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About McKenzie

McKenzie Guymon is the face behind Girl Loves Glam, a lifestyle and beauty site. She is a licensed cosmetologist who’s love of writing and teaching others got her off of her feet in the salon, to being able to share real beauty tips with women worldwide. She is a mother of two daughters and a wife of a teacher turned coder. She is obsessed with music and concerts, loves Jimmy Fallon, and can’t live without wearing stripes!

Social Connections:

How did you start?

I was a newlywed who had completely lost my identity. I had just finished beauty school, had worked in a salon full time, and we had moved away from our friends to live with my mother-in-law while my husband student taught. I needed a creative outlet and something to call my own to reclaim my identity!

Where do you find inspiration?

A lot of my inspiration comes from music. I love it! Although I can’t play a single instrument or keep a tune when I sing, music really inspires me. I can FEEL the music and new makeup looks or even home designs can come out of it. I also get super nerdy when it comes to lyrics and the stories behind the songs.

What do you post about?

I am a lifestyle and beauty blogger. My goal is to inspire women to be the most beautiful versions of themselves, inside and out. That doesn’t mean that they need to spend hours on getting ready or that they should shoot to look like those unrealistic makeup tutorials out there. They need to be the best version of THEMSELVES and that should be realistic!

What does your audience relate most to?

My audience loves that I strive to share positivity, while not being afraid to share the imperfect parts of my life.

What has been your favorite experience as an Influencer:

I just got back from a trip to Hawaii with my husband for a brand’s conference. That was a total dream! My husband was a school teacher and I never in a million years thought that we would ever be able to go to Hawaii, let alone have it be for MY job!

What 3 things does anyone starting as an Influencer need to know?

1. Don’t compare your numbers to anyone else. 2. Don’t sell yourself short and ask for payment for your work. 3. Post about what you are passionate about. This is still a job. Although it is fun, a lot of the time, it can be really unfun and hard. If you aren’t posting about what you are passionate about, you will quit!

What is the best thing about being an influencer?

I am able to work from home, I make more than I ever made working full time at the salon while standing on my feet all day, and I have made my very best friends from the blogging world.

What’s the largest challenge you face as an influencer? How do you overcome it?

My largest challenge would currently have to be time management. I have a million ideas for content, digital and physical products, and where I want to take my brand but there just doesn’t seem to be enough time. That isn’t exactly true though. Sometimes I just stink at managing my time wisely!

Tell us about your proudest moment as an influencer?

We were at Disney on Ice and were waiting for it to start when I woman came up to me. She called me by name and said, “I absolutely love following you. Keep posting your messages. What you say matters.” and then she walked away. I have been recognized in public before, but those specific words struck me to the core. Sometimes you feel like you are speaking to a brick wall with all of the algorithms we deal with now, but that woman lit a fire within me that reminded me that what I do and say DOES matter.

If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?

I would have learned to say “no” a lot earlier and pushed through the times when I wasn’t as consistent as I wish I would have been.

What factors do you take into account for what you charge with a post?

I take into account how much creative freedom I am given, how fast the turnaround time is, how difficult the images are going to be to get, how many social shares are required, and how natural the post will be for me to write.

What is the best practice for Brands looking to work with Influencers?

Study their content. Don’t waste your time reaching out to people who are a bit of a stretch from your brand. They may not be well versed in saying “no” and your product may be a total flop because it doesn’t fit their brand. Also, don’t pitch to an influencer without being willing to pay for their time. Products are nice, but you can’t pay your mortgage with free product.

How do you choose which campaigns you will and will not participate in?

I have certain values that I live by for my personal life, so I wouldn’t work with brands that go against those values. I also have decided that if at first it isn’t an “absolutely!” when I read a brand proposal, then it is a “no”. I have never regretted choosing that way.

What do you do to encourage authentic engagements on your sponsored posts?

I try really hard to make my sponsored content really personal. You can probably actually find more personal stories on my website in sponsored posts than on any other post! People like to hear personal stories, so that definitely helps create that authentic connection, which turns into engagement.

Where do you see the future of influencer marketing?

I think we will be seeing a lot more brand deals happen with influencers who are getting their names put on product collaborations. We have seen it here and there with makeup products and some home decor items, but I think we will see a lot more of that in the future.