Billo Creator Spotlight: Empowering Home & Lifestyle – Rhea Davis on Communication and Planning

Rhea Davis brought years of classroom experience to the world of home-and-lifestyle UGC. A former special education teacher and intervention coordinator turned educational advocate and consultant, she transitioned from public schools to running her own advocacy business Education Works before discovering UGC. For Rhea, Billo helped bridge the gap allowing her to combine her communication skills, passion for education, and love for home and lifestyle brands.

In this Billo Creator Spotlight, she shares how strong communication builds better partnerships, how careful planning keeps her workflow smooth, and why treating creators as collaborators leads to authentic, effective content.

From Advocacy to Influencing

Before diving into UGC, Rhea spent more than a decade as a teacher and intervention coordinator, later moving into advocacy work. She began sharing products she genuinely loved online and soon realized that UGC allowed her to blend storytelling and strategy in a way that made sense for her background.

“I love UGC as a creator,” she says. “But I also see the value as a business owner. It allows us to bridge the gap between the brand and the person purchasing the product.”

Usually working with home and lifestyle brands, Rhea appreciates that the content she creates often resonates with audiences just like her. “The majority of the videos I do are for brands that I am the target audience for,” she explains. “That connection makes the end result shine.”

Communication and Collaboration Matter

For Rhea, communication is the foundation of successful brand partnerships. She emphasizes the importance of being able to ask questions and receive answers quickly, not necessarily to improve the creative output, but to help brands get results faster.

“A little personal connection between the creator and the brand can go a long way,” Rhea Davis says. “Being able to ask a question and get an answer the same day might not change the video, but it definitely speeds up the process.”

💡 She values brands that treat creators as partners, trust their expertise, and maintain open dialogue throughout the project. “When there’s real collaboration, the first edit is often the only edit,” she notes.

Creative Process and Planning

As her UGC orders increased, Rhea realized she needed a system to stay efficient. Planning became her superpower.

“As I was working on more and more videos, the need for a system became apparent,” she says. “I have to factor UGC into my schedule, so making a plan is crucial.”

Before filming, she reads the brief, grabs a notebook, and maps out every scene – noting where each one will be shot and whether special setups are needed. This approach allows her to batch multiple shoots in one day, saving time and maintaining consistency.

“Think about angles and scenes before you hit record,” she advises. “Give yourself 15 minutes to visualize how the video will look. It changes everything.”

What Makes a Great Brief

Rhea is careful when selecting projects. She avoids jobs that say, “We’ll collaborate on the brief after you’re approved.”

“Once I’m selected, I only have a set timeframe to deliver the video,” she explains. “If we’re still figuring out the brief for three days, that’s three days lost for filming and editing.”

Her ideal brief clearly outlines whether the brand wants a testimonial, demonstration, or skit – and includes a “must-have” section with key hooks or shots. 

Even better, she notes is when brands trust her creative instincts:

“I really love the ones that go, ‘Here you go – do what you do.’ That’s when I can bring my full personality and experience to the content.”

Advice for Brands and Aspiring Creators

👜 Rhea encourages brands to treat creators like they’re part of the target audience – because often, they are.

“Trust us to know what resonates with people like us,” she says. “That understanding bridges the gap between brand goals and authentic content.”

🎬 For creators, her message is equal parts preparation and joy:

“Have fun and have a plan. UGC should be playful and exciting. When I watch back my videos, I can always tell which ones I was truly excited to make – authenticity shines through.”