Welcome to our Champion the Creators interview series with influencers of all niches to highlight their journeys, share their insights and inspire! Today we are talking all about influencing with Kristen, a lifestyle influencer.
Meet Kristen, a home- and fashion-focused lifestyle creator whose goal is to showcase all things style and beauty for “you and your home.” Kristen shares DIY home projects, outfits, beauty tips and family moments via her blog, A Classy Fashionista, and Instagram, where 10.4K followers know her as @aclassyfashionista. We chatted with Kristen about her tips for creating content and her life as a soon-to-be mom of two and wife.
Kristen started her blog in 2014 to show her classy fashion sense and beauty inspiration, but her niche has evolved as she became a wife, homeowner and mom.
“As time went on, my niche kind of morphed into style and beauty, but for you and your home. So that’s my new tagline,” she said. “I like to throw in DIY. I love to use a nail gun and a saw, but then I can also be playing with makeup.”
Kristen’s audience has followed along on her journey to starting a family and building a home as well.
“My followers are growing at that same rate, too, where we all started, where we were engaged, and now we’re all married, having kids and renovating our homes. It’s fun to follow along with my followers and to do life together.”
What began as a creative outlet has become a side hustle that generates additional income for her family.
“I never thought I’d be one of those bloggers that makes commissions or has brands wanting to work with me. Never in a million years did I ever think that would be possible,” Kristen said. “But it turned into a side hustle that ended up paying for my wedding. It helped us build our first home. And then it helps us personalize our home now through DIY.”
She began incorporating DIY home projects into her content when she and her husband, Chris, built their first home. The couple wanted to add more charm to their newly built home.
“A builder-grade home has absolutely zero personality. There’s nothing to it. It’s white walls, and you feel like you’re living in a hospital, and I couldn’t deal with it anymore,” she said. “I was like, ‘I need to be documenting this because people are going to want to see it. And sure enough, people wanted to know. They wanted to know the colors; they wanted to see the whole process.”
She wants to show her followers that anyone can take on home renovation projects.
“I remember my favorite and one of my most popular DIY posts now is our kitchen and one of our bathrooms that I redid. And I was a whopping eight weeks postpartum as I was tiling my kitchen,” she said, with a laugh.
As her content has shifted to include more home updates, Kristen has also noticed a shift in brand collaborations.
“It’s definitely changed the campaigns and everything that I’ve done as well. Back in
2017 and 2018, brands wanted a blog post. Maybe a Story was included — maybe. Now it’s, ‘We want an entire series of video content’ that you’re making a Reel, you’re making a post, you’re sharing on your Stories. If you have TikTok, you’re putting it on your TikTok, too. So video content has really taken over.”
She does see that photos are still valuable.
“People want that pretty photo. They want to be able to scroll through a carousel or they want to see an entire blog post because they don’t want to see a ten-second video. They want a little bit more detail.”
After years of content creation, she has advice to offer aspiring influencers.
“My biggest piece of advice is to stay true to yourself. Stay true to yourself and be genuine. Brands you love should be the only brands that you’re working with,” Kristen said. “When you have a sponsored post, it shouldn’t feel sponsored. It should be like you’re selling to your girlfriend, selling to your friend, or selling to your family.”
Kristen works as a social media manager for Tote Savvy, a brand that aligns with her interests and lifestyle as a working mom. She also has advice for juggling content creation with a full-time job.
“I run my blog, I’m a mom, I’m a wife, and I’m pregnant. What I’ve learned is it’s OK if content creation takes a backseat if you need to for your mental health and in general. So if you’re a creator, know that it’s OK to take a break and take a step back. Your followers will still be there. They’ll still love you if you’ve already created that genuine connection with them anyway.”
“They’re going to understand. And then when you come back, then they’re just going to be there to support and love you anyway.”
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Marette Flora is IZEA’s Content Manager. She writes and edits content about influencer marketing and all the latest #TeamIZEA happenings. When she is not at work, she can be found writing her personal blog, crafting personalized gifts or exploring Chicago where she lives with her husband, two daughters, dog and plants.
