Beth Johnstone aka @SheIsTheLostGirl, is best known for her vanlife content as well as giving her followers lots of advice on sustainable living. In 2021, Beth took her 86.7k followers on an epic journey along the NC500 road trip for a campaign we’d planned for ALA Insurance. Together we created, staycation packing guides, road trip itinerary, and an Instagram guide. After our collaboration, we sat down with Beth and asked a few questions regarding her social media career, involvement with brands, and advice for the next generation of aspiring influencers.

To start us off, tell us how your social media career began?

It began in May 2021 after four years of building my social media presence. I taught myself everything there is to know about social media, marketing, offering free photography services to build my portfolio, learning how to negotiate and pitch ideas to brands as well as building a team with my partner Jake, who is a photographer and videographer. I can safely say that so far, it's been so worth the four years of hard work it's taken to get to this point. These last few months have been an absolute dream come true and I'm so proud of what we have achieved.

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Wow that’s really impressive. So, when you are working with brands, what are the best types of briefs that you receive?

The best type of briefs are the ones where we can input our own ideas and creativity. We absolutely love to come up with creative ways to showcase, products, places, and services. Working alongside the brand is really important, I love it when we can work together with a brand to come up with something magical.

Knowing you are such a passionate advocate for sustainability, the reduction of waste, and the use of environmentally friendly products, how do you decide which brands to work with, to fit with your way of living and lifestyle?

We ask ourselves: 

Is this something we would genuinely use and recommend to our friends?

Is this something that is sustainable for people and the planet?

Is the brand ethical and genuine?

If all the answers are "yes", then we would be more than happy to work with the brand.

That’s really great that you’ve been able to build a career by staying true to your values. What advice would you give to the next generation of aspiring influencers?

I would say, don't give up. It has taken me four years of creating content (unpaid) to get to the point where I can call it my career. If you give up now, you could be just around the corner from your dream profession and lifestyle. As long as you work hard and enjoy the work you are doing you will get there.

If you’re a content creator interested in collaborating with BIG Little LDN, or if you’re a brand owners wanting to learn more about how influencer marketing can boost your sales, get in touch with Holly, Emma, or Sophie - talk@biglittlelondon.com.