About Christina
Christina believes in making a beautiful home on a budget, so you can enjoy life with your family in a space that you love. She’s a huge advocate for real connections in this social media obsessed world, and loves to show the real life behind the curated images we are bombarded with every day.
Social Connections:
How did you start?
My blog started as a hobby, and grew into a business over a few years.
Where do you find inspiration?
I love finding inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram like everyone else, but also really love finding inspiration in nature, at antique shops, and through home tours!
What do you post about?
Do-able DIY projects & budget friendly home decorating
What does your audience relate most to?
My audience loves that I’m a “real person” who shares pictures that are beautiful, but also realistic. I love showing the life behind the decor, and my readers love that as well!
What has been your favorite experience as an Influencer:
There have been SO many! One of my very favorite partnerships was with Delta Faucet. They took us on a trip to NYC and gave us hands-on experience with the products in the Food52 kitchen, and then we were able to install that faucet into our own kitchen. By the time I was able to share about the product, I was dying to share it all with my readers!
What 3 things does anyone starting as an Influencer need to know?
1. Do it because you LOVE IT. Don’t go into it trying to make money.
2. Focus on relationships. Make people feel valued – answer every single comment and message!
3. Do something different. Don’t focus on doing what other influencers are doing – be unique and be true to yourself from day 1.
What is the best thing about being an influencer?
I love getting to “meet” people all over the world that I never would have connected with before. It’s pretty incredible to be able to share with other people, and get a full-time living from it at the same time.
What’s the largest challenge you face as an influencer? How do you overcome it?
It’s HARD to grow my business as a mom to three kids 5 and under. I know that it won’t last forever, so I’m often in maintenance mode at this point in my life – and I know I have the rest of my life to scale my business! Until then – I’m at my computer for hours after the kids go to bed, and brewing multiple cups of coffee in the morning.
Tell us about your proudest moment as an influencer?
I am SO PROUD when my readers send pictures to me with projects they’ve done in their homes while using my tutorials. It makes me so incredibly happy!
If you could start all over again, what would you do differently?
I’d spend the little amount of money I was making and hire out as I could – trying to learn all of the different skills yourself is so hard! It’s amazing if you can pay an expert to do something for you that you just don’t have time to learn yourself.
What factors do you take into account for what you charge with a post?
Time that I will have to spend on the post, if a project/room makeover has to be done in combination with the post, and the timeline that the brand is requesting.
What is the best practice for Brands looking to work with Influencers?
Look for someone with genuine engagement. The influencer should have a healthy mix of sponsored/non-sponsored content on their pages to keep their voices authentic. Page views and follower counts can look impressive, but dig deeper and look for the influencers who have readers that are looking to them for wisdom.
How do you choose which campaigns you will and will not participate in?
I only accept a certain amount of sponsored content per quarter, so if my calendar is already full, I have to decline. Next, I look at the fit for my site. If it’s a stretch, I have to decline. Sponsored posts only work if you can honestly talk about how the product can add value to your readers lives. Finally, I look at the compensation. My time is so limited, so it has to be financially worth it for me to put in all of the work it takes to get a sponsored post out there.
What do you do to encourage authentic engagements on your sponsored posts?
I try to not just make it a “once and done” thing. I love to honestly talk about the products and companies I love, and that makes my daily life better. So when I’m talking to my readers in a non-sponsored capacity, the brands I’ve worked with in the past come back up in conversation. I hope this lets my readers know that I don’t just take on a sponsorship for the paycheck, but that I actually use the products in my daily life.
Where do you see the future of influencer marketing?
I see the future of influencer marketing steering towards authentic and engaging video content, with a big focus on self-education.
Any open-ended story you’d like us to share:
I started my blog as a hobby, with no idea it could be a business (in 2010). Over the years it has brought me to amazing places I NEVER thought I would go. BUT that doesn’t come without so much consistent hard work. It’s easy to look at the fun things that bloggers get to do, but many people don’t see the hours and hours of work that we do behind the scenes to get to those fun moments. Trust me, I’m not complaining. It’s incredible to be able to work from home while my kids are sleeping, and bring in a full-time income for my family. But it’s really just the culmination of lots and lots of hard work, determination, and always have a willingness to learn new things.
