Influencer Spotlight – Kristen Bousquet

Welcome to our column “Influencer Spotlight” — where we highlight our favorite content creators. Enjoy!

Kristen is a social media expert and entrepreneur based in Charlotte, NC. She has worked with brands such as Neutrogena, Vistaprint, Target, NARS Cosmetics, and more. She works with both brands and influencers to help them grow and monetize their socials with no BS advice, tips, and strategy. When Kristen isn’t working on her own social media platforms or those of her clients, she contributes to websites such as STYLECASTER, Brit + Co, Teen Vogue, and TotalBeauty.com focusing on fashion and beauty trends. She can also be found binge-watching Law & Order: SVU with her boyfriend and two Boston Terriers by her side and a pint of ice cream in her hands.

She answered our questions about: her biggest accomplishments to date, what she’s looking forward to for this year’s holiday season, and much more! 

How did you get started creating content?

I fell into photography right after I graduated high school taking senior photos for high schoolers. Eventually, that turned into a full-blown business thanks to word of mouth and before you knew it, I was booking multiple shoots each week. After getting tired of doing the same poses at the same locations, I was craving change and more creativity, so I started to blend my love for fashion with my photography passion. I started self-shooting and sharing it on my Instagram, and eventually, it caught fire. It didn’t start off as something I thought could ever become a profitable business, but here I am about 2-3 years later as a full-time content creator with a social media management company.

What is the biggest highlight of your influencer career so far? 

Honestly, it’s a tie between having an incredible community and working with some amazing brands. As someone who grew up in a small town, it is really cool to be able to work with big brands like Neutrogena, Target, NARS, Vistaprint, Reebok — this list goes on. It makes me super proud of myself for positioning my work in a way that brands chose to work with me. I also never thought that I’d create such a loyal and engaged community either, and that’s been incredibly rewarding. It’s been great to use this platform as a job but also as a place where I’ve met some of my best friends. I was also nominated and later won InfluenceHer’s Style Influencer of the Year which was a huge highlight.

If you could share one tip for someone building their Instagram channel, what would it be?

I used to hate getting this tip, but it really is SO valid and important — just DO YOU. Post what you love, stop worrying about numbers, and be authentic. Don’t feel like you have to look your best to hop on Stories. You don’t have to be perfect. Embrace who YOU are, show that to your audience, and the rest will follow suit.

What is a brand you think is doing things right on social?And why?

Two of my favorite brands to watch on socials is @drinkbev and @babe_lash. Not only are their pages gorgeous aesthetically (which they truly need to be in this day and age), but their copy and branding is overall just so relatable, and that’s what people want. When Bev or Babe Lash feel more like a friend that a huge random brand, it’s much easier to buy from them as a consumer. People are craving connection, and these brands do a great job at keeping engaged and making their customers feel like their BFF.

What’s something new you started doing during quarantine?

It’s okay to slow down. In fact, it’s necessary to slow down. I’m a Type A person and spent many years in the hustle and bustle of NYC, so I’ve always been go, go, go. With quarantine forcing me to stay put, I realized how much I needed that free time to work on myself, relax more, and spend more time disconnected with my pups and my boyfriend.

What are you looking forward to for this year’s holiday season?

In my business, I’m looking forward to working with more brands to help grow their businesses and boost sales for them (honestly, that’s a year round excitement for me though!). In my personal life, I’m really looking forward to spending some serious quality time with my boyfriend and my pets. That, to me, is the best part of the holiday season!