Erin Elizabeth is a blogger, content creator, and brand designer out of Ottawa, Ontario. She started her blog byerinelizabeth.co several years ago, which eventually grew to a YouTube channel and then a brand. As a brand designer, she helps businesses with their branding needs to help them better themselves in various ways. But that’s not all. She also hosts her own podcast, Life Styled Podcast. Elizabeth is a busy woman who has ambitions of continuing to grow her brand more and more.
I was fortunate to chat with Elizabeth a while ago for this interview. She answered questions about blogging, content creation, and more. Check it out!
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EL: Could you please provide some background on yourself?
Erin Elizabeth (EE): I was always that person who never really had a clue what I wanted to do career-wise. It wasn’t until late in high school when I randomly decided to switch to an art class that I realized how much I enjoyed it. I never really knew how many opportunities there were out there in creative fields, and that just opened my eyes to a whole new world. When it came to post-secondary school, I decided to take an introductory design course outlining different creative fields and programs in multiple different areas. This program helped me build up a portfolio of work, which eventually lead me into graphic design. I ended up working a few different jobs in the graphic design field before becoming self-employed.
EL: What inspired you to start blogging?
EE: I actually started my blog when I was in my second year of design school. My goal was always to work for a fashion magazine, so I decided to start creating my own content around fashion and beauty in the meantime. I started off with an Instagram page, just posting photos of hairstyles and outfits, which eventually lead me to build a website a few months later. I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with like-minded people online, and I’ve actually been able to meet a few of my internet friends in person when I travel to different cities, which is amazing!
EL: Why did you decide to focus on lifestyle-related content?
EE: I started out with my content heavily focused on hairstyling with some fashion sprinkled in there. I personally find it hard to stick to one specific niche because there are so many things that interest me. I think overall, all I really want to do is inspire people to be happy and content with their lives, no matter which area it’s in. Whether it’s sharing a simple recipe, some books that have inspired me, or how to work with the clothes you already have, wherever I can share a tip here and there that may help someone is what keeps me going!
EL: If there’s one blog post of yours you want people to read, which is it and why?
EE: Hmm, good question! I think my favourite blog posts to write are the ones where I’m just spilling out my thoughts. I find it easier to express myself through writing than any other way, so sitting down and letting out how I’m feeling is always quite therapeutic. A few of my favourites are The Big 30: The Pressure of Turning 30, Seeing Souls, The Content You Consume…, The Little Things in Life, and Overcoming the Quarter Life Crisis.
EL: What inspired you to become a content creator?
EE: I never really set out to be a creator, it kind of just evolved that way. When I started my Instagram in design school, it was in hopes to build up a digital portfolio showcasing my love for fashion and beauty to hopefully add to my resume in my goal to work for a magazine. My Instagram ended up leading me to build a website, then a YouTube channel, and so on. I soon began to realize I was getting some traction on all of these platforms, and that was valuable in itself. I like having full creative control over what I put out. It’s almost like I run my own mini magazine now, so I guess it all worked out how it was supposed to!
EL: What do you hope people take away from consuming your content?
EE: All I really want is for people to feel good after consuming my content. I want them to feel like they don’t need to have all of the latest and greatest things to be happy, but to really soak up what’s around them and live with a little more simplicity. I know that I have consumed content in the past that has made me feel like I need to update my wardrobe, or lose weight, or start a whole new skincare routine. It always makes me question myself. My whole goal is to not make others question themselves, but to embrace themselves and hopefully be inspired along the way.
EL: What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?
EE: There are two moments that really stick out to me and that I’ll always remember. The first one was being invited to The Juno Awards as one of their official bloggers in 2017. I was able to get all the behind the scenes details and share my spin on it all. It was my first time at a red carpet event so it was interesting to see how it all went down!
The second thing that sticks out in my mind was being able to work with Air Canada and the Taiwan Tourism Board to create a travel guide for the country. I was able to visit Taiwan and experience a lot that the country has to offer. My obsession with bubble tea grew so much after that trip!
EL: How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance while working from home?
EE: Working from home has been an interesting journey! There are definitely times where I’m super motivated, and then other times where I find it hard to get myself going. Something that has really helped me is to plan out my weeks and my month. Google Calendar is my best friend- I keep it colour coded for certain tasks. My month view is basically my content calendar, and each week I set up to-do’s for each day to make sure everything gets done. I really try to stick to a Monday to Friday schedule to keep some consistency in my life!
EL: What do you hope is next for you?
EE: There are two things that I’m aiming to do next. One is getting back to my design roots again and offering services to help build other people’s brands. I’m so passionate about branding and I’d love to be able to help small businesses bring their visions to life. The other thing I have been working on is starting my own brand outside of my blog and content creation. I’ll be using my design background for this too! Loads of digital products are coming shortly.
EL: Where can people check you out?
EE: My blog is byerinelizabeth.co, and you can watch me on YouTube at YouTube.com/erinelizabeth1. You can follow me on my regular Instagram [@erinelizabethh], or my design Instagram [@byerinelizabeth]. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
xo,
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Sarah Larkin 