Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Blodgett.
Brooke, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m considered a unicorn these days, a native Austinite! I’ve traveled all over the world and this is still where I love to call home. Over the past decade, I’ve built my career as a Creative Consultant and Strategist for innovative brands. During that time, I decided to start a blog called “The Creative Admirer” to help showcase local businesses in Austin that have a major focus on ethics and sustainability. It can be a frustrating experience as an Austinite to see influencers/bloggers here take the highest payout promoting brands that only care about making their next sale instead of how they are impacting our local community and beyond. I wanted to show a different side to our city and bring integrity back to bloggers in Austin.
My platform is small but loyal af and they trust that I’ve done my due diligence to research every single brand I promote on “The Creative Admirer”. You’ll never see Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target, Liketoknowit, etc. promoted on my blog or social media, and I’m damn proud of that. The majority of the brands I promote, I know the founder personally. Forming relationships with the brands influencers/bloggers work with needs to be normalized. It feels so amazing to promote someone’s hard work they’ve poured their heart and soul into vs mass-produced, unethical, apathetic brands. As Austin changes and more and more people move to this city, I’m personally doing everything I can to maintain the integrity of Austin culture, but I can’t do it alone.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The main challenge I had to overcome was myself. I became really discouraged about two years ago that my follower count wasn’t higher or my engagement on a campaign was lower than expected. There was always some metric or goal I had set for myself that was based on comparing myself to someone else. Once I realized that the information I was sharing wasn’t necessarily for “the masses” but instead a niche group of people, everything became more clear. I relaxed and accepted that those who were along for my journey were there for a reason. Regardless if it was 2K or 20K, I did have a community of supportive, incredibly creative people who wanted to learn about how to live life with more intentionality. Specifically with what brands to support and what products to shop.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
During my day to day, I’m a Creative Consultant and Strategist for innovative brands at my agency, Ashera Creative. My business partner Clarissa Cardenas and I have built a “by referral only” business model and it was the BEST decision we ever made. Every brand we touch is setting the standard in their industry, and it feels really, really incredible to have the privilege to be a part of that impact. We know every owner personally of each brand we work with. If there is a brand that doesn’t align with our values, we don’t work with them. Period. No amount of money is ever worth compromising your integrity. Whether in business or your personal life. I’m proud I can say that about Ashera Creative.
What were you like growing up?
I was a pretty big nerd growing up haha I was in all AP classes, and I LOVED music. I would sneak into concerts at Stubb’s and Emo’s when I was 15 because I was craving live music. One of the many reasons why I love Austin, it truly speaks to my soul. It heals my soul every heartache with live music and the beautiful artists that create it.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@thecreativeadmirer.com
- Website: thecreativeadmirer.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thecreativeadmirer
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecreativeadmirer
