"I Consider Myself to Be a Bird Who Just Wants to Fly, Fly, and Fly Without the Fear of Getting Criticized" - Olivia Dey

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1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I am Olivia Dey, who is currently pursuing Ba LLB(H) from Amity University, Kolkata. I have completed my schooling from Calcutta Public School. I consider myself to be a bird who just wants to fly, fly, and fly without the fear of getting criticized. 

My keen interest in the field of fashion and the immense support of my best friend brought me into this field of influence, and thus, my page, that_elegant.chic was born in 2019.

No matter what happens, I will always make sure that I don't have to compromise with my passion for social media influencing ever.

2. What led you to start your page on Instagram and what is it about?

So it was back in 2019 when I had just finished my ISC examination, I started with my journey of fashion influencing. I used to receive a lot of compliments related to my fashion sense and I think all that love and appreciation led me to become a fashion influencer that today I am. Somewhere or the other I wanted to nurture in this field of fashion and create unique styles that would basically suit my personality as well as enhance my features and embrace my body and that eventually led me to create looks by mixing and matching clothes and accessories. For me, style and fashion are the two most important elements of my life. 

My page is all about an 18year old girl who is here to influence people to create looks, without even burning a big hole in their pockets. I believe if one considers themselves to be a stylish person, then it really doesn't matter that in what store they are in, it can be a big brand store or even a street market. What really matters is how one selects their outfit and carry it with utmost confidence. I am someone who loves experimenting but definitely not at the expense of losing my self-confidence. 

3. How would you distinguish the term blogger from an influencer?

The majority of the people tend to get confused with the terms blogger and influencer. To a certain extent, every blogger is an influencer, however not every influencer is a blogger.

An influencer is defined as someone who is having the ability to influence people to buy any product by promoting the brands or recommending those products on their social media platforms. 

Whereas a blogger is someone who has built an entire online community surrounding their niche of interest.

4. Is it financially sustainable to be an influencer today?

Making any work financially sustainable is not easy, it requires a lot of effort, dedication, time investment, etc. So if you are ready to invest all these things and give full commitment to this field then you can surely become a successful influencer with promising financial sustainability. It might take a long time but trust me it's worth it.

5. What do you think influences consumer behavior?

.As we all know that the four factors that influence consumer behavior are: Social, Cultural, Personal, and Psychological. It is important for an influencer to connect with the audience well. Consumer's interests and opinions can be influenced by demographics. An individual’s response to a marketing message will depend on their perceptions and attitudes. Studying consumer behavior is essential as that way we can understand what the audience wants and by which way I can present it before them.

6. What is your idea of success or your mantra in life?

My mantra to success is that putting others down won't make you rise any higher. Strive hard so that you can become the better version of your own self. Indulging only in a healthy competition is very important! 

Give your 100 percent, then you will surely get the results that you desire for. 

7. How can someone become a successful social media influencer?

If you want to become a social media influencer then I would say that maintain the authenticity of your content. Keep in mind that you need to compete with your own self to come out as a better version. Efforts, dedication, commitment are the three essential requirements to become successful. Make sure that you don't promote anything that might have a bad influence on the audience. 

Try to understand what is the area of interest of your audience and make contents on those areas, that's the drill.

8. Which is your favorite book and why?

It is very difficult for me to choose one book, but "The Kite Runners" by Khalid Hosseini is really very close to my heart. Among all the lessons that I have got after reading this book, my favorite one is that each and every individual is blessed with some unique talent and the purpose of our life is to find that unique talent and then hone that talent to achieve all that the Almighty always wanted you to achieve.

It also tells you that explore new fields but do not judge any fields on the basis of what amount you are earning from that. And once you start working hard on achieving something, no one can stop you from getting that.

Interviewed by - Rajit Shubra Ghosh.