Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an influencer, or even wanted to be one yourself?
If your answer is yes, you’ve come to the right place. We, too, have often wondered what it’s like to have a life in the spotlight. Is it stressful, rewarding, a combination of both?
Emily Zeck (or, as she’s known on social media, @thatpineapplegirl) sat down and gave us all the info we’ve been craving to hear. Keep scrolling for our full interview with Emily on all things, life, music, career and more!
Sweety High: What was the deciding factor to start sharing about your life on social media?
Emily Zeck: I actually didn’t have a moment where I fully decided to take social media to the next level. It happened super naturally! I had my profile on public and started sharing what I love—music and lifestyle photos. My page grew really organically and naturally. Once I hit about 20k I realized the business potential in social media and started to pay attention to analytics. I’ve been treating it as a full-time job ever since then, and social media makes up for most of my income.
SH: Did you ever run into self-doubt or feeling like you were comparing yourself? If so do you have any tips for not letting those things get you down?
EZ: Yes and no. Obviously, everybody has moments of self-doubt and comparison, no matter what field of work you choose. High school was an absolute disaster for me, and I learned how to not take anything personally. At the end of the day, I know my human experience in this body is absolutely beautiful and capable of moving mountains. Trust yourself and do what makes you happy. My best advice is to compare your character and what you learned today to who you were yesterday and go from there. Success is not linear at all!
SH: What is your favorite thing about being an influencer?
EZ: I love having the opportunity to work with so many amazing companies! I have my degree in public relations, so implementing what I learned in school into my social media marketing endeavors has been super rewarding.
SH: Have you always been singing and creating music?
EZ: I have, weirdly enough. It is a huge stress-reliever for me. I didn’t start actually pursuing music until I was 19 because I was really invested in my school work. Once I realized I could continue college online, I moved out to L.A. and got to chase my dream!
SH: When did you start writing your own songs?
EZ: I’ve been writing my own songs since I was a kid, but I finally stepped foot in a studio with co-writers at the age of 19. It was a completely new experience and it challenged me in all the best ways.
SH: How have you been dealing with changes with the pandemic, did you have to make any life changes?
EZ: The pandemic actually changed my life drastically. I spent the last 5 years in L.A., and flew home on one of the last flights to Florida in March 2019. What was supposed to be a two-week trip home to be with family during scary times ended up becoming a permanent move back to the east coast. It put a pause on my hectic schedule and allowed me to rearrange my priorities. Although income was a struggle at first, I traded FaceTimes with family for face-to-face time, traded morning traffic for morning surfs, got rid of my Honda and bought an old pickup truck, and reconnected with my roots.
SH: Who is your biggest inspiration when it comes to music?
EZ: Oof—that’s a hard one. So many people. Kacey Musgraves, Shania Twain, Taylor Swift, Colbie Caillat, Dolly Parton—and that’s just a few of them.
SH: If you had one piece of advice for a teen girl right now, what would it be?
EZ: Treat yourself the way you treat your friends and loved ones. Give yourself the same advice that you’d give your best friend. Fall in love with yourself the way you would fall in love with somebody else. Speak to yourself kindly and softly, like you’re speaking to your inner child! Life can be absolutely wild, just roll with the punches and keep your head up because you’re important and you matter!
SH: What advice can you give about finding yourself, finding confidence and feeling confident in yourself?
EZ: Imagine the ideal version of yourself. What do they look like? Sound like? Feel like? Cool! Now just be it. If you can mentally piece together what your ideal self looks like, all you have to do is start working towards that. No matter the outcome, you are going to rock it.
SH: Any upcoming collaborations, music or anything exciting?
EZ: I have a super-secret music project coming out in the spring. I can’t give it all away, but it definitely comes with some yeehaw vibes. Keep your eyes peeled!
Love finding new influencers to follow? Look HERE for five beauty influencers you should follow on TikTok.