Reversing Influencer Roles

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I post a Question Box on my stories nearly every Monday and take a bit of time to answer a handful of them as I kick off the work week.

One question I got recently was “How have WE influenced YOU?”

It stopped me in my scroll immediately, and I knew I wanted to draft a blog post as a reply.

You have influenced me in immeasurable ways. The ability to communicate with so many people through an app, e-mail, or comments on the blog, is so unique. I remember when “chat rooms” started in the early 2000s. And AOL instant messenger became a thing too. We were able to communicate with strangers online, but that has only grown since and gotten more personal.

There are downsides to this, of which I’m very personally aware, but overwhelmingly I feel grateful to have gotten the ability to connect with so many of you online.

I started this website and this idea of sharing beauty tutorials with the goal of just sharing what I knew with other people. I wanted to help, and I’m naturally a “sharer” of information. I used to do it behind the chair, I do it with my friends in real life, and have built an entire business around sharing helpful information, reviews, tutorials, and more.

You, the reader, have influenced me directly by sharing with me what you like to read about or watch. But beyond the content creation part of my job, you’ve opened my mind to so many notions and ideas that I may not have otherwise discovered. I know this is a bit vague, and it’s hard to type out what I mean here.

I wouldn’t have had the access to learn and engage with such a wide variety of people from so many parts of the world would it not have been for this site. People have shared incredibly personal things with me over the years, from incredible triumphs to deep heartbreak. It has been a blessing and a huge responsibility that I have never taken lightly that some of you have felt safe and comfortable enough to share personal things with me, even though we have never met.

In 2013 I met a woman named Kari. Her friends reached out to me and told me that she was in the hospital with cancer. She was a blog follower and they asked if I could come to the hospital to meet her, and give her a cute haircut before she lost it all from the cancer treatments. Kari was a wife and a mom of 3 young girls.

I went and met Kari, cut her hair, and enjoyed chatting with her for some time. She passed away 4 years later. I think of her often, and the impact she left on me. Had I never started this blog, I would have never gotten the opportunity to meet her, and be deeply moved by her spirit and positivity despite knowing the cancer she had was certainly going to end her life sooner than she wanted it to.

This is the kind of experience that will stick with me forever.

I’ve had the opportunity to partner with dream brands and achieved goals I set for myself in business. And there is value to both of those things, but they pale in comparison to the stories and connections I’ve made with the people reading and interacting with me through the blog.

You’ve shared heartbreaking stories of damaged self-esteem, of feeling lost after having a baby, and how you learned something from the blog that helped heal that. You’ve shared joyful news of new jobs and nailing interviews because you felt confident in what you were wearing, or really rocking your hairstyle that day.

Those wins are more gratifying to me than I’ll ever be able to express.

This work as an Influencer is a 2-way street. If no one is listening or learning, it doesn’t work. Your involvement, support, feedback, and interaction are an essential part of this, and I’m so humbled to be able to get to know you, even if it’s just for a brief interaction online.

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Katherine says · 06.27.22

Wow Kate, your words in this post are very powerful and meaningful. I’ve always believed the people we meet and interact with in life, whether fleeting or those closest to us, can have major impact on the way we think and feel. Almost like it happens for a reason…and we should always take note of the message

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Meaghan says · 06.27.22

Kate your content (blog, Insta, etc) is always such a bright spot in my day! I’ve been following you for a long time now and while you have absolutely influenced me in terms of products (Pureology for life!), you have also influenced me in terms of outlook, confidence, and finding joy right where you are. Grateful for you and the connections you foster!

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Kelly Dimler says · 06.27.22

This post brought tears to my eyes. You are so, very relatable.This is a quality I don’t find with some people closest to me. I have followed you for years – since before your kids were born. I remember when you posted tutorials every Monday. Somehow I feel like I know you. I am no longer on Instagram (went off all social media) so I solely follow your website/YouTube posts and if there’s anything I miss about socials – it’s following your daily life. You’re cool.
– another cool mom

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Tori says · 06.27.22

I truly never thought that I as a follower would be able to reach and effect an influencer via a little app on my phone. This story opened my eyes and reminded me of how powerful our words are and how, at the end of the day, we all want to listen and to be heard. Thank you for sharing this story. It touched my heart more then you know.

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Kristin says · 06.27.22

So beautifully written! I have been following you for years and I just love your honesty, the way you carry yourself and your realness. Even through different life stages, you have remained you! Thank you for all of the work and time you put in for us followers. I have bought, tried and used many things from your recommendations and feedback. I trust your judgement more than an Amazon review. 🙂 Thanks for bringing light to my feed!

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Kati Crews says · 06.27.22

Loved this!

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Sherry May says · 06.28.22

Kate, This is one of my favorite posts ever on your blog and I have been following for years, just like so many others. I also have been influenced on products more than I probably care to admit, some of them worked for me and some didn’t….but I still always seem to want to try so many. You are an incredible bright spot in my Instagram feed, enjoy the stories so much and the cute videos of your everyday life. What a great question that person had for you and thank you for sharing this response with all of us. Keep up the great content, I enjoy it all.

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Heidi says · 06.28.22

Just wanted to say thank you! I discovered you on Pinterest and then when I signed up on IG, late to the social media party, in May 2020, you were one of my first accounts to follow. Love you and your sister’s content. Both of you are so fun and light. Appreciate all you share. Heidi @cranefamily20

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Nohemí Lugo says · 07.23.22

Thank you!!
I have learned so much from you!!

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Gini says · 09.19.23

I’m so glad you answered this question, and LOVeD you answer. I started following on FB way back in 2008 because I loved your hair. I just follow you on insta now. You don’t know how many times did you see what Kate recommended or that cute thing she shared comes up in my conversation with my girlfriends. ❤️

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