We were lucky to catch up with Karina Bik recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Karina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I wonder about this all the time! It’s our job as marketers to make things that are glamorous, as well as those that are decidedly unglamorous, look fashionable no matter the curveballs thrown at us. This requires a constant work schedule, managing a team, and coming up with new content constantly. In other words, the work never ends and schedules are rarely fixed, which can be frustrating for people who like to plan their routines like me. Managing a team for content also requires wearing many hats that you never thought you’d have to (read: director, script writer, photographer, editor, you name it), as well as staying on top of fashion trends, discovering new beauty and fragrance product releases, and other market research.

If I had another job, maybe I’d consider talent management, PR, or fashion along the lines of some of the roles I worked in previously, but at the end of the day, I love knowing that my victories and defeats are my own. I get to experiment, take risks on brands and content I believe in, and no workday is the same. It’s little things like these that get my adrenaline pumping every morning!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Karina Bik, and I’m a content creator and fashionista from NYC! I originally used my Instagram account as a portfolio for modeling work with professional photographers, but it was fairly sleepy, to be honest! Then, in 2017 during a week in LA, I randomly started taking more lifestyle photos on my phone— super exciting things like eating gelato, shopping, and snapping pictures with confused tourists. To my surprise, people seemed to react well to content that I thought only my mom would enjoy, so I posted more of it. When I got back to NY, I bought a real camera and began documenting other aspects of my daily life and work. Things really took off when I was invited to Milan later that year for Harper’s Bazaar’s 125th anniversary events with Glenda Bailey, Giorgio Armani, Angela Missoni, and Christian Louboutin. I spent a month there capturing moments from street style outfits, to boutique launches, pasta, and the picturesque Navigli canals. After that, my account started to get a lot more traction and I started to get better feedback and partnerships, so I just kept going and I haven’t looked back since!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I studied law and international relations in college, and despite the many years I invested in it, I never felt engaged or passionate about these subjects. When I first arrived in New York, I figured I might finally put those degrees to use at the UN or another diplomatic org, but the modeling I had done previously won out, and that’s where I wound up. I suppose that’s something of a pivot!

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I started 8 years ago, and the landscape was fairly different. I was able to register on a number of European platforms like Skeepers (formerly Octoly), which was offering luxury beauty products in exchange for reviews on Instagram, and worked with smaller creators. Skeepers and other platforms like this gave me my initial access to French products and brands that I wanted to work with such as Guerlain, Dior, Lancome, Givenchy and Louboutin, among others, and I’ve been working with those clients ever since.
Of course, there’s more saturation in fashion and beauty niches now, but I find the following lessons are still applicable, even for those starting out now: 1) start with a platform like Skeepers, Influenster, Popular Pays, or Takumi. 2) Having access to the newest and high end products attracted attention of not only new followers, but other brands as well and also positioned me in a luxury niche. When I was starting out, I got access to new items through services such as Vivrelle, Rent the Runway, and Bag Borrow or Steal. 3) Finally, I think narrowing your content focus and specialty to a specific niche early on is always a good strategy; creating your own signature, recognizable style, not only in fashion but also in content production style, is incredibly important when you’re starting out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://karinabnyc.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/karinabnyc
• Twitter: https://x.com/karinabnyc
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@karinabnyc

Image Credits

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