About Us
UGC is a thriving aspect of the marketing industry overseas; however, in New Zealand, it is mostly an untouched territory. At Not the Ordinary, we’ve seen a gap in the market and have established ourselves as the destination for UGC content in New Zealand.
We are committed to connecting diverse, talented content creators with brands that resonate with their interests and passions. Keeping creator safety and longevity at the forefront, we are pioneering a system where creators and brands can work synergistically to ensure high-quality content for brands that engage and convert.
Our Team
Alex Smith
Co-Founder I Director
Alex is a father of two and the director of one of New Zealand’s largest talent agencies. He is passionate about ethically connecting talent, brands, and clients. He holds a Master of Philosophy and enjoys boating and golfing in his free time. Over the past 25 years, he has been running his own business in hospitality and contracting, with a hiatus for university.
Sabby Jey
Co-Founder I UGC Creator
Sabby is a content creator and entrepreneur who has a following of over 67k people on TikTok and Instagram. Her Boujee on a Budget series is incredibly popular, where she shares tips on living luxuriously while being mindful of affordability and sustainability. Some of her key brand partnerships include Ethique, Sally Hansen, Shark, Bumble and Kings Plant Barn, Dressmart, Colgate, Lipton, Puma, Spotify, Huawei, Ecosa, Hello Fresh, BurgerFuel, Tui, Maybelline and IRD. Sabby is the proud owner of SJ Social Limited, a bespoke branding, marketing, and social media consulting agency that has been nominated for the Westpac Business Awards in 2019. Her op-eds and social commentary regularly appear in local media, such as Viva, Breakfast, Scoop, One News, Daily Mail, the Spinoff, Stuff, TVNZ, Woman’s Day, Renews, Newshub, Capsule, Good Magazine, Business Desk, NZ Herald, Scoop, The Indian Weekender, and Te Ao with Moana. Sabby advocates for inclusivity, diversity, and empowerment in the industry due to her firsthand experience as a woman of colour. Sabby understands first-hand the difficulties that underrepresented groups face in the industry. It is her mission to advocate for greater representation and to create a more diverse and inclusive environment for those who exist in the industry.
Bella Leahy
Account Manager
Bella started her journey in the online space as a Blog Coordinator at an ice cream shop, where she was able to combine her passion for food and writing. She then went on to create an Instagram page where she reviews food from cafes, restaurants, and food establishments around Auckland. From there, she followed her heart to the Film & TV industry, where she spent over three years of experience as a Talent Agent, booking and managing talent for various local and international productions.
Kate Taylor
Executive Admin
Kate is a multidisciplinary creative who has 25 years of experience working simultaneously across industries in Print Media, Music Record Labels, Film & Television production, Digital & Integrated Marketing campaigns and Social Media. Kate is currently working with her clients, managing their social media & community engagement management and copywriting needs. Originally beginning as a portfolio for her music reviews, interviews and copywriting, Kate established onetakekate.com in 2013 - a movie and live entertainment review website with accompanying social media platforms to report on and engage readers with movies, television, live entertainment and lifestyle content.