University of Miami graduates Lilly Kraus and Paige Mason turned their passion into a career by launching Rosemary Social, a business aimed at helping companies grow their social media presence.
The pair met during their sophomore year in a social media course, when a group project sparked an unexpected friendship and a creative partnership. By senior year, their shared interest grew into a business. Now, after graduating, the duo stayed in Miami and continue to grow their client base.
It all started when Kraus received an opportunity to work with Foto Comercio, a photo booth company with a location in Coconut Grove, and asked Mason to help manage the company’s social media.
From there, word-of-mouth referrals brought in additional clients for Rosemary Social.
“It was an accident, but a good accident,” Kraus said.
Social media is about more than posting photos or videos for the duo. They believe companies often misunderstand the importance of a strong social media presence in attracting customers. They see a company’s social media presence as one of the first ways potential customers encounter a brand.
“I think they misunderstand that it really is the first impression that people are getting of your business,” Mason said. “Someone might look up a store on Instagram and think, ‘I don’t know if I want to go here.’”
Kraus added that building an effective social media presence requires more strategy than many business owners realize. A successful account needs intentional posts, clear content pillars and a cohesive feed. While AI tools have made content creation easier, they believe authenticity still requires careful planning.
One of the pair’s proudest moments came when they officially introduced Rosemary Social to Instagram.
“Our friends and family knew what we were doing,” Mason said. “But no one else really knew. The post got a lot of momentum and received such great feedback.”
Rosemary Social started organically, but both founders credit UM with giving them the confidence to pursue entrepreneurship.
One of Mason’s most influential experiences was an advertising entrepreneurship course. Students were tasked with creating a business and pitching it, developing everything from a concept to a full business plan.
“It was kind of the first look of, ‘Oh, okay, this is something that maybe we could actually do and that we could actually make this our full-time job,’” Mason said. “Even when I told all my teachers, not one questioned me.”
Kraus found similar inspiration through a Women in PR course in the School of Communication, where a guest entrepreneur or business owner visited the class each week to share their experiences.
Hearing directly from professionals who had built careers outside of traditional paths helped Kraus see entrepreneurship as a realistic possibility.
“I just felt like having someone new and fresh and just telling their story gave me the confidence to know that, like Paige said, we didn’t have to do a traditional career path,” Kraus said.
When they first started, Rosemary Social looked different than it does today. The pair balanced classes, social lives and campus involvement while building the early stages of their business.
“We still have the same excitement and optimism for what the future could bring for Rosemary,” Kraus said.
College gave them the foundation to start a company, but running Rosemary Social taught them lessons they couldn’t learn entirely in a classroom.
For Mason, time management has been one of the most useful skills. She learned to structure her days intentionally and use time-blocking to stay on track.
Kraus said networking has been another major takeaway. Career fairs and networking events pushed her outside her comfort zone, making it easier to communicate with industry professionals.
Although their student years are over, Mason and Kraus want to continue developing their relationship with UM. They have been invited back to the social media class where they first met to speak with current students.
Their long-term goal extends beyond giving back. They hope Rosemary Social can become an example for students unsure whether a traditional career path is right for them.
“Taking a chance and betting on yourself shows a lot of confidence,” Mason said. “It is really so rewarding.”