Life and Work with Danielle DeGunto

Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle DeGunto.

Danielle, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I had always thought about starting a fashion and lifestyle blog but never really sat down and started. I went through a really bad break up and thought to myself “why not channel all this unfocused energy into finally starting a blog?” and a month later Archer & Luna was created! I have always been surrounded by an incredible group of creatives; I went to FIDM and then later Sonoma State (in Northern California) and the group of ladies I became friends with gave me such support. There were a few girls who had already been through this process and had blogs and were kind enough to give me tips and advice. I think it is so important to pay that kind of help forward because you cannot grow in this business without being taught the basic steps on how to get started. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out this new Instagram algorithm and what does and does not work for you but once I decided to not compare myself to other influencers and post what I like, everything fell together.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, this has not been a smooth ride at all. The photos influencers post make it look like everything is rainbows and sunshine all the time but it is quite the opposite actually. I wrote a post on my blog titled “Dealing with Haters, Copycats, and Anxieties from being an “Influencer” which talks about being in this community and feeling pressure to make your aesthetic look a certain way, wear certain things, and “haters”. In this post, I wrote about how a friend of mine went out of her way to tell me that my instagram theme was too busy and didn’t flow and how I need to make it look like other influencer’s feeds. I know that some influencers who have thousands of followers all edit their photos the exact same way or post photos about travel and high fashion but that is just not me nor my lifestyle. Yes, I taught myself and learned how to edit my photos but I edit them the way that I want them to look, not so they can all be the same. How boring is that? I don’t want my profile to be another account that looks just like everyone else’s, I want mine to stand out. Also, being a person of color, I really wanted to make sure my profile stands out because I wanted girls who look similar to me to connect and see that there are more accounts out there than the stereotypical Caucasian blonde girl posing in a cute outfit (nothing against those accounts!). I never had someone who looked like me to look up to when I was younger so I wanted to do that for someone, even if just one person could relate and connect.

My advice I give in my blog post to future influencers is to stay true to you and find your niche. Once you do that and remain true to your values you will find that the followers come. Be silly on stories, go out of the box and try different poses, and DON’T BE SCARED TO REACH OUT TO BRANDS! If there’s a brand you like and want to help promote, reach out to them! It’s all about branding yourself. My most important piece of advice besides not comparing yourself to others is to have FUN!

Please tell us about Archer & Luna.
I am a digital content creator and a fashion/lifestyle blogger. I don’t really like to categorize myself as just a digital content creator because I also love writing reviews and sharing new fashion trends. One of my favorite parts of being an influencer is collaborating with other brands to create fun content to share with my followers. I specialize in fashion, but also work with lifestyle and beauty brands. The thing that I am most proud of as a brand is when people who follow me post about me in their Instagram stories or direct message me telling me how they loved a blog post or a photo. It really makes me feel good to know that even one person liked what I posted and it made them feel a certain type of way. The thing that I think sets me apart from other bloggers/influencers in my niche is that I try to post fun, colorful, and honest posts. I really really don’t want to be another boring influencer who only posts pictures of them standing in front of a colorful wall in a cute outfit (not saying I don’t do that from time to time); I want my content to be out of the box and make my followers say “wow how cool is this??”. Thankfully I have an amazing “Instagram wife” who shoots all my photos for me and offers unconditional support and can always get me out of my creative blocks/funks. She really keeps me centered and makes sure I stay true to how I want my posts to look.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
A few apps for your phone that REALLY help me for my Instagram posting are snapseed, lightroom, retouch, and unfold. I work a pretty demanding 9-7 job so editing and posting during the day are very difficult but these apps make it so easy for me to do quick edits or pre-make stories to post.

A book that I am obsessed with that really keeps me motivated is “You are a Badass” by Jen Sincero. If you have not read this book or need a little self-motivation, this book is for you. I read it when I am feeling a little down or am having a creative block.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.archerandluna.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/danielledegunto

Image Credit:
Gigi Hirzu (@gigihirzu on Instagram)

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