It’s not just millenials who are killing the influencer game, but kids too! From acting to modeling and everything in between, these Gen Z/Gen Alpha cusps are giving millenials a run for their money (literally). We caught up with one of our favorite child influencers Zooey, from Zooey in the City, and her mom Mai for a little Q&A.
XO: What is the best part about being an influencer?
Mai: Being able to collaborate with brands we love!
How does Zooey balance being a kid, going to school, and having a job as an influencer?
Zooey is currently in Kindergarten so things aren’t too hard/busy at school yet and she is already ahead in her class. If she has auditions and photoshoots for her model work, we have to plan for LA trips and most times dress in outfits we need to shoot so that we can fit in taking a quick picture while we are out and about. It typically only takes like 5 minutes, at max 15 minutes to get our shots done and we usually only shoot one outfit every time we go out. In terms of having a job as an influencer, we have our amazing manager Kyle help keep us organized with a shared calendar.
What was your favorite brand collaboration?
I’d have to say our global campaign with Forever 21, when Zooey was chosen to model with 5 other influencers, like Naomi Shimada and Khalid, was amazing. However, our best collab by far has to be Zooey’s feature on Instagram, when Instagram reached out to us to create content for them to introduce Zooey on their Instagram stories, blog + feed!
Which brand would be your dream collaboration?
Zooey is already collaborating with every brand that we would dream of collaborating with, but our ultimate dream would be for Zooey to be flown to Europe to be a muse + model for a high fashion brand like Gucci.
Who is your favorite kid influencer?
By far, we are obsessed with @miasaidno.
Who is your favorite adult influencer?
It’s a toss up between @flamcis and @littleblackboots.
Which is your favorite social media channel?
I like Facebook to keep up with what’s going on in the world, though most of it might be fake news. Zooey likes Snapchat ONLY for the filters. She actually doesn’t even know how many followers she has on Instagram.
What advice would you give to other kids following Zooey’s influencer footsteps?
Don’t try too hard, and don’t push your kid too much when they are not in the mood to take photos. Make it fun. Also try to be original to your own personal style. It will be easier in the long run. This shouldn’t be stressful, and also, ignore the Instagram algorithm. Instagram isn’t your life, and most importantly let your kids be kids!
Anyone you’d like to give a shout out to?
Our manager Kyle Hjelmeseth (@kylehjelmeseth) from @gnbinfluence for taking care of me and Zooey!