Daily Inspiration: Meet Madison O’Dell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison O’Dell.

Hi Madison, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From a young age, I have always looked for new ways to let my creativity show. I grew up in a small rural town in Kentucky, so fashion and style were never super prevalent in my life. As I got to college, my world expanded drastically.

Making new friends and transitioning into a new environment, I was suddenly surrounded by new fashion trends, and I quickly fell in love with the process of finding my own personal style. Fashion is yet another creative outlet I have been able to implement into my life.

A good friend of mine started getting into social media and encouraged me to do the same, so here I am today. Though I haven’t experienced much growth in following, I have grown in my passion for connecting with others, my love for fashion, and my confidence in myself.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wish I could sit here and say that it has been a smooth road getting to where I am now. I am so fortunate and thankful to have had the opportunity to work with the brands and companies that I have shared with my followers. Working in social media, you will eventually get your “yeses,” but starting out, all of the “no’s” can get a little discouraging.

Opportunities have fluctuated for me since I started a little over a year ago. Seeking outside validation has always been a fault of mine, and getting over that was something I had to do for myself if I wanted to continue doing something I love. In the beginning, I also worried that others would think I was trying to pretend to be something I am not when really I am just partaking in something I am genuinely passionate about. Luckily though, I have such an amazing support system in my friends and family that have helped me in the process of finding self-love.

As with everyone else around the world, COVID put a halt to many things as well. Moving back home, going online for school, and being relatively isolated, impacted my mental health drastically, and it took me quite a while to get out of that little funk. Finally, things started getting back to normal for me; people were back on campus. I was surrounded by my friends. But then, the ground was taken out from underneath me when I experienced the loss of my father.

My dad was my best friend and such an amazing man; it completely shattered mine, my brother’s, and my sweet momma’s worlds. This led to yet another hiatus from school. I withdrew from classes and have taken a break from what was supposed to be my senior year. Though it has put me “behind” in my original life plan, I have taken this time to reflect and appreciate life and all of my loved ones.

There is no set schedule or plan for living this life that we have been given, and realizing this has helped me get rid of a lot of previous anxieties that I have dealt with my whole life. Fortunately, during this difficult time, I have been able to discover so many things about myself, and many new opportunities have come my way. And I know my dad is there cheering me on in the process.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I wish I could provide an actual time frame for you, but for the past little bit, I have been working with many brands and companies reviewing and sharing their products with my followers on my social media. To put a name to it, I am a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content creator. Typically, I stick to promoting brands on Instagram; however, I have started to dabble a bit in creating Tiktoks.

To name a few that you may be familiar with, some brands that I have worked with include: Princess Polly, Peppermayo, Loving Tan, Lounge Underwear, Macy’s Wine Shop, and Savage Fenty, and Windsor. I am also currently a creator for a MedSpa local to Bowling Green known as KD Aesthetics. I try my best to be super transparent with my followers regarding the treatments I get done (such as filler, botox, etc.), the skincare that I use, and my overall experiences with their business.

I have also worked with local photographers for creative shoots, as well as modeled some for a vintage clothing store. One thing I do pride myself in is being my genuine self. I love keeping things raw. I see many creators who are often trying to sell products to their followers. Though that is in a sense what the job is about, I don’t want to lose myself in the process. Social media is 100% a highlight reel, and I believe there is potential for it to be so much more.

I only work with brands and promote products and pieces that I truly believe in, and it is super important to me that the company values align with my personal ones.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
In the future, I hope to continue to grow and discover new brands to share with my audience. I hope to build a better relationship with my followers, as well. No matter how much growth I experience, a goal of mine is to never let social media become yet another stress in my life. Though sometimes discouraging, follower count and likes have nothing to do with one’s ability or self worth, and I hope to strengthen and maintain this mindset moving forward.

I believe that social media, though already such a big part of our society, is going to increase in influence.
Most companies are switching to micro-influencers for advertising products, and I believe overall, the world of content creation is going to continue to expand. If anyone is thinking about becoming a content creator, i truly encourage you to go for it! You never know what opportunities could come your way!

Contact Info:

• Email: madisonaodell@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/_madisonodell_
• TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdX64S1v/