Em Sheldon, a prominent beauty, fashion, travel, lifestyle, and fitness blogger, has amassed over 60,000 YouTube subscribers, 100,000 Instagram followers, and a popular blog. She won the InStyle UK ‘Travel & Lifestyle Blogger of the Year’ award in 2016. Sheldon shares a lot of her personal information online, and she believes that her experience in college has influenced her profession. Sheldon started a blog and YouTube channel when she was in sixth form, and she received numerous emails asking how to make money blogging. Sheldon advises people to be who they are and not try to emulate others, as they are unique enough to be seen and consumed on their behalf.
Em Sheldon has established herself as a prominent voice when it comes to discussing beauty, fashion, travel, lifestyle, and fitness on her online platforms. She has amassed over 60,000 Youtube subscribers, over 100,000 Instagram followers, a popular blog, and she won the InStyle UK ‘Travel & Lifestyle Blogger of the Year’ award in 2016. Em, who splits her time between Leeds and London, shares a lot of her personal information online. Sheldon discusses Ciara McCormack’s journey to social media influencerdom and the challenges of being so openly honest online with the Lifestyle Deputy Ciara McCormack.
How did you find college life, and what subjects did you pursue?
“At Leeds University, I studied broadcast journalism with a focus. I was quite happy in my first year of college. I’ve always wished I belonged to more societies and interacted with more people. Due to the fact that many students at my institution were from the same London districts, it was rather cliquish. By concentrating on my blog, my boyfriend, and my housemates throughout my first year, I did not expand my horizons as much as I ought to have. During my third year abroad, where I made some outstanding friends, I had the time of my life. I would always advise folks to not rush into making lasting friends right away because you never know when it could happen. For three years, my best buddy was a classmate of mine, but we didn’t start getting along until after we both graduated. The way the cosmos organizes itself is strange.
Do you think your experience in college had an impact on how you built a profession for yourself?
Yes, a part of me thinks I could have done my job without a degree. However, I think that the people I met and the knowledge I acquired in university have inspired me in my profession. I think graduating from college is a major accomplishment. It has assisted me in developing my interpersonal and life skills. Additionally, I benefited from my work experience.
Why did you decide to start a blog and YouTube channel? When did you think it may be your career choice?
“I had psychology as my intended major when I was in the sixth form. The admissions advisor advised me to start a blog. I became lost in a deep reading hole and started writing for myself. I get a lot of emails asking how to make money blogging every day. I kindly reply that if you are starting something to make money, you have already failed. People started reading it when I started by going to Tesco and Boots to buy cosmetics and talking about it there.
Social media seems to be a constantly growing medium that has opened up a lot of job prospects. What guidance would you provide individuals thinking about a career in blogging or social media?
“Be who you are; you are your area of expertise. Do not try to emulate others; you will be distinctive enough just as you are. In the end, other people see and consume your stuff on your behalf. Our generation is the best qualified if you want a job in social media, such as PR, marketing, or managing social media accounts. We have lived and breathed social media our entire lives. I would advise using social media as much as possible and being aware of the social media environment as our age group is considered the “generation of social media.”
Do you struggle to choose what information to disclose online about your personal life given that your profession compels you to do so?
People read your blog because they like you personally, are interested in your life, and feel like you’ve given them access. I can’t tell you whether you’re having problems with your partner or your family since it would affect the rest of my material.
Although it is tough because if he is, people automatically believe he is temperamental, my fiancé does not like to be in things. He just does not want to be in them. Someone had written to me through email in reaction to a blog article, accusing my partner of mistreating me, but they did not see our humor. People may not be aware that they only see a little piece of your day, in my opinion. I don’t show us having fun because I’d rather keep such times private. Sometimes, this might give the wrong impression.
We must talk about in our mycreative fansite interview about bots, algorithms, and buying followers. It seems that social media and blogging have gotten more difficult for real bloggers and influencers. How do you respond to this, and what influence do you think it has on the blogging world?
Because it makes us all seem awful and makes people question our reliability, I think it has an impact on the blogging community. Tools like SocialBlade make it straightforward to spot whether someone is buying followers by displaying their previous statistics. Nowadays, people are considerably more mindful of follower purchases. It entails raising awareness and showing how to spot them. Being informed is crucial so that businesses don’t waste money on them and that individuals don’t waste their time pursuing those who are trying to game the system. It’s a type of fraud, in my opinion. Since the start of university, I’ve been doing this, and my progress has never accelerated. It is unfair that these women bought their way to thousands of followers over night. It makes your attempt seem hollow. These accounts will eventually vanish as people get more intelligent, in my opinion.
Do you think that the advantages of social media are usually neglected as it might be perceived as a troublesome platform? How can we make social media more enjoyable for us?
“I believe that you should only consume content that makes you feel good; if someone is constantly indirectly tweeting or being negative, mute them.” Anyone who you have a poisonous relationship with or who doesn’t make you feel good is appropriate to mute or unfollow. After reading the news, some people may experience depression. Being negative is fairly prevalent since people can’t constantly be optimistic. It’s risky to solely absorb positive stuff since life isn’t all unicorns and rainbows, but because there’s always something unpleasant on social media, I suppose you’re okay with that. Social media may be dangerous, but it all depends on what you use it for. Kim Kardashian and other famous people are pushing candy that curb hunger. For people who want to look like Kim, become in shape, or are young, this is quite harmful. I hope the majority of people speak out about it loudly enough to discourage people from buying them.
You just wrote a blog article on your experiences with diet and exercise regret. Do you think that social media significantly contributes to these pressures?
“Definitely; I’m a gym addict, too.” I follow these beautiful, great women, but I think that depending on who reads them, some of the messages they express might be pretty destructive. For the majority of people, the suggestion to exercise simply six times a week is unrealistic. We don’t need to work out that regularly each week, in my opinion. I abhor the idea that people feel pressure to develop a certain body. The secret, in my opinion, is harmony.
As a blogger, you could feel a lot of pressure to be professional in both your speech and look. Do you approach it differently today than you did when you were a college student in terms of how you intend to handle tension?
“My go-to method for releasing tension has always been working out. I also find that organizing my space and taking pictures are soothing. I’ve always been someone who values spending time with friends and enjoying some fresh air. Priority lists are helpful to me as well. I struggled to juggle working with clients, going to class, and completing my dissertation during my final year of college. The value of day division became clear to me as I balanced my priorities. Even my to-do lists have deadlines. Because I can sit and continuously surf on my phone, I also discover that keeping my phone away makes me more productive.
What do you find to be the most gratifying and challenging parts of working independently as a blogger?
Being able to take care of my family is the most fulfilling part of my profession. I was able to get my sibling to New York after a trying year. My mother and sibling both work hard for me. It’s great that I’ve started a family company where my relatives and friends can help. Additionally, blogging has aided in my community building. My closest friends and many of my following have evolved into fellow bloggers. The difficulties of owning a business are not very gratifying. Contrary to popular belief, there is much more to the business than just posing for pictures. Additionally, internet abuse is a constant problem that affects everyone. I think people ought to try to be more polite!”
How do you manage your time as a blogger between job, social life, and fitness? Has much changed since you were a student in this area?
“I found it much easier to maintain my fitness levels when I was a student since I could fit my daily spin lessons around my lectures. I’ve found that as a millennial, I eat out a lot like everyone else! I have trouble sticking to a routine since I regularly attend events or travel to new cities or countries. I make an effort not to feel bad when I can’t go to the gym. Anything more than that is an added bonus, but I strive for a minimum of three sessions per week. I will walk between each appointment if I have too many to squeeze in a workout at the gym.
More information:
You can follow me on Youtube or check my blog.
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