Look no further for all of the sustainable(ish) fashion and thrifting inspiration you’ll ever need! Kelly Stone, a graduate student at Georgia State University, is well-versed in the worlds of Instagram and TikTok, using her brand kdotlifestyle. From fun fashion challenges like the 30 Days of Outfits series to posting more educational content like her How to Support Content Creators for Free graphic, Kelly is advocating for content creators as she makes a name for herself as a fashion blogger, which she hopes to pursue full-time in the future.
Her Campus: Tell us about your site/platform and why you launched it.
Kelly Stone: I launched my platform as a passion project. I love clothes, and in my day to day I don’t get a way to express my love for fashion and social media the way I can through my platforms!
HC: What do you hope your followers get out of following you?
KS: I hope my followers take away that no matter what their budget is, they can create killer on-trend outfits! I share a lot of thrifted outfits on my page. Growing up I always felt weird saying my clothes came from thrift stores, so I hope to encourage people to embrace & be proud of their thrifting finds and sticking to their budget – all while rocking super cool outfits.
HC: What does your week currently entail?
KS: My days regularly change based on project work, but most days I’m working my regular schoolwork/job from 9-5 and then doing creative work from 5 to whenever it’s all done.
HC: What’s the best and worst part about being an influencer?Â
KS: For me, the best part is inspiring people to be creative with their wardrobe and start wearing more of what makes them feel good! I love getting DMs sharing that my work has been helpful or that people feel inspired by my outfit ideas.
The worst part is definitely more of the admin related things, like reviewing contracts.
HC: What advice would you give to a college woman with similar aspirations?
Know your worth, and don’t give up too much when working with brands just because you’re excited by a bigger brand reaching out!
HC: Is running your platforms your full time job or a side hustle, and why did you make that decision?
KS: Side hustle, although I am planning to transition to full-time! Right now I’m in the saving/cost-cutting process, as I want to feel more secure when taking the leap!
HC: Which people have had the most influence on you, and why?
My favorite accounts on Instagram are @melanycecilia and @thegreylayers. Melany really inspires me to work hard every day because I’ve watched her dreams come true of going full-time! Jeanne from @thegreylayers, however, reminds me it’s okay to rest and take space and focus on caring for yourself.
HC: How has being an influencer affected your friendships and relationships?
KS: I feel like it can quickly show you who your real friends are; the ones who would truly show up for you for anything. I view any lost friendships as ones that weren’t really serving either of us in the first place. It’s also led me to create incredible friendships online.
HC: What’s been the most surreal thing that’s happened to you as an influencer?
KS: Since starting to be a lot more serious about my platform, seeing bigger brands consistently in my inbox wanting to work with me has been very surreal. It’s crazy what consistency can do for your platform!
HC: What are your three favorite tools for content creation?
KS: I love the Tezza app, Planoly, and a tripod attachment I have for holding my phone!
HC: What does the future of influencing look like for you? What’s next for you personally?
KS: I think the future of influencing looks a lot less staged and a lot more like talking to your best friend. My followers are my friends, and I think that’s what people are really looking for: connection. Next for me personally is working to do a lot more custom content creation & social media management. For me, the best part of being an influencer is the planning & strategy behind it, so getting to work with more brands from that side is a major goal for me.
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Behind the Feed is a weekly series showcasing a different member of the InfluenceHer Collective every week. Are you an influencer? Apply to join the IHC, and you could be featured in the future!