Meet Cherry, a content creator slash influencer marketing manager from the Netherlands whose strong sense of self oozes through the striking photos she posts on her Instagram. As one of the content creators we are constantly turning to for inspiration, we desperately wanted to ask Cherry some questions about herself and her process. Keep reading below to discover the greatest lessons she's learned throughout her career, what a typical day in the life looks like for her, and what inspires her work!
Who is Cherry?
I’m an influencer marketing manager and content creator, currently based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Can you describe your personal style?
My style is feminine, quite classy with a hint of vintage glam. The vintage glam part usually comes forth in the accessories I’d wear. But clothes wise I love basics, timeless pieces and neutral shades. I personally believe that my entire wardrobe is every girl's closet essentials dream! As for my everyday go to look? You’d normally catch me in some kind of monochrome attire or a (grey) pantsuit…I own 16 grey pantsuits by the way…all different shades of grey. What can I say, a girl need options haha.
What’s your morning routine?
First thing I do in the morning is pray and read my bible. Then I’d make a smoothie, check my email, do 50 squats and 100 crunches, check instagram and get ready for the day.
What or who influences your work?
I mainly get my inspiration from fashion magazine’s like ID, Vogue, Harpers Bazaar and I also get inspired by other content creators on Instagram.
As an influencer marketing manager, what do you think the future of influencers looks like?
I honestly don’t think influencers or influencer marketing is going anywhere. They're the future of online marketing as influencer marketing campaigns are still very effective, I’ve seen it first hand. When done the right way, from a business point of view, I can say it works. The downside however is that the market is becoming very saturated because everybody wants to be an influencer nowadays, failing to realise that it’s an actual job and not a gateway to make a quick buck or become famous. With that mindset, you won’t be consistent therefore you won’t last. In my humble opinion, I believe
"influencing" should be looked at as a stepping stone to start an actual business of some sorts or to share your work and/or creativity with your audience. The young women and men with this mindset are the ones who succeed because they think beyond social media. But I digress. It’s safe to say that social media will not stand the test of time but influencers, as mentioned before, will stick. Lets not forget that celebrities are influencers as well.
What have been the greatest lessons you have learned since you’ve been an Influencer?
I don’t really consider myself to be an influencer, or shall I say societies definition of being an influencer, but I’d rather say content creator because I put a lot of work and thought into it. I don’t just post for the sake of posting, I find it important that my pictures move people, that it inspires them. My goal is not to get as many likes/ followers as possible but to make my audience aware of my work. However, one thing I’ve definitely learned is that consistency is key. This is the only way your audience will grow. That’s what got my numbers up so quick but you'll only be able to be consistent if your motives are right cause it’s never hard to do anything you love to do. And I love to create!
How would you describe your own relationship with clothing and how has it evolved over the years?
Clothes, or the way I dress is yet another form of self expression. I think my style has definitely matured over the years. Makes sense since I’ve matured as well. When I was younger I went through so many different phases but I think I’ve finally found myself now.
Do you have any sustainable practices you try to incorporate into your your everyday life?
Yes, I ride my bike more than anything! When I go to work, church or the grocery store, I hop on that thing and get going. But I think that’s also because I live in a country where riding bikes is kind of cultural. But riding your bike instead of driving a car does reduce pollution. Further, I read books more than I watch tv. How can this help with sustainable living you ask? Well I reduce my reliance on entertainment forms that require energy and natural resources, it reduces the demand and drain on them.
Favourite city to travel to?
New York! I’ve lived there for about 2 years circa 2009-2011. I made so many friends during my time there and every time I go back to visit, it brings up so many good memories. Every hotspot in New York serves me in a different way, you go to The (Greenwich) Village to enjoy the best jazz music, East ‘’Spanish'' Harlem for the culture and cheap food, Harlem (125th) for a taste of the African-American heritage, Times Square for a full tourist experience, Williamsburg is dedicated to the young & fashionable and then there’s SoHo where I'd go to visit high-end art galleries and such. I absolutely love that city!
What is a typical day in the life look like for you?
Well I already let you in on my morning routine. So after I got ready I go to work. I always make sure I leave early because I like to be the first one in at the office. I don’t really work in a traditional office atmosphere so therefore it’s never quiet and I like working in peace or else I’ll be distracted for the rest of the day. So I make sure I can at least start my days of in peace and quiet. Once I’m in, I make myself a cup of ginger tea (coffee on Mondays), grab a Nákd bar and start working. We have a morning meeting once a week where we talk about the latest projects and campaigns we have coming up and share the progress on the current campaigns we’re working on. Further there are more meetings, client calls, events and planning of influencer trips. After work I usually go to the gym with one of my colleagues for an intense work out session and after that I go home, cook dinner and eat. I like to spend my nights browsing through some magazine’s for photography ideas for my Instagram while munching on popcorn. Final, I do some bible study, say a prayer and go to bed.
If you had to recommend one place that readers should travel to, which would it be, and why?
Curacao, which is a Dutch Caribbean island. I traveled there about a year ago and I never felt so free! I think it’s definitely fun for those who love the typical vaca destinations. And by that I mean sun, sea and beaches. I’ve never seen water so clear, it’s like a diver’s paradise and for somebody who loves to swim, like myself, that is perfect. Also if you’re a seafood lover, Curacao is the place to be!
What makes you most excited about your work?
Influencer marketing is fun because it’s unpredictable and therefore it always keeps me on my toes. I don’t think I would be able to do it if it wouldn't keep challenging me but luckily everyday is a challenge. Further, I’ve been given the opportunity to work with some amazing brands like Chanel, Gucci and Tommy Hilfiger, when I was a little girl I could only dream of working with these brands. I’ve been given a lot of great opportunities and met some amazing people in the fashion industry. On top of that, lets not forget about all the free goodies we get send our way from our clients. Who doesn’t like free gifts! But most importantly, I work with an incredible team of whom majority have become my very close friends.
What’s your dream project or person to work? In the near future I would actually like to get into creative directing and production for a fashion brand. What is your proudest accomplishment? Getting the job I’m working right now because I had zero experience. I basically got this job because of the presentation of my own instagram account. I first started out as an intern, then a trainee and now I’m a junior. One of the reasons why I say that we shouldn’t demonise social media as it can open up a lot of opportunities, if used correctly. What are you currently listening to? I honestly only listen to gospel music. I love everything from Elevation Worship and Tasha Cobbs. Favourite show to binge on Netflix at the moment? I think I belong to that 1% of the world who doesn’t have a Netflix account. I’m not a big fan of watching tv or television shows or whatever. I’d rather read a good book or stack up on some more fashion magazines and browse through those..I know..I’m an odd one haha What are your favourite instagram accounts to follow? My current favourites are @angelafink, @oumaymaboumeshouli, @beatrce.gutu & @styleheroine. I love them all for the same reason. They are obviously fashion influencers but their feeds look like one big fashion magazine spread. You can tell that these ladies put a lot of thought into their photography and styling and I love them for that! At the office we don’t even refer to them as ‘influencers' but we call them game changers. This is so much more than a girl who just picked up her camera and started shooting some pictures in her backyard, no, there’s creative directing, production, location spotting and probably some sleepless nights that went into the creation process of their content.
What does the slow fashion movement mean to you?
I love it! It’s an awareness approach to fashion. It’s important to know about the processes and resources required to make clothing.
And I have to be honest, I never really gave it so much thought until the slow fashion movement rose up. It involves buying better-quality garments that will last for longer and values fair treatment of people, animals and the planet. Which is great! And there’s definitely a growing support for it however I feel it still has a long way to go cause most people can not look beyond the appeal of the high turnover of fast fashion. But for me personally, it’s definitely made me more aware of what I buy and where I buy it.
What’s your favourite social media platform, if any at all? What do you love or hate about social media?
I think it’s pretty obvious by now that Instagram is my favourite social media platform. It initially started of as a photo sharing platform and as a photographer it just interests me more. I also like YouTube for all it’s endless amount of tutorials on whatever you need. What I love about social media is that it has given random people like myself a platform on which they can freely express themselves and be appreciated for it. The down side however is that at times social media can feel like the sunken place. But I think it’s all about creating your own community. You decide who you follow and/or watch.
The best pieces of wisdom your parents have bestowed on you?
Everything in your life will manifest itself through the way you speak about and to yourself.
Makeup or skincare product you couldn’t live without?
My African black soap. It only costs €1,50 at my local beauty supply store but it’s my ultimate beauty secret. I cleanse my face with it twice a day. That in combination with my Silk’n Pure electrical cleansing brush is pure magic.
@CHERRYJUSTBE
