Social media has become a huge part in our lives. So much so, that today, social media platforms allow you to have a job on your own – BYOB. Be it as a model, an artist, a chef or even a storyteller – social media has the potential to set you up in anything that you feel passionate about. And one such story is that of Natalia Garibotto, who makes around $300K (approx. Rs.2.06 crores) a year just by posting on social media.
Natalia is a Brazilian Instagrammer who gathered more than 1.3 million followers on her account. The USP of her account is that she make posts flaunting her gorgeous curves in perfectly-framed pictures. However, the 26-year-old reportedly shares that she’s had some unusual requests from her fans, including one man who wanted to buy her used bath water.
Natalia holds a degree from the University of Miami in Business Law and Entrepreneurship and has previously worked in real estate and property management. But now, she works on her own terms as her own boss, over Instagram.
But while this life on the other side of the camera seems nigh-perfect, it comes with it’s own flaws. She shared that, despite the exposure, people don’t understand who she really is, and says there’s more to her than most people think.
“I love how I inspire both men and women to go to the gym every day and how I motivate them to hustle and make money. It is definitely timely, you have to put in a lot of time and work on Instagram in order to continue to grow and keep your engagement high.”
“It isn’t really about working hard, it is about working smart,” she added. “Catching onto new brands and making long term collaboration to bring in fixed income is really important.”
She’s been making money from Instagram for two years and now claims to make up to $5,000 per post (approx. Rs.3.4 lakh). But there’s a downside to her fame, and it has cost her many friendships. She said:
“I’ve had tough times with friends, they mainly use me for my social media, but I realised I need to be surrounded by people in the same industry as me.”
“Trusting people is tough now because Instagram followers is a form of currency that everyone wants,” she shared. “My family is extremely proud, although sometimes we fuss over the type of photos I post.”
She also had a word of advice to those aspiring to follow in her footsteps:
“Always stay true to who you are and what you are good at. Some people think they need to post a certain photo for likes, but everyone’s image is different. What works for one person might not work for the other.”
True words to stick by for any profession, especially the ones where your person is your only identity.