Emma met with Narcity for an interview to give the inside scoop on what it takes to be an influencer, and it became clear quickly that it is not as easy as some people might think.
Looking at her Instagram with over 617,000 followers, her YouTube channel with 125,000 subscribers, and her thriving podcast, it's hard to imagine Emma working odd jobs while she built her successful career as a content creator.
Narcity | YouTubeNarcity interview with Emma Rose.
Emma has now become Vancouver's "it girl," and has some seriously good advice for anyone wanting to do the same.
How she started
Born and raised in Vancouver, it's fitting that Emma's first blog was named "West Coast Kind Of Girl."
Although she jokingly warned people to not try and look it up, she still keeps it online as a reminder of how she started — despite her inner cringe when looking at it. That intention of transparency is obvious throughout her entire brand.
Post-high school Emma didn't know what she wanted to do, but she did know that she loved fashion. So, she decided to go to JCI Institute in Vancouver.
She fell in love with social media there — and after graduation, her blog took off. At the time, Instagram was just a platform to promote her blog, but her career naturally grew from here.
She became known for her YouTube vlogs, giving people some insight into her day-to-day life.
Emma Rose | YouTubeEmma Rose's YouTube video about a week in her life.
Growing pains
Emma said that she didn't have any networking experience or connections in the industry when she first started.
"I truly started from scratch. I worked a bunch of different odd jobs to kind of make ends meet while I was blogging at the time," she said.
Because she was so passionate she did anything and everything to get her foot in the door and keep doing what she loved — from freelance social media work and consulting, to waitressing and dog walking.
At the end of the day, she said that she did whatever she needed to do to make money and to "fake it til I make it."
While doing it all, she never stopped hustling on the side. Emma said that she would DM anyone in the industry just to connect, even brands that she could only dream of working with — many of which she now calls her clients.
Luckily she stuck with it — even the dog walking, despite being a total cat person — because now she is able to create as an influencer full-time.
Timing is (almost) everything
Emma started her blog in 2014 when Instagram influencers were really just starting to be a thing.
"I was so lucky to hit the industry when I did," said Emma.
She added that when she first started vlogging and Instagram maybe "a handful of vloggers were monetizing at the time."
"I remember not even thinking it could be a job, but now people go into it looking at it as a career — that's what's completely different about it now," she added.
Although she broke into the industry at a great time, Emma made a point of saying that there is "room for everybody."
Where she's at now
West Coast Kind Of Girl is no longer — now Emma is strictly on YouTube, Instagram, and her podcast — called That's So Sabotage.
She has huge followings on each platform, and stays busy travelling all around the world for events.
Emma was home in Vancouver at her apartment during the interveiw — but only for a short 72 hours between trips. She said that this busy lifestyle was pretty typical for her.
Dispite travelling everywhere and spending lots of time in L.A., Emma said: "Vancouver will always be my home."
In terms of her career, she's super proud of how far she's come.
"My favourite part now is the flexibility. Before I worked a bunch of different jobs and being my own boss now has been a dream come true for me," she said.
"I pinch myself every day," she added.
Misconceptions
Everybody has definitely heard someone out there saying how easy influencers have it. Emma busted this myth though.
She said that walking into a room she's often nervous about the pre-conceived ideas others might have about her career.
"There's a lot of bad stigma around influencers," she said.
Emma added that "a lot of people don't realize how much work it is to actually be an 'influencer.'"
While it might look like they're just snapping photos, a lot of the time they're working a ton of different jobs to make their company work, as an entrepreneur.
"I think that a lot of people don't give enough credit to us and people in this industry and how much work really goes into it," she added.
To help break down these misconceptions Emma makes a point of showing some behind the scenes and the realness of the work that goes into her content.
Her advice
Her number one piece of advice for anyone looking to build a career like hers was simple: network, network, network!
Take a page out of Emma's book and slide into the DM's of people who you look up to in the industry.
"Stick true to yourself, because it is oversaturated in some capacity, and I think that as long as you are yourself nobody can be you," she also said.
"As long as you are fully yourself and you're not trying to imitate somebody else or imitate a different aesthetic, or try to be someone you're not — I think you can totally be successful still in this industry."
She also said that a lot of brands are looking at "micro-influencers" now, because bigger influencers with more followers don't always have time to promote other brands.
"It's really a great time for micro-influencers to come in and take their spot, and kind of be the next generation of vloggers," Emma said.
Whatever your following, Emma encouraged people to just go for it, and remember that "there's never a bad time to start."
