Author: madewithjoy

Who are you and where are you from?

My name is Katherine, I am an interior stylist and blogger.  I am from Pittsburgh, but recently moved to Raleigh, NC!

What is your brand about and what made you start it?

My brand, My Eclectic Grace, encompasses a lot of things. I started it because I was struggling with all my creative pursuits; writing, content creation, photography, art, and interior design..I wanted to put it all into one thing and I wanted to reach a lot of people, which is how the blog was created!

Do you have another job outside of being a (blogger/influencer/entrepreneur)?

I work for a start up interior design company, Modsy. I have been a stylist for them for a little over a year.

Is it difficult to balance your work life and passion project(s)?

Because my work and my “passion project” go so hand in hand, it really has been an easy balance and transition! Of course I always wish there were more hours in the day to do more, but i’m lucky that I have the job I do.

What do you love the most about being an influencer?

I love getting to meet so many people! I am quite introverted, so making friends is challenging for me. I’ve made so many amazing friends through blogging and with Instagram, and they are friends that I actually hang out with now on a regular basis!

What do you think is the hardest thing about being an influencer?

I think it’s an untraveled path. There is no guide book. You can’t go to school and learn how to do it..you’d have to take business classes, marketing, photography, communication, journalism..I mean it encompasses it all and most people do not understand that.

That is awesome! Have you taken these classes yourself and how did they help you as an influencer?

I have not taken any classes like that, my degree is in interior architecture, so all of my classes were art based! I have taken a few Instagram strategy classes. I just finished Cynthia Harpers and it was by far the best investment for my influencer platform.

What are three tips you can give to someone who also wants to be an influencer like you?

I would say that it’s going to be challenging at first, but you will learn every day. It’s a lot of trial and error..and most importantly, don’t go it alone. I ask for help all the time, wether it’s someone proof reading my blog, asking for a shoutout on Instagram or having my fiancé help with taking pictures!

LOL. Yes, having a finance that takes pictures is definitely awesome. Can you talk to us more about shout outs on instagram? For readers that don’t know what that means, how does that work? Also, can you share a few things that DID NOT work for you? This might help some upcoming influencers to not make the same mistake!

Shout outs are when you tell your followers about another account. For instance I will share a few photos from an account I admire and why I like them and why my followers should check them out – in turn they do this for me (most of the time!) It’s a prearranged thing – I always reach out to these accounts first to talk it over. It gets you seen in front of a whole new audience – but if it’s in your niche then it’s even more powerful. Things that DID not work for me was copying. And I don’t mean I copy and pasted others, I mean that I used to look at others and how they edited photos, what they talked about, how their bio was set up and would do the same thing. I didn’t carve out an identity for myself and that was not healthy – you have to be authentic and confident in who you are and what you’re promoting or you will get sucked into the rabbit hole of social media!

What are your goals and where do you see yourself a year from now? & where do you hope to be in 3 – 5 years?

My goal is to make this my full time career. I want to start a family in the next 3-5 years, so I want to be established by then. It’s a great career for flexibility and creativity!

Sounds like an amazing goal! What kind of niche are you thinking and what’s your focus going to be?

My niche is DIY and home decor. I through in a little lifestyle and hope to do more of that as I get established.

Who/what inspires you or keeps you motivated to do what you do?

It’s not so much who or what motivates me, it’s more the feeling of being on the other spectrum. I had a 9-5 for years, and I felt like it just leeched creativity from me, and my time was not my own. Doing what i’m doing, I’m able to travel whenever I feel like it, and it’s me who choses how high I rank. The only limit it myself!

What’s your favorite app aside from instagram?

I’ve recently become really interested in photography and editing. I downloaded Lightroom and have been playing around with it a lot!

What’s your next project and how can we support you?

I don’t have anything big coming down the pipeline – this time of year I like to be gracious with my time and take it easy. After the new year however, I will be starting a new business with my fiancé, and we are really excited about that!

That’s so exciting! Can you tell us a little bit more about your business with your fiancé?

I wish I could say more, but it’s a surprise for everyone! All I can say is it has to do with coffee! 😉

How important is it to you to make genuine connections/friendships through social media/in our industry & why?

It’s extremely important. I am a firm believer in being authentic and genuine..I can not relate, nor really communicate with people who are doing this for the wrong reasons. I’m all about supporting others and community over competition.

What does female empowerment and girls supporting girls mean to you?

It’s everything!! Especially in this field, jealousy is real. But when you support other women in their pursuits, you push that positive energy out into the world. It makes a difference.

Where can we find you in social media?(state your social media handles/blog/website)

You can find me on IG at @myeclecticgrace

my blog is www.myeclecticgrace.com

What are you looking forward to the most from Influencer Girl Gang and what do you hope to acquire from joining us?

I look forward to seeing other girl’s journeys and supporting them in their dreams! I hope to acquire an uplifting and empowering community of like minded people!