As Women’s History Month has just ended, it is important to highlight the major role women play in the influencer marketing industry. For many years, women all over the world have faced discrimination based on their gender. For centuries, women have been fighting for civil liberties like equal pay in the workplace, adequate healthcare, and access to education. We are finally beginning to see women take a stand and dominate in certain industries, one of those being the influencer marketing industry.
In order to gain a better understanding of how women are a vital asset in the influencer marketing industry, we talked with President and Co-founder of Find Your Influence, Cristine Vieira, about how she got started and co-founded such a successful company.
Tell me about how you started Find Your Influence. What was your vision?
“Jamie (Reardon) and I co-founded Find Your Influence (FYI) when we were in search of an Influencer Marketing Tool to help us expand our own influencer marketing campaign. When we couldn’t find one, it was our “aha” moment. At the time, our campaign was producing tremendous results, but we also experienced the difficulty with searching, managing and reporting on influencer marketing programs, so we knew we had to build a tool that would help with just that.”
What does influencer marketing mean to you? How did you get into it and why?
“We were introduced early to the concept of influencer marketing (although it was called ‘Blogger Outreach’ at the time). We saw the amazing results of utilizing an authentic voice to tell a brand’s story. At the end of the day, influencers are exactly that, people we follow and trust. When they recommend a brand, product or service, we’re more inclined to listen, rather than just watching an ad. The space is only going to continue to grow as more people choose not to engage in traditional advertising. For me personally, all I have to do is watch my kids interact with their favorite YouTubers to see how powerful influencer marketing can be.”
As a woman, what does it feel like to be such a pioneer in the influencer marketing industry and the Co-founder of FYI?
“It’s an incredibly humbling experience having the ability to build and watch our business grow. We love building and surrounding ourselves with an amazing team. I’m beyond grateful for this journey.”
Would you say the influencer marketing industry is mostly dominated by women?
“While the influencer marketing industry is still dominated by women, we have definitely seen a shift over the years. When we started Find Your Influence in 2013, the blogger space was very much dominated by women like, ‘Mom Bloggers’ and ‘Fashion and Beauty’ influencers, but we’ve seen quite an increase in influencers across a variety of industries.”
What is one thing you would tell women who want to become their own boss and start a company?
“I would say take the reins and go for it! And more importantly, don’t give up. The challenges of owning a business are inevitable, but you need to continue believing in what you’ve built and know that whatever challenge you’re currently facing you can get through it.”
Do you feel like there is a lot of pressure owning such a successful company as a woman?
“I feel like there’s a lot of pressure owning a business – whether you’re a woman or not. I think both Jamie and I would say that from an investment standpoint, it may have been harder to raise money a few years ago as a female, but thankfully even that is shifting.”
What is your favorite part about being the Co-founder of Find Your Influence?
“My absolute favorite part about owning a business is building a sense of community and family within the organization. We are always incredibly grateful for the passion, hard work and dedication that we see from our FYI Family. It’s been an amazing experience watching the team grow and shift.”
As our world begins to adapt to the idea of women running it, we will continue to see an increase in female leadership in certain industries. Women have the ability to do so much good, if given the liberty to showcase our strengths. Influencer marketing is only the beginning. Cristine showed us that women really can do anything they set their minds to. With tenacity, dedication, and resilience, women can change the world.
Freelance contribution especially written for Find Your Influence by Jordan O’Connor.