My life will not be monetized
I did not come to Instagram in 2011 with any intentions of monetizing my life. I came to the app the way many of us did in those early years: for the photo filters (hello, Valencia1) and to share images with a small group of real life friends. My first post was an image of my beloved cat Falcor. I think it had two likes, maybe three.
Since leaving Instagram four months ago, I’ve been metabolizing how much the app and the culture around it convinced me that everything in my life, including photos of my children (gross!), should be monetized.
After two years of posting on Instagram, the first offer for a sponsored post came through. It was from an herbal tea company whose tea I drank often. Their ask was easy: post two photos on my blog, one grid post on Instagram, and receive $500. This was the biggest check I’d ever received in my business and I was elated. I had arrived! I was cool!
As the months rolled on and my following grew, I received sponsorship requests on a …