Meet Genie Rose De Guzman of The Walks of Genie in Simi Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Genie Rose De Guzman.

So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I gave birth to my daughter, Sophie, I just thought, I want to be a hands-on mom. I want to be with her every step of the way. I want to see her milestones and I don’t want to miss anything! And I thought, these are only possible if I stay home and/or if I work from home. I had some challenges after giving birth. I had a pretty bad post-partum depression (PPD) but I am thankful that my husband is such a great support system. We went through that stage together and he helped me a lot.

Motherhood has taught me a lot! So I thought, I want to share my story! I mean, I am not a celebrity but I’m sure I have a good story to tell here. We all have unique experiences and stories, I want to share mine so others can learn from me and be inspired. At the same time, I also want to learn from other moms. First thing I thought was, I want to share pictures and stories on Instagram about my experience with PPD, how I got back in shape after childbirth, where do we go on weekends to have fun, things like that! In short, I want to share my life as a mom. I have invested on a nice Canon camera so I can take nice pictures for my Instagram. I’ve always wanted to have a nice camera because I like taking pictures, the editing part is a work in progress. Eventually, I thought, maybe I should go back to blogging. I used to have a blog years ago and I love talking about everything under the sun! I find writing cathartic. Since I already have an Instagram account and a nice camera, maybe it’s about time to start my blog and so I did! That’s how “The Walks of Genie” came about. I wanted to have my name on it as a brand and I chose “walks” because on my blog, I’ll be talking about my journey. I rebranded my Instagram too but I still kept my original username which is “@genpdeguzman”.

Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not! First of all, investing on my nice camera was a lot of money! BUT it’s all worth it because I get to take nice family pictures even if my daughter keeps moving. AND my followers love the pictures I’m posting. We go to a lot of places when we can so having a nice camera handy is convenient! I was struggling growing my following and engagement on Instagram, I’m still struggling actually. At some point I asked myself, what’s more important?: what your followers want to see or what you want to share with your followers, I chose the latter. I mean, I want to be unique and authentic as much as possible. I don’t want my followers to think that I am perfect, because I’m not! If they want to follow me, I’m thankful! If not, maybe I just don’t serve their purpose of being on social media, and that’s perfectly fine.

I was afraid to be judged, to be criticized, to be rejected! But at one point, I thought, why would I care? There are people who believe me and support me so I would just focus on those people rather than wasting my time on haters. I was also struggling on time and I still am! I mean, I’m a mom, I’m a wife and I have a part-time job, and now, my brand. It’s all about finding time to do things. If you don’t have time for something then that means it’s not your priority and I have learned how to prioritize things.

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
There’s a couple of things that I’m trying to do at the moment. I finally started my journey as a nano-influencer for family-friendly travel, health and fitness, and pretty much anything that has something to do with mommy lifestyle. I have been doing collaborations with brands but I am also working on getting brand partnerships. I am mostly posting on Instagram for brand collaborations but eventually, I want to convert them into a blog post in such a way that I can review products and offer more in-depth insights into the brand I am representing. I am also doing photography at the moment, although, I am still an amateur! I have started working with friends for free by taking their photos and trying to edit those pictures. I believe being an influencer and a photographer is perfect for brand collaborations and partnerships because I can give quality images and a quality story, for sure!

I am proud to represent myself!!! I think that’s what I am most proud of because I want to be as authentic as possible. I just want to tell the world that this is me! Love me or hate me, thank you! LOL!

There’s a lot of fake people on social media these days. I just want to be my true self. I think one thing that sets me apart from others is, if I want something, I get it! I find ways to make things work. If it doesn’t work, then move on, and find other ways! I do not consider myself to be successful as of yet but I’m lucky to be where I am now and I’m always a work in progress.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Of course! Why not! There’s a lot of things you can do but do something that you’re passionate about. You know what they say, if you love what you’re doing, you don’t work a day! Social media is definitely a great avenue to start with. I mean, everybody’s on social media now, if not, most of us! We rely on information from the internet, we go on Instagram to check pictures of food from our favorite restaurant or you can even find recipes on Instagram now! Those hashtags are magical! Click on it and you’ll see what you’re looking for! There’s so much to explore!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thewalksofgenie.com
• Phone: 310-808-8353
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/genpdeguzman
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/genpdeguzman

Image Credit:
@genpdeguzman

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.