In our ever-evolving world, digital influencers have become powerful agents of change, playing a significant role in shaping our culture and society as we know it. In this article, we’ve highlighted a selection of female digital mavens and their perspectives on what it means to be an influencer in this new age of the digital landscape.
This lineup featuring these 21 female digital mavens is from our annual special edition issue, the L.A STYLE Magazine Most Influential of 2023.
“I think it’s a huge responsibility and also an honor to be considered an influence to other persons. Since I was a little girl, I remember seeing editorial magazines like Vogue with models, runways and spectacular clothes, [and] nowadays that´s my life. It makes you be more aware of what you do, so you can be a good example.”
2. Kim Thai
“I value my followers not because they’re just another number but because these are beating hearts, with emotions, with hard past, with struggles who are also just as lost as I am – they’ve made me feel less alone in this world. I hope they’re influenced to continue to grow as humans and always remember that if 21 year old Kim can do it, they can too. I hope my videos have inspired them to give back when they can and to always remember that when you have more than you need, build a bigger table not a higher fence.”
“To be a person of influence to me is the hope that through my posts and videos, I can inspire people to dance, try new things, or even change/better their lifestyles.”
“The smallest gestures, such as a smile or hello to a stranger on the street, can change the trajectory of someone else’s life. While I have a job that does put me in front of more eyes and people online everyday, I believe everyone is a person of influence and how each of us choose to show up in this world contributes to where we’re all headed. I do my best to show up as my authentic self, whether that’s stylish and bubbly, or messy and sad, to constantly remind everyone that we’re all a work in progress.”
5. Sheryl Luke
“I am always flattered and honored that I am in a position to influence my readers. I would never take that lightly and I am also very aware that there aren’t enough girls who look like me in the space. My biggest hope is that my content is helping change that and more importantly inspire more people to get into the industry and make it even more diverse than it currently is.”
“I’ve always had a natural instinct to be a “mother hen” in the words of my family. So naturally, I’ve projected that same mentality onto all of my social media platforms. I love showing my true authentic life—the good, the bad, the ugly and I know that it translates in my work. I’m so thankful for every single person that has followed me and supported my journey of watching me grow up…and for my day ones—I LOVE YOU KITTENS!!”
“I love to inspire and to uplift people and I know that it is my purpose. Being a person of influence to me also means to be vulnerable enough to share the flaws and the difficulties and the times that could have made you quit, because those are so real. I feel I’ve done my best by sharing my life experiences since the beginning of social media…so that I can help inspire, reach, and give hope to as many people as possible to know that you truly can achieve anything, just keep believing and never give up!”
“To me, being a person of influence means everything because I looked for that in the media growing up, and unfortunately, the media fell short. My goal is to continue to pour representation for Latina women into the industry and bring active change and solutions to the table. I am not a one woman show, though—I pride myself heavily on the incredible tribe I’ve cultivated through my self-love empowerment movement.”
“I love to use my platforms to empower others, to bring people together, and challenge them to achieve their goals. I share my personal life, my passions, my business endeavors with my supporters, and lead by example to encourage them to follow their dreams and to let them know I believe in them. Sometimes, it just takes one person to believe in you to change your life forever.”
10. Sara Escudero
“For me, it is a responsibility. I want to be genuine with my followers, express my opinions, help others, and not get carried away by fancy trends.”
11. Jayden Bartels
“To me, it means that people are inspired by what I do and say. Although that is a lot of pressure at times, I enjoy spreading positive messages and showing others that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. I’ve had people come up to me and say, “You were the one who inspired me to start acting or dancing” and that motivates me to keep doing what I love.”
12. Natalie Alzate
“To me, being a person of influence is about looking at the world and asking myself, ‘Once I’m gone, how can I leave a positive mark on it?’ It’s about making a difference and bringing value to the lives of others. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to do what I love and to have my community by my side.”
13. Jaci Marie Smith
“To me, it means that your words truly do have merit, at least to a select group of people. I don’t think what I have to say is more important than anyone else, but I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak about things that I find important, and hopefully inspire or comfort others who can relate to me. Watching other influencers that I love makes me feel like I’m hanging out with a friend, so I hope I can do the same for my community.”
14. Amanda Diaz
“Creators can hold a lot of influence on the choices of other people and this can be used to inspire so many. I really try to use my platform for good and as a tool to help people. You can impact so many lives if used correctly!”
15. Nyma Tang
“To me, being a person of influence has always meant that I can allow young women to feel beautiful in their own skin. I think my audience has reflected that back to me, and told me countless times…of the influence and impact that I have on them. [That is] exactly what I was planning on doing with my platform.”
16. Isabelle Ikpeme
“I don’t take being a person of influence lightly. As we have all seen, people are influenced so easily…it doesn’t take much. When people follow me or visit my pages, I always want them to leave with this one thing: be yourself. Do what makes you happy… not anybody else—that’s what I try to portray throughout my work.”
17. Remi Cruz
“I’ve now realized that being a person of influence just means being a good, kind human being. I try my best in my content to be inspiring to my viewers to just treat people nicely, give people grace, and to understand what we all make mistakes. I’ve been so lucky to cultivate an incredible audience built up of kind, respectful people, and I’m so proud of what I’ve learned along the way.”
18. Jessica Joo
“There’s definitely a heavier responsibility because what you say can “influence” and alter people’s mindset. As someone who is down to earth, I stay true to myself and relatable to everyone, but at the same time, I try to be the “unnie” (i.e., older sister in Korean) to my viewers. I want to continue to radiate positive energy and motivate everyone to pursue their passion and be someone to be looked up to and respected.”
19. Amy Chang
“For my social media platforms, my focus lies in preserving authenticity, never jeopardizing the trust I have built, and catering to my audience. Initially, my venture into creating this online platform was fueled by my passion for all things beauty and wellness, and my longing to connect with a like-minded community. What I unearthed was a deep connection with my audience, individuals who share similar interests, concerns, and an unwavering enthusiasm for beauty and wellness.”
20. Katie Molinaro
“I’ve always wanted to be an actor and before you actually make a living from acting, you gotta have side hustles. My side hustles were ALWAYS food related. Catering, Serving, Ice Cream Scooping…I never cared about being good at any of these things; I just wanted to be around good food.”
21. Jules Aurora
“I really am just so grateful to have built a community of love, inspiration, and support on my platforms. It’s amazing that I can be there for my fans/followers and in the same way, there are many times when they will leave comments or messages that truly make my heart so full and fill me with purpose. It’s a really special bond I have with my community, and I will never take it for granted!”
