Meet Kelsey Harper

We recently connected with Kelsey Harper and have shared our conversation below.

Kelsey , thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?

my self-discipline was carefully molded over the years by my mother. She always instilled strong values, such as accountability, forgiveness, adaptability, time-management, self-confidence and empathy. These powerful qualities, shaped my siblings & I growing up, to be well-rounded people in school, clubs, then into college, and now in the real world! My mom was the first person up on any day, weekend or weekday, 6AM, it drove my siblings & I crazy, but what we learned most was getting up and tackling your day starts the beginning you wake up, and doesn’t always have to be something huge. For example, making your bed, brushing your teeth & washing your face should be the first 3 things in your morning routine to sustain healthy habits & self-hygiene. When it comes to self-discipline, my mom encouraged us to take the bull by the horns often, and doing the things we didn’t necessarily want to do, where sometimes the most rewarding. Dragging us to Sunday Mass, to the grocery store, to volunteering opportunities or even to dinners we didn’t necessarily want to be at, we learned how fufilling & meaningful that can be. That it’s the small things we didn’t want to do but has to muster the courage to get done would be better in the long run.

I’ve applied these lessons in my everyday life, when it comes to my own work. Attending events, showing up “on” for every shoot, filming every dinner, and putting my best foot forward everyday, has reserved me a seat in this influencing space, which has been truly such a blessing & something I truly enjoy.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

When I first started looking into influencing, was back at the start of 2020, right as the pandemic set in and my college freshman class of 2023 got sent home with not much to do. If we can all think back, this was the rise of TikTok and all that people could share while at home and developing their own niches. This excited me, and showed me exactly what I really was passionate about. I always was impressed by the idea of holding a phone and speaking to people through a screen had its own power. With today’s, “parasocial” relationships, we all feel a whole lot more connected more than ever before.

All my life, I had great friends whom I value deeply, but nothing compared to a new type of friendships via socials, that was fully built on devoted love and an abundance of support from strangers. These days, it can be a whole lot more negative than positive, but for me, the positives will always outweigh the negatives. I’ve also learned that while building a safe place for myself on the internet, it came with a whole lot of responsibility for the business I was creating.

My day-to-day is 80% behind the screen work, that no one ever sees. Such as building relationships with brands, planning, editorial work, networking in the evenings at events, drafting contracts, speaking at conferences, and ofcourse, like any job, all the paperwork! These aspects always came easily to me, as I enjoy staying busy & having a variety of different tasks. Keeping myself focused & engaged has always been key.

For the last 5 years, I’ve truly grown as a person, as a result of my career choice. Although influencing as full time job, is very taboo and different than what all my friends & family have chosen, I still remain confident in my role within this influencing industry and plan to continue to grow daily.

One tip that pushed me greatly, was the power of connection & collaboration. Still to this day, collaborative communication & relationships can and will provide more opportunities. If I can encourage you to do anything in your current role or phase of life, network EVERYWHERE. At work, at restaurants, at the shopping mall, while in the airport. You never know where or who you might meet, that could truly change your life. This exact point, restored my faith in humanity & continues to do so, as people can be so much kinder than you might think, so open, so understanding and so generous.
Try it!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three most important qualities, (in my opinion) that can make a brand new influencer stand out & grow quickly is:

Openness & Honesty:
Building a brand, building a dedicated audience, team, community….comes from authenticity, transparency, openness & honesty. Without it, you have a very bland foundation. People care a lot of about the person in the jeans, not just the jeans. Striving to highlight your authenticity in every post is a must. Relatability is crucial and something we all possess & most celebrities do not have the ability to leverage off of.

Work Ethic & Entrepreneurial Leadership:
Just like any other job, work ethic is huge, being able to get up everyday & put in the work is a massive advantage in this industry. Not everyday is the same, but problem-solving, being your own boss, contributing to projects, and long-term success happens gradually over years, not months. Even after 5 years, my work has shifted, changes, and morphed into different types of tasks, that I never imagined would be a possibility for me. To be successful in this business, work ethic is everything, putting in the hours, taking the harsh feedback, constant editing as a chip on the shoulder can and will set you up for great success!

Time-Management:
This job offers a wide variety of pros, but if there is one con, it would be that unlike most jobs in the US, (9-5), social media in general is fast-paced & as an influencer, you might have flexibility by not going into an office but what you might gain from having flexibility, you may lack in your “working-time”. Meaning, some weeks, are long, 70 hour weeks, and some weeks can be as short as 20-30 hour weeks. Most importantly, the work doesn’t stop after 5pm. Sometimes I am up until midnight-2am working. Again, this is not scare or discourage anyone, it’s just the reality of this industry. Fellow influencer, Alix Earle, openly chatted about this exact topic a while back on her podcast, Hot Mess.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am always open & looking to partner, whether you are a brand, local company, fellow influencer or small business, I am always open. A huge part of my personality & platform has been built by giving others the spotlight to shine. I love to highlight local businesses and bring foot traffic through their doors, not just on their page!

Building community, bridging relationships, growing businesses, and sharing information has been at the forefront of my career. I really do enjoy it & am always on the hunt for my next partner! Feel free to reach out via my socials (@Kels.4).

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kels.4
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseyharpermedia24
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kels.k4