Daily Inspiration: Meet Bea

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bea.

Hi Bea, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After studying English literature at college, I realized I was unhappy with my decision and wanted to pursue a career in fashion. But I was nervous, I wasn’t sure if that’s 100% something that I want because sometimes when you turn a hobby into a job you lose that initial passion.

I wasn’t even sure if I was good enough. So as an experiment, I started putting together outfits using a free app. They were never meant to be posted; they were just inspirations for what I want to wear.

Then as I was scrolling through Instagram, I saw many accounts posting outfits just like mine so I decided to make an account. I had no expectations going into it to be honest. Still, I posted some of my looks and gained around 1k followers over the next month or so.

Fast forward another month my following started growing incredibly fast. I had so many creators in my dms asking me what’s the secret, similarly, I had a lot of people accusing me I bought my followers which I found hilarious because I was a broke student who hasn’t made a penny from Instagram at that point.

I think we reached 100k in just under four months. That felt so surreal to me and at the same time, it gave me the confidence I needed to get into fashion. Have I made a ton of money? People like to assume that but no, I do post some affiliate links but I think people come to my page for inspiration not so much to shop.

And at the end of the day, I think it changed my life. It also made me realize I can be good at multiple things and that you don’t always have to choose. I fell in love with social media and digital marketing but I love fashion too.

Not everyone was supportive of course, some of my friends found it funny but if I had listened to them, I’d probably finish my English degree then somewhere down the line realize how miserable I really am. Even if it seems “silly” I’d encourage everyone who’s thinking about starting an Instagram page or a TikTok page to just do it. You never know what doors it may open for you.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think time has been the biggest issue for me in all of this. I was a full-time student then I quit college and worked 2 jobs. I was so wiped out at the end of the day that I barely had time to make new content. I started planning my posts in advance which definitely helped later.

I think another big thing is support- being a content creator isn’t really “a typical job” so a lot of my friends tried to convince me nothing will come of this and that I should really go back to uni. I understand where they were coming from but when you’re already worried yourself, if you’ve made the right choice in life a little support would have made a big difference for me at the time.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
After I quit uni, I put my unfinished degree to use and started working as a translator and copywriter.

I am now excited to announce that I’m starting a new position next month as a social media manager in a company that has branches all over the world.

My Instagram page is what made this possible. I used to be embarrassed to talk about it. I was worried about what people might think but now I’ve learned to use it to my advantage. I got opportunities to work with amazing fashion brands, support small businesses and also get my foot in the door of digital marketing and content creation.

What does success mean to you?
For me I wouldn’t limit success to any particular area of life – it’s not just about earning a degree or reaching a specific financial or status goal.

I think I feel most successful when I improve my emotional resilience, build healthy relationships, or master a new skill.

When we reached 100k on insta I don’t feel successful. I started feeling that way once I learned how to tune out other people’s opinions, how to persevere, and how to stop doubting myself.

In other words, being content with myself not just with my life.

Pricing:

• I offer personal styling 8$ per look

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ootd.by.bea/
• Other: https://www.shopltk.com/explore/ootd.by.bea?fbclid=PAAaZROVSbN7Y7FVHiZN2gQ2tRvrJD-RuOyaqCNtVBXHs4GjS7T-9nanJTozw