Our latest Vizionary is the one and only @mimianderika, Mimi and Erika! Learn more about them below and make sure to give them a follow on Instagram!
How did you find the inspiration to start your page and take the leap as a content creator?
We talked for years about creating our page! We both love fashion and beauty, and our friends, family, and random people on the street would always ask us where we bought something or where an item was from. We knew that we couldn’t do it without each other and that our friendship and excitement for sharing shined brighter when we did it together.
We always joke that we started during a horrible nursing nightshift and that our housewives tag line would be “just because we wear scrubs, doesn’t mean we have to look like one,” but that’s exactly what we did. Around 2 AM on a random nightshift we finally had the courage to go for it! So maybe the inspiration came from a mix of lack of sleep, ugly scrubs, and two best friends that just wanted to share our love of clothing and beauty.
What is your overall inspiration for your posts and Instagram feed?
Our inspiration is 100% each other! If Erika looks amazing in an outfit on Friday night, then you better believe that Mimi is wearing that exact same thing on Saturday! We were never the girls growing up that didn’t want to match their friends! If we feel confident in a piece of clothing, then hopefully you do too! The purpose of our feed is to be affordable and look attainable. We dream of the day when we plan a meetup and we all have the same outfit!
How did you get your first brand sponsorship, and who was it with?
Within six months of starting our Instagram we partnered with Zaca recovery chewables! They actually reached out to us to try the product, and after we did and loved it, we had our first sponsored post! It was so exciting and we remember FaceTiming each other freaking out for hours! We still work with them two and a half years later because honestly, no one likes a hangover!
Something we pride ourselves with is that most of our branded content is not just a one-time sponsorship. We remember WeWoreWhat saying she marries her brands, and that is something that stuck with us and that we continue to do as well. Sorry, divorce isn’t an option!
What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned working for yourself and creating your own personal brand?
Be true to yourself and have fun! It’s so easy to accept a brand deal that doesn’t actually fit who you are when there is money involved, but the insincerity of it shows! We made a promise from the beginning that we would stop sharing the second we weren’t having fun and only share items we love!
We have been able to stick to those two rules and it’s made all the difference. We have learned that mistakes happen, that hashtags don’t really matter and that as long as you’re doing something you love, the people in your life that truly support you will shine through.
What is your favorite part of being a content creator?
Since we are both nurses, our everyday job is scientific and evidence-based. By creating content, we have the ability to use our creative sides! It allows us to be unique, exciting, and imaginative. We are lucky that we have the opportunity to build our brand together because creating alone wouldn’t be as much fun and we would probably have a lot less bloopers.
Who is your biggest inspiration in the industry and why?
Our favorite influencer is Sivan Ayla! We found her when she was just over 50k followers years ago and have watched her and her brand grow to almost half a million! We love her style but more importantly, we love how real she is. The day we started our Instagram, she asked her followers in stories ‘did you do something today to better yourself?’ and we confidently answered YES!
We pride ourselves on sharing our true self in stories every day and we definitely took that trait from her. We are the exact same in real life as we are on social media. Sometimes sharing who you really are is the hardest part of being in this industry! You should know that when you’re watching our @mimianderika stories, you’re getting a true glimpse into our life. Sometimes it’s full glam and most of the time it’s early morning puffy faces!
What do you wish people knew about influencers?
We really wish that people understood the amount of time, organization, and effort it takes to create content. Behind the scenes is so different for everyone, but it definitely takes dedication and self-love. We luckily have kind and supportive followers and we are beyond thankful for them.
At the end of the day, we are each other’s biggest fans. Being able to do this as best friends allows us to have the confidence to keep going and not allow outside influence to affect us. We constantly say that we are so lucky to do this together, so when it comes to building a brand and being an influencer, the team behind you matters.
Where do you see yourself, as well as the industry, within the next few years?
In the last two and a half years of being in this industry, it’s amazing to see how much it has grown and will continue to grow! We believe that influencers will be taking over the world. If we are being honest, we don’t know where we will be and what app we will be on in five years. Luckily as millennials, we are easily adaptable and no Instagram update will stop us! One of our Instagram friends always says she will see us on a billboard one day, so maybe that’s the platform you’ll see us on next!
What is the best piece of advice you have for people who want to build their own social media brand and get started in the industry?
GO FOR IT! And don’t waste years of being afraid to start like we did. We recently came up with the hashtag ‘fashion not perfection’ because fashion is meant to be fun! It should be unique and a true representation of who you are. Perfection is unattainable and it is what held us back two and a half years ago. Fashion, we now realize, is for everyone! With that being said, our best advice is to stay true to who you are and don’t take yourself too seriously. Remember, it’s #fashionnotperfection!
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