Today, we’d like to introduce you to Sofia Fernandez.
Hi Sofia, We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began my influencing journey when I transferred to the University of North Texas from The New School in the year 2020. I found out about this influencing group called Zfluence, and through this platform, I got my first influencing collaboration with this company called Arctic Zero! This collaboration was called a gifted collaboration because I got the product for free; that was my form of payment, and I posted content for them. After this, a brand called Gopuff took notice of my content and DM’d me on Instagram, and that’s how I got my first paid collaboration as an influencer. From there, my career took off, and I continued to work with many brands. Some mentionable brands I’ve collaborated with have been Chipotle, Neutrogena, Coca-Cola, and Benefit Cosmetics. I recently did my first collaboration with a restaurant in Denton called Laynes Chicken Fingers. This was really exciting for me because I frequent this restaurant, as do my college friends. The most rewarding ongoing collaboration I have is with Bumble as a Bumble ambassador. I have been working with them as the content manager at the University of North Texas for the past three semesters. They have given me so many opportunities to grow as a content manager, and I’ve made so many friends through this program. They’ve given me opportunities to create content at a Ranger game, college bar tabs, and our boba tea tab that we had this semester. Bumble gives us creative control over the events that we plan, and it’s so exciting when our events have a good turnout. Most recently, we had a bar tab at my favorite local bar, Lucky Lous, and we introduced so many new people to the app. I also got to give out Bumble merch and create content throughout the night. I’m a senior in college, and I’m graduating this spring! I love being a creator so much, and I plan to continue influencing after I graduate.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story: has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road! There are a lot of scams out there. A lot of brands don’t want to pay influencers well, if at all. You have to be really good at advocating for yourself and knowing when to walk away from a collaboration. Personally, I’ve gotten scammed before, but I’ve learned from that. It’s helped me to follow other established influencers who give out advice about influencing. For example, one of my favorite influencers, @kbousq, gives out free advice on influencing and how to properly get paid as an influencer. It’s also hard to get good brand collaborations sometimes. I’ve learned it never hurts to ask. If you really want to work with a brand, you can find their PR email and send them a pitch as to why they should hire you.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next time you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a lifestyle influencer! I’m known for creating relatable and aesthetic content. My target audience is mostly college students, but I feel like other people can still relate to my content. As of right now, my Instagram content is a lot of travel pictures and pictures I’ve taken representing Bumble. I’ve also been known for giving tips on traveling and influencing on my page. My goal is to keep my followers entertained as well as informed! I’m most proud of how I’ve grown since I began influencing, and my followers have grown with me. I really feel as though I have really grown as a person, and my content creation has really been elevated because of that. I’ve recently been putting my mental and physical health first, and I feel like that really shows through my content. My content sets me apart from other lifestyle influencers because I don’t just repeat what the trends are. I like to experiment frequently to see what my followers react to! For example, I’ll try new filters on my photos, come up with interesting captions, and plan photo shoots with friends frequently to spice up my Instagram and keep my followers entertained. On TikTok, I tend to follow the trends more often than I do on Instagram, but I still like to add my personality to my videos!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like the least?
I love Dallas! I’m obsessed with fashion and food. I’m always inspired to update my wardrobe after I go to Dallas because everyone is so fashionable! Every restaurant in Dallas I’ve been to has been absolutely amazing! Dallas is a foodie’s dream. My least favorite thing about Dallas is the driving! I’m always scared to drive to Dallas; some drivers are really wild.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofia_l_fernandez/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100032150899738&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/sofia-fernandez-385974191
