A chat with creator Priyanka Patel of Glamour and Giggles

Hi friends!

It’s my 100th post on We are glamerus today <insert cheering now>, and it’s a really special one that I’m so excited about! I recently had the privilege of interviewing Priyanka Patel, the amazing beauty & lifestyle creator behind the blog Glamour and Giggles. Her site is a hub of information not only for all things makeup & skincare, but also for self-improvement, & self-care tips. Priyanka boasts a huge social media presence, and has built a highly successful personal brand that is sought after by a swath of global brands including ColourPop, Neutrogena, Dove & Toyota, just to name a few.

She speaks to her thousands of followers not only about the newest beauty releases but also about insecurities, mental health, self-worth, and being “your own kind of beautiful” (the tagline of her blog). Above all else, Priyanka is genuine & approachable. I hope you enjoy our chat below 😊.

Follow Priyanka across her socials on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, & Facebook.

Were you one of those fortunate people who realized their career path at a young age?

Not at all, I was never clear on the career path I wanted to take; all I knew is I wanted to help people. My family wanted me to become a pharmacist or nurse, but I knew from the very beginning that those fields were not for me. However, not wanting to crush their dreams, I went into undergrad with the goal of going to Pharmacy school. Long story short, I did not do well in my classes, switched majors, and ended up graduating with a degree in History.

At this point, I still had no idea what I wanted to do and decided to get my Masters in Health Administration, thinking it was a way to help people in the healthcare field; a win for me and win for my family who wanted me in the healthcare field. Grad school was when I became clear on what I ultimately wanted to do with my life – meaningful work that empowers others without restricting myself in one industry. I currently work in healthcare, in a non profit organization that provides advocacy services to long-term care residents. I also have Glamour and Giggles where I empower my audience to live their happiest lives and create beauty, lifestyle, and self-care content!

You’re a first generation Indian-American who grew up in California, and moved to Kentucky a few years ago. How has your cultural & geographic identity formed your online presence, if at all?

I was born and raised in Southern California and moved to Kentucky in my early twenties. Growing up, I saw the beauty created when different cultures came together; that translated into my online presence by promoting inclusivity and encouraging diversity.

My geographic identity definitely transformed my online presence when I moved to Kentucky. I didn’t realize the level of my impact until I began connecting with local creators. This pushed me to be more aware and create more personalized and intimate content for my audience. Both my cultural and geographic identities have guided me in the direction I always envisioned Glamour and Giggles to strive towards.

What came first for you – blogging or social media? Or did they grow simultaneously?

Social media came first. I used to use it for fun and didn’t realize my level of impact or how skilled I was with it until friends and followers told me so. I created my blog shortly after, and as they say, the rest is history.

What is your opinion on the title ‘social media influencer’? Some prefer to be called ‘content creators’ instead. Do you have a personal preference?

I sometimes do cringe when I hear the title “social media influencer” and do prefer the title “content creator,” only because I create content on more platforms than social media (like my website).

Talk a little bit about Boss Babes Institute, and why empowering others is so important to you.

Boss Babes Institute is a private group for individuals who are or aspiring to be social media influencers, bloggers, or content creators. Members of BBI will learn how to fearlessly be the boss babe they’ve envisioned, with tips regarding blogging and social media basics, social media growth, making money with your brand, and more! BBI members will also have access to the FB group and have meaningful conversations with fellow boss babes.

My ultimate goal with BBI is to empower aspiring and current boss babes. Empowering others is incredibly important to me because everyone deserves support in reaching their dreams. The world is large enough for everyone who wants to be a boss babe, and it seems like there is more competition than support on social media; the scales should be the opposite.

(Boss Babes Institute is a private Facebook group. If you’re interested in joining, message Priyanka on any of her social accounts linked above.)

You’ve worked with a very wide range of brands. What are the determining factors in selecting the right brand partnerships for you?

The top 2 determining factors for brand partnerships are:

• My personal thoughts of the brand

• Will this partnership benefit or appeal to my audience?

If there’s a brand I don’t support or don’t feel will be a good fit for my audience, it’s an automatic no. It’s also an automatic no if a partnership asks me to do something that compromises my integrity, like requiring a positive review of a product or asking me to not disclose a partnership.

What are you most excited for in 2019? Could be anything personal or professional.

I am really excited for more personal development and putting and prioritizing my physical and mental health. I’m also excited (and nervous) for challenging myself in all aspects of life. One of my biggest challenges is starting a youtube channel – I get anxiety just thinking about sitting in front of a camera and talking for so many minutes.

If you could give up-and-coming bloggers one single piece of advice, what would it be?

Focus on your path and don’t compare yourself with others.

You may also like this: Six questions with Monique Salvador, Founder of Blushup.

Xo, Erica

(Cover image photo by Sarah Caton.)

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