
| Events | Gifting suites at Coachella | Intimate, low-key gatherings |
| Studios | Dedicated content studios common | Rare; creators film at home |
| Celebrity style | Over-the-top, branded posts | “Cool to pretend not to care” |
> “Everything in France is done on a smaller scale, even the food,” Rollins laughs, noting that a mid-level U.S. creator would outshine France’s “most obnoxious” star.
Key Takeaways
- 1 million followers later, Rollins works “more than ever” but calls it fun
- French audiences love local creators despite a global “negative connotation” about influencers
- U.S. creator economy drives giant sponsorships; France prizes subtlety
- She hasn’t returned to corporate life since the 2020 layoff and says she’s “never been happier”
Rollins’ journey proves you can trade spreadsheets for smartphones-and that Parisian influence looks nothing like its American cousin.
