Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki De Castris.
Nikki, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I began creating content in the summer of 2021. I was starting my senior year of college and absolutely loved social media. I enjoyed following various Tiktokers as well as Instagram Influencers that were up and coming. I saw them creating content and sharing their fashion ideas as well as everyday life. I enjoyed following along on their adventures, big and small and decided that this was something I wanted to do as well.
Quite honestly, I just started posting everything I was wearing and places I was going and made it a habit to capture these moments to share with others. As I continued this, I also decided it was time to share my own clothing line. I created West of Willow in August of 2022 and cannot wait to watch it grow.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Content creating and influencing has had so many amazing moments and has really given me confidence in myself. This did not come easy though. Over the past couple of years, I have struggled with creative blocks, body image, as well as receiving hate. Creative blocks always come at the worst time.
Coming up with content ideas when there is a deadline for a brand or for my own line seems to add pressure to an otherwise exciting experience. I have struggled quite a lot with body image as well. I am constantly critiquing myself as well as comparing myself to others. As I have grown and gained confidence, I have also seen what it is like for others to not want to see you succeed. This I feel, has been the most difficult aspect of content creation.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in content creation for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands. When I find something I love, I feel it is important to share that in hopes that someone else will love it as well. I feel that only sharing my authentic opinion as well as genuinely what is going on in my life is the most important aspect as I want to be true to my followers.
I am most proud of my ability to connect and create friendships through social media. I am also a first-year special education teacher and I feel that this sets me apart in some ways but also makes me more relatable because I am someone who has a job that I am passionate about outside of social media. I have gained so many wonderful people in my life and could not be more grateful.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
If it wasn’t for taking risks, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I literally owe my entire social media presence to taking risks and deciding not to focus on what others think of me. I decided to make my social media a positive place by posting things and places and people I love instead of just “the best angle”.
I also have a strong stance on not editing myself in any photos I post. Although I might not have the most confidence in a specific photo of myself, I am willing to take the risk of posting it without “fixing” it to remain authentic. I feel that taking risks has also changed my mentality and further pushed me towards a growth mindset.
Contact Info:
- Website: westofwillow.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/nikkidecastris
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@nikkidecastris?lang=en
