Fohr Ground

This week on #FohrGround we got to hear from luxury fashion photographer, content creator and entrepreneur Mark Asuncion (@moodsbymark). Mark picked up a camera at 8 years old, and knew he would be creating in one way or another for the rest of his life. In the midst of going to school for physical therapy in New York, Mark was offered his first full time job as a fashion photographer and he decided to reroute his life to pursue his creative dream. Now, he’s industry renowned and shooting e-commerce content for both Mr. Porter and Net-A-Porter. Tune in to the full episode to hear Mark’s advice on lifelong learning, imbuing style and taste wherever you go, and always believing in the core of who you are.

This week on #FohrGround we had the pleasure of speaking to Sarah Nicole Landry of @thebirdspapaya. Canadian creator, public speaker, blogger and mother of three shared her life story with us, and imparted wisdom as profound as it was relevant to today’s current climate and our industry. Sarah’s story is a perfect example of why people create in the first place, and the ability that creation has to move you through your life and change you in ways you may never have thought were possible. Tune in to the full episode for unparalleled advice on putting yourself first, tapping into who you are so that others can do the same, and how to create a narrative that is grounded in truth and authenticity.

This week on #FohrGround we had the privilege of speaking with Jane Ko of @atastewithkoko. Jane has been a food blogger and influencer for the past 10 years, pioneering the scene in Austin, TX back in 2010. (Fun fact, she was also one of the first influencers on Fohr!)Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jane has used her platform and her following to launch three philanthropic initiatives to give back to the community and support service industry professionals. Hunch for Hospitality alone has raised $15K in just a couple of weeks.Tune in to the full episode to hear about Jane’s journey from college food blogger to industry renowned influencer, as she takes us through the trials and tribulations of running a small business, showing up for her followers, and using her talents for good.

This week on #FohrGround we got to virtually ‘sit down’ with menswear, travel and lifestyle influencer Drew Jessup. Originally from Maine, Drew has drifted to and from New York, but landed officially in Brooklyn about 5 years ago. His love for fashion began at an internship with KJP, and it was through connections he made during that experience that he knew he wanted to move to New York and pursue the vocation further. In this episode Drew lets us in on his journey, the lessons learned along the way, and his love for photography, fashion and the beauty that’s created when the two are combined. Tune in to the full podcast to hear more about the nostalgia and romanticization of New York and its magic, that left us wanting more than ever to roam around our city.

This week's episode of FohrGround featured a very special guest: Taylor Loren (or as many people in the Instagram marketing world know her - Taylor from Later). Taylor is the head of content marketing for Later.com, and was the company's first marketing hire. Since then she’s been an integral part of the company’s exponential growth, and plays a huge role in their industry leadership. In this episode, Taylor walks us through her professional marketing journey: from a college internship to being an influencer herself to being an influential part of developing one of the world's leading Instagram marketing platforms.Tune in to the full episode to hear Taylor share her insights with us on the cornerstones of successful marketing and branding, advice on marketing your way through a pandemic, and how Later.com works behind the scenes.

This week’s episode of #FohrGround features one of our very own - Fohr’s VP of Strategy, Grace Murray. Grace has been at Fohr for 7 years, and has worked mainly in sales up until this year when she transitioned into strategy. Tune in to hear Grace share her insights with us on brand strategy, influencer strategy and how those things have shifted over time and adjusted to this new reality that we are living in today. The episode also hones in on the industry shift from an influencer mindset to an ambassador mindset, prioritizing authentic content and long term partnerships between brands and those who represent them. Heartfelt thanks to Grace for sharing her time and wisdom with us, we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did.

This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Colleen Kelly, an advertising industry veteran and current CEO of global non-profit, Concern Worldwide.Colleen shares her journey with us as it took her from LA to New York with various advertising agencies and ending where she is now, leading Concern Worldwide. Colleen has run the gamut of the advertising world, and in this episode shares priceless insight into the do's and don'ts of advertising in the midst of a crisis. She quoted one famous mantra, "You should advertise when things are good, but you must advertise when things are bad." Tune in to the full episode to learn more about Colleen and get guidance on best practices for your business (as an influencer or otherwise) during COVID-19.

In this episode we had the privilege of hearing from Lottie Bildirici, New York city-based endurance athlete, health coach, recipe developer and food content creator. From a young age, Lottie took nutrition and health very seriously after a scare in her teenage years. Everything changed when olympian Kara Goucher invited Lottie to her training camp in Colorado to cook for her. She now works with some of the top athletes in the world, and continues to cook up a storm on her instagram. In this episode she shares her life story, focusing on nutrition and how it impacts athletes, as well as some professional advice on staying healthy while social distancing.

This week’s #FohrGround practiced #socialdistancing and was recorded remotely. We were honored to virtually sit down with industry renowned photographer Nick Onken and hear about his story. Nick started his career as a graphic designer and ended up shifting into photography as he began to shoot his design subjects. Fast forward to today, he has had 20 years of experience in commercial photography, he is currently working with high level entrepreneurs on personal branding and he’s running his own podcast. On top of all that, he produces a customized line of hats in his spare time. Nick believes in exploring creativity, consciousness and culture through his work. His style has remained consistent throughout his career, emulating optimism, warmth and light hearted energy. Listen to the full episode for professional advice and words of wisdom from this seasoned artist, as well as personal advice on coping with the state of the world we are in today.

This week’s #FohrGround featured three very special guests from the Fohr family. They’re also the dream team behind the magic that is #SephoraSquad. In honor of #SephoraSquad’s one year anniversary and the opening of 2020 applications this month, Jillian Netzel, Emma Gonzalez and Suzannah Tarkington share the story of how #SephoraSquad started, what sets it apart from other influencer marketing partnerships and what the future looks like for 2020-2021. #SephoraSquad has provided a platform for influencers with followings of all sizes, who truly live and breathe Sephora’s brand and may not have been given this opportunity otherwise. "Fohr is excited to be partnering with Sephora in 2020 to expand the program to include new inspiring voices in beauty.

This week on Fohr Ground we sat down with networking and relationship building wiz, Nick Roberts. Nick has had an extensive career in fashion and menswear PR and is now running is own firm, Lawrence & Co. In this episode, Nick shares with us personal insights from his journey to success as well as insider tips and tricks for getting the most out of networking.

This week we are joined by London-based YouTuber and content creator, Tim Dessaint. He started creating style-inspired content for a small following on Instagram, but it wasn’t until he moved to Australia and started his YouTube channel just a year and a half ago that he found his niche - ultimately growing his grew followers from 0 to 222k in such a short amount of time.

Since early Tumblr days, Nicole has always been an early adopter and interested in what's happening on the internet. After graduating from college, while still growing her personal blog, she immediately went from student to teacher and was given an Adjunct Professor at NYU at an unprecedented age. Hear all about her journey and what she's learned along the way on this week's episode of Fohr Ground.

This week on Fohr Ground we are joined by tennis professional, and founder of Behind the Racquet, Noah Rubin. Started just over a year ago, Behind The Racquet became an outlet for Noah and his (world-class) peers to discuss. In this episode, Noah talks about life as a professional tennis player, and how his journey on starting Behind the Racquet, and how it’s given him a purpose in his life outside of playing tennis.

We’re big fans of this week’s Fohr Ground guest, Sydney Fazende, here at Fohr. She’s currently a vice president of Digital at Laforce, one of the top agencies in town. Longtime fans of A Drink with James will know that we had her on the show a few years back. Spoiler alert—the industry is very much different since then, so we decided to have her on Fohr Ground and pick up where we left off a few years ago.

This week we were fortunate enough to be joined by Moonlynn Tsai and Kyo Pang, the amazing duo behind one of New York’s hottest new restaurants, Kopitiam. The restaurant originally had four seats (and the line to get in wrapped around the block) then reopened around the block with nearly forty seats and found immediate success. Being lauded in essentially every major publication, their leap was soon validated by the critics, and the throngs of devoted patrons.

Krystal Bick is a content creator based in New York City. Hailing from Reno, Nevada Krystal's path includes everything from studying journalism to blogging while working at Google as a Product Marketing Manager. Krystal's cinema-inspired feed stands out from the crowd in an era full of quick snapshots.

We made it through the second season! In this season two wrap up show, we take a look back at each episode, and pull a quote or two from each guest! Hope you enjoy!

Jeremy Mitchell (@xxjmitch) is a New York City-based photographer and content creator who shoots for many brands you know and love including Mr. Porter. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Jeremy has both a creative and entrepreneurial mind. He first began his hustle by selling Dragon Ball Z character printouts in 6th grade, then created his own successful bracelet line, and eventually transformed into the established photographer that he is today.

This week we talk to NY-native, Kira West (i@bykwest). In this episode, we get technical about how to make traveling a priority and making it work even when you have a small budget. Kira works at a travel tech start-up and gives us a rubric for picking your next destination.

We caught up with Paris-based content creator Marissa Cox (@ruerodier) for this week’s episode of Fohr Ground. In this episode, we go very in-depth about Marissa’s journey, about what the influencer marketing world is like in Paris. Marissa has a unique perspective of having her audience split between England, Paris, and America, and really provides some insight into how she approaches her work given that she works for brands (and speaks to an audience) that’s on a completely different continent.

We’re back on Fohr Ground this week with Yu Cui (@fishflourish), who details her unique path on becoming a content creator. Fish, as she is known, grew up in China and took an untraditional path by moving to New York for college. Not knowing what she wanted to do originally, She eventually found her way into studying musical theatre, and the rest was history. We sat down with her just a few months after she just finished up her masters in Musical Theater. In this episode, we cover everything from musicals to content creation to growing up in China, and how she draws from all her experiences to express herself creatively.

Andrea Maria (@dearmilano), as one of Mexico’s first fashion bloggers you’d think that she’d been wanting to do this her life, but that wasn’t the case. Growing up in both Mexico and Texas she loved style and fashion, but it wasn’t until a trip to Milan that shifted her focus and when she wanted to turn it into a profession, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Micaela Verrelien is a creative director and content creator based in New York. While she was always artistic, she grew up on a traditional path and became an accountant. It wasn’t until she started her blog that she developed her sense of style and creative direction. Taking one glance at her Instagram, you can see she’s full of positivity and self-love. She shares the work she did on the film, Black Girl Church, as the creative director.

Joe Greer is a self-taught photographer based in New York. Having gotten his start shooting iPhone photos on Instagram, you can now find him shooting on both film and digital cameras. He stopped by our offices to share how Instagram shaped his craft, how he branched out artistically, and his approach to taking an impactful photo.

Will Taylor joins us to cover how he leveraged his background in traditional media to build Bright Bazaar, a lifestyle blog about interior design, travel, and men's fashion. He talks about the urge to make the move across the pond and how, together with his partner, have built Bright Bazaar into the thriving business it is today.

From starting Metro Man eight years ago to building a brand from scratch, Moti Ankari stays busy. It was just three years ago that he and fellow influencer Marcel Floruss were guests on A Drink With James. Around the time, they also launched Ankari Floruss. Moti joins us to cover how he built his personal brand, his collaborations with Marcel on their shoe brand, and how they leverage their experiences as both influencers and brand people. Sit back because we're going back to school—welcome to Brand Building 101!

This week, we’re doing something a little different. With influencers running small businesses through Instagram, it made sense for us to sit down with brand consultant Emily Schildt who founded Pop-Up Grocer just this year. We learn what it takes to run your own store, when you know you've got a great idea, and how to find satisfaction (even if you're a perfectionist).

Dennis Todisco is a Boston raised, New York City based content creator. He’s worked at brands like Nike and Twitter and now focuses on @outfitgrid and his personal account full-time. If you’re not familiar, Outfit Grid is simple: users submit the clothes they wore that day, neatly folded and organized, in a square frame. Dennis has been posting these everyday since 2012. He shares how he’s been consistent, the importance of strong communities, and tips for influencers to make the most out of Twitter.

As a blogger, podcast host, and YouTuber, Jessica stays busy. Throughout it all, she remains true to her goal of creating positive representation for women growing up just like her. In this episode, she talks about her journey to self-love, why she isn't afraid of taking a risk, and how in the world she manages all of her creative projects.

Jera Foster-Fell is a fitness and lifestyle influencer born and based in NYC. She’s especially cognizant of sharing her passion with others in hopes it will inspire them to get the most out of themselves. And for the first time in Fohr Ground history, our guest sings a show tune to close the episode out.

From swimming with jaguars in Honduras to partying with Rihanna in Barbados, Tanyka has come a long way from her small town in Connecticut. She shares how she had to get in touch with herself—through meditation and solo travels—before she got in touch with her Instagram family.

Essence Gant is the Beauty Director at BuzzFeed. As more people in the media industry are motivated to grow their social media and cultivate a personal brand, she sets an example of doing that while being true to yourself. In this episode, she shares the insights she's learned from her unconventional path: from breaking into the industry to leveraging internships to a career.

Matt Chu is a New York based art director and full-time fashion buyer. One glance at his Instagram and you can see clearly what he’s about: taking amazing photos and showcasing his unique, genderless style. In this episode, he talks about developing a vision, training his audience, and being intentional—whether it's with his account or the events he attends in real life.

On the podcast, we’ve talked to influencers with dreams to start their own collections and even a few who already have their own brands. Gigi is in the unique position of launching her first fashion line right. now. She talks us through the journey, what it’s like learning things along the way, and the importance of following your gut.

A year into being a full-time influencer, Olivia shares how she got to where she is today. From Florida to New York, pageants to content creation. Hear her open up about having anxiety, using her platform for good, and living in the moment.

Sabrina is a nurse, content creator, and lifelong New Yorker. While many influencers aspire to create content full-time, she balances both her passions and has no plans to stop. Hear how the contrast of the two helps her excel in both.

Before her flight from NYC to Dallas, Missy stopped by Fohr HQ to talk about how her military experience shapes her perspective and process. She also opens up about why it's okay to take a step back from content creation to deal with real life.

Tyla’s influencer career as we know it began with one big moment: her decision to document her natural hair journey. Since then, she’s been on a mission to help women embrace their natural selves and how to look their best for less.

Growing up, Leo read the pages of GQ and watched popular movies, never seeing anyone who looked like him. That set him off on wanting to be the representation he sought. Sure enough, he did just that. Hear how he made it work and why it’s so important that diverse, positive images exist for the next generation.

We’re back with a brand new season. Tim is joined by Sai De Silva, an influencer and blogger from New York City. She also happens to be the coolest mom we know. In this episode, she shares her insights on work-life balance and embracing her identity beyond motherhood.

And that's a wrap on season one! The past 22 episodes have been filled with memorable profiles of the industry's top personalities. We hope you enjoyed listening as much as we enjoyed recording.For the upcoming season, you can expect a brand new format. Tim will be sitting down with personalities and professionals you know and love, and taking a deeper dive into topics or causes they care deeply about. These episodes will focus on single topics like motherhood, natural hair journeys, and representation in the media (to name a few).

Christina Caradona is the content creator behind Trop Rouge, a blog centered on personal style, fashion, and travel. She's been running the site since the industry's infancy nine years ago. If you're familiar with her bubbly, charismatic personality, it shines through in this episode. She discusses everything from the importance of having your own site to staying humble and accepting opportunities you normally wouldn't seek.

Carly Hill is a Senior Account Executive by day, fashion and food blogger by night. She’s a true testament to following your passions no matter how busy your calendar.

Steffy is a Long Island based content creator. She talks about her affinity for the colors yellow and orange, her eclectic career path, and how she found her style.

Katie is a woman of many talents: fashion blogger and Make-A-Wish board member by day, guest speaker on news channels by night. She shares how her acting background helped her develop her online persona, why she prefers to collaborate (not compete) with other influencers, and what inspired her to get involved with nonprofit work.

It was just three years ago that Sarah had a following of 800. After cutting her hair to her signature pixie cut and going viral, she decided to create content, a side hustle that quickly overtook her full-time job running a telecommunications company in Florida. Hear what she does to grow in a time when so little creators do. Hint: it has a lot to do with authenticity.

Alyssa is a NYC based content creator. She dabbles in many niches, bringing her background in interior design in whatever she creates. In this episode, she covers getting brands to trust her creative vision, what it was like growing up in the Philippines and NYC, and how her family keeps her grounded.

Adam a.k.a. Captain Barto is an LA based photographer. Growing up in rural Maryland, he surfed up and down the east coast. His love of the sport led him to find his passion for film photography.

Live from LA, Quigley talks us through her journey from making music to creating content online. We hear about her experience as a semi-finalist on American Idol as well as how she began to channel her creativity in fashion and Instagram.

Erin Sackman, aka Style by the People, is a Los Angeles based content creator. She and Tim discuss it all: from the career path she forged for herself at age 18 to the community present in LA’s unique influencer scene. They also cover how she’s preparing for life outside of Instagram, her investment in her blog, and how she maintains a consistent perspective through her different verticals.