Our today’s influencer blog spotlights Tamara Kalinic – an influencer, a fashion blogger, a YouTuber, and a proud owner of the sunglasses brand So Shady.
Influencers are usually defined as people of great authority in their niche, usually spotted on Instagram or YouTube (most often on both of these platforms), highly praised for their skills, knowledge, and insight into a specific subject.
Although extremely popular and profitable nowadays, the influencer profession didn’t even exist not so long ago, when Tamara Kalinic was starting her blogger career. There was no such thing as a guide on how to become an Instagram influencer. Like a true pioneer, she had to create her own rules and pave the way for future influencers.
In a parallel universe, with no social media, blogging, or influencers, Tamara would be a pharmacist, a successful one, we’re sure. But we would all have been denied her marvelous fashion and beauty advice, inspiring life story, social activism, and kind-hearted advice she so selflessly shares with the world on Tamara Kalinic Instagram, YouTube channel, and blog – Glam&Glitter.
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How it all started
Let’s rewind a couple of years back and see how the fashion phenomena behind Glam&Glitter came to be.
Unlike many fashion influencers today, Tamara Kalinic wasn’t just thrown into the business by pure luck and connections. Her diverse background, multicultural upbringing, and some hardships experienced during the difficult socio-economic shifts in her home countries made her into what she’s today – a fully conscious, open-minded, caring, and amazingly beautiful soul, first and foremost.
And we haven’t even started on her fashion and beauty sense. In her YouTube videos, Tamara often mentions her mother as a style icon in the family and a fashion role model whom she got her perfect fashion sense from.
Either way, her fashion, beauty, and overall creative talents are undeniable, to say the least.
Yet, it took a while for the world to take notice.
Glam&Glitter – the Tamara Kalinic’s blog, although always so flawlessly and stunningly run, didn’t get the attention it deserved in the first year, as Tamara herself mentioned in an interview for Scarlet London.
In a couple of her candid YouTube videos, he also stated that for the first couple of years, she didn’t see any profit from her blogging. However, not being on anyone’s list of top 10 influencers to watch in the first year didn’t discourage her from having fun in creating every post. Often, she had her sister, friends, or a boyfriend at the time, taking her photos. No hi-tech equipment or professional photographs, just pure passion for the creative process.
Then came the brands and the success that comes along with it. Tamara became a regular first-row guest at fashion shows for brands like Dior, Balenciaga, Fendi, Versace, Armani; you name it.
However, from the humble beginnings to a world-renowned and multiple times awarded top influencer, she never compromised on quality and authenticity.
That’s just one of the secrets to her success.
Sure, the influencer business is diversifying and growing into a serious multi-million-dollar industry. From fashion bloggers, beauty gurus, travel and food influencers, to micro and Nano influencers in super-niche industries, influencer marketing has created so much potential for almost anyone to pursue this appealing career. There’s room for everyone in the magical influencer landscape, sure, but how come very few reach the success Tamara Kalinic did?
There’s no one universal answer, nor a quick hack. There’s only dedication, hard-work, creativity, and a lot of passion. To all of you inspiring influencers that want to follow in Tamara’s fabulous footsteps to success, here are some of the most important traits that make Tamara such an amazing influencer and a true role model.
Let’s learn from the best.
Follow your passion
Sounds super cheesy, we know. But who could argue with this fact, if we’re being completely honest with ourselves. Look at Tamara’s journey. She left a promising career in pharmacy to pursue blogging full time. How’s that for a passion project turned full-time business.
Being a pioneer in a business is never easy or comfortable. Take it from Tamara, who dared to give blogging everything she got, even when the industry was just setting off.
When it comes to your profession or a calling, if you may, you have to dare to try to make it in the industry you’re really passionate about. No succumbing to the fear-based mentality, no settling down.
Stay authentic
So what if everyone is rocking the 90’s trend? You don’t have to push yourself to do it, if you’re a bit more on the classical side of fashion, for example.
Or, if you’re a foodie, and you don’t really see any results from a specific diet, like Keto, for example – you don’t have to jump on the trendy bandwagon and do what everyone else does.
Instead of being a trend follower, be a trendsetter.
Tamara Kalinic has earned her role as an authentic trendsetter so many times. One of her recent actions got much attention in the industry. In one of her December 2019 Vlogmass YouTube videos, she filmed her lip filler removal procedure. Sure, she received mixed feedback, but the important lesson here is the unapologetic authenticity. Facial procedures and fillers are a huge trend in the influencer community, and by dissolving them, Tamara sends a clear message that she is not scared to abandon a trend and do things her way.
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In her sit down YouTube videos, Tamara Kalinic often reflects on her beginnings and teaches us an important lesson for success. This can be translated to any industry. And the lesson is – never compromise on quality.
When she was just an aspiring blogger, Tamara had a very clear vision of what type of designer and brand collaborations she would and wouldn’t do. She didn’t let her hard, and quality work be connected to anything less than that.
This type of mentality may take a little longer to get you where you want to be, but it’s sooo worth the wait.
Don’t follow the trends blindly
Remember the TikTok frenzy everyone got into? Especially amidst the Covid-19 quarantine. Many influencers succumbed to the trend and made some borderline cringy decisions, to say the least. But not Tamara. She stayed true to who she is and to what her audience expects to see of her.
Trends will come and go, but if it’s something that doesn’t align with your vision and personality, it’s better to pass on a few than risk your authenticity.
Stay grounded
It’s easy to lose yourself in the glamorous life filled with lavish events, gifts, glamorous locations, and fashion and forget where you came from and what really matters.
Again, Tamara shows us how to appreciate the good things in life, no matter how successful you are. You can see her coming back from the glamorous New York fashion week, or a Venice Film Festival red carpet to kiss her nephews good night or help babysit them. It’s the balance between strong family bonds and good values on one side, and the success and the Glam and Glitter of the fashion industry on the other that make Tamara Kalinic such a well-rounded and reputable influencer.
Use your influence for good
We’ve seen so many influencers lose face and all of their status and wealth due to greed, selfishness, and overall disregard for other human beings. Not to mention the fake influencer trend and scams involved in it.
Tamara is again showing us the right way of giving back by giving her voice, platform, and resources to causes that need our attention. Aside from supporting many causes and donating to charities, and advocating for cruelty-free and sustainable products and brands, Tamara has been very vocal in her support of the Black Lives Matter movement, from the get-go. Having been brought up in multicultural environments, Tamara understood early on that all people deserve the same amount of opportunity, respect, and rights.
Make sure to check yourself every once in a while to see if you’ve taken too much for granted without paying attention to the world around you.
So, instead of just looking up how to get verified on Instagram, take some time to reevaluate your influence. Are you just taking without giving anything in return? How can your influence be used for good? What are some causes that you can help bring to the forefront?
Always work on improving yourself
In a true influencer style, Tamara’s posts and videos frequently feature her productivity tips, motivational videos, and book recommendations.
Understanding early on that in the fast-changing digital environment, you’re only as good as your ability to grow, Tamara Kalinic is using every spare minute to improve her skills, learn something new and inspire others around her to do the same.
Always be on the lookout for new ideas, techniques, and opportunities for improvement. Whether it’s books, courses, YouTube videos, blogs, or mentorship programs, make sure to invest your resources in the journey of self-growth and improvement.
Go with the flow
If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that anything can happen. And not always in a good way. As the Covid-19 pandemic took the world by surprise, brands and influencer businesses took a serious hit as well. Most campaigns, fashion weeks, travels, and business deals had to pause indefinitely.
The difficult situation we’re facing worldwide served as an actual warning to all of us. The universal truth we all had to face – nothing really lasts forever. In a manner of minutes, we can be left without the things we took for granted, like walking outside or hugging a friend.
Instead of dwelling on pain and focusing on the negative side of things, and fearing for your job, take a page from Tamara’s playbook and simply go with the flow. Even when things seem dark, there’s always a silver lining. You just have to find it. Focus on the good stuff. Breathe, be grateful for the people in your life and for the lessons you’re learning throughout the process. Stay proactive, and look for alternatives. And be prepared to pivot and take a slightly different direction, if the situation requires it.
Takeaway
If you’re trying to make it as an influencer, we’re sure you’ve realized by now that it is so much more than taking pretty photos and going places. Sure, killer content and exceptional skills can get you to a certain level, but to get anywhere near the top 100 in the industry, you have to put in some major work. We hope your takeaway from this influencer spotlight will be to get inspired by Tamara’s journey, implement some of her methods, and take your influencer game to the next level.
