We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gwen Gottlieb a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Gwen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
Five years ago I started my social media account (Instagram) on a whim, (with the encouragement of a fellow content creator), and I dubbed my account Eats on the Avenue and then later switched to Gwen Eats Well. I was showcasing lots of cheat day foods, and local South Florida restaurants, and I quickly got bored, realizing there was more to life than just good eats! I had a vision of what I wanted my account to look like, and changed my name to Gwen Lives Well, with the goal to feature and share whatever floated my boat – from food to fashion, books, travel, wellness, aging, new product finds, and since then I’ve never looked back!
Gwen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m a Marketing & PR Director by day, and my social media persona is something I started on the side to scratch my creative itch. Gwen Lives Well gives me a chance to share whatever topics interest me and I love coming up with material to entertain and inform my audience.
Funny thing, what started as a creative outlet soon morphed into a real business, and I’m loving it!
Over the years, I began working with brands that I felt aligned with my mission – to live life deliciously, stylishly, agelessly, and do so with a bit of attitude and sass.
Businesses contact me to work with them to help create brand awareness and introduce new products.
I love creating engaging campaigns, whether it’s through writing blog posts, or putting together reels and videos for Instagram, etc. I’m proud of the work I’ve done for both local and national brands and the work I’ve done supporting small local businesses. I’m also a big proponent of women supporting women.
Something that I do get a kick out of is that while I may be considered a midlife blogger, my audience consists mainly of women in their 20s through their 60s, 70s, and beyond.
What sets me apart from other bloggers/content creators is that I don’t fall into any one niche – unless you want to categorize me under lifestyle. Instead, I genuinely cover all topics that interest me, and the feedback I’ve gotten from my audience tells me it’s working.
One note about Gwen Lives Well – if I don’t like a product, you won’t see it on my page. Likewise, I won’t work with just anybody.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
My reputation in the influencer/content creator field is solid.
I’m always on time with material for clients. When I sign a contract, it means something to me.
That goes for answering emails and DMs.
I mean, I’m human – once in a while, I miss an email, but I strive to do my best to answer every single one.
I think brands come back to work with me two or three plus times because of my work ethic. I’m a perfectionist, and I won’t send in material for approval that doesn’t meet my standards.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
If I see a brand on social media that interests me, I don’t hesitate to reach out and see if the feeling might be mutual. If I don’t hear back, I move on. There are a zillion brands out there.
‘No’ doesn’t mean no for me, it means, ‘no,’ not this one, so I move on and try again.
Some of my best brand deals have evolved from me reaching out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gwenliveswell.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gwenliveswell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gwenliveswell/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwenegottlieb/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/gwenliveswell/
- Other: Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/gwengottlieb/