Last Updated on May 14, 2021
Urszula Makowska is a fashion blogger, actress and social media influencer who was born and raised in the heart of New York City. As an actress, she is best known for her role on MTV’s show Catfish. Urszula is currently working as a merchandiser for Full Beauty Brands and is working on her blogging career. Her fashion blog, Urszulala launched in 2012 and she has since partnered with high-profile brands such as Aveda, Christian Dior, Cartier and Estee Lauder, to name a few. You can also find Urszula on Instagram, where she features her favorite fashion, jewelry, accessories and cosmetics in addition to lifestyle posts featuring New York City as the backdrop.
So you’re a successful fashion blogger, stylist, and actress.. can you tell us a little bit about your background including how and when you became an influencer?
Yeah so I started- well I first became an influencer when I first started blogging which was six years ago. Well now actually it’s going to be seven years ago. So it was in the beginning when I first started college and I was studying fashion and I was like “hey I want to see what it’s like to transition throughout the years”, right. And I just started sharing my outfits and everything and then all of a sudden just like one day it just came that “boom” I got a partnership with Nylon magazine. Like one of my first partnerships and then that’s when it just kind of started growing. So like really working with them, that’s how I became an influencer on Instagram. And then eventually I ended up on a reality TV show so that really helped me became an influencer with my story. People became really inspired and really loved my style from there.
Can you tell us a joke with a punchline about YouTube’s monetization for creators?
Oh man that’s going to be a hard one. I can’t. I cant. I wish I could you’re putting me on the spot. I wish I could but I don’t have anything right now.
What’s the concept behind the comedy channel that you want to do?
So what I want to do is- so, you know, as being an influencer like there’s habits we have, there’s things that we do. And I’ve noticed it among myself and among other influencers as well and bloggers. So my idea is to, like it’s okay for me to do it, to make fun of influencers. That’s what I want to do. There is nothing out there yet where like influencers are really making fun of themselves. Like the stuff we do, the stuff we say. For example like we honestly always talk about – like fashion week just ended right.
We always talk about like what campaigns we’re doing and like “oh yeah this is how much I’m getting paid” like “yeah okay, definitely”, you know, like stuff like that. So like really making fun of ourselves or like getting that perfect shot from above, like what we have to go through. Like I actually stand on a chair to get that perfect shot and people don’t know what we actually struggle to, you know, get those perfect photos and everything. I mean I just want to make fun of it. It’s kind of funny, it’s reality but it’s kind of funny.
As an influencer what type of content most resonates with your audience?
So mine, they definitely love outfits. They don’t – my audience they don’t really like product shots, they like it when I am in the shot. Like especially I, you know, I am the influencer so they like want me to – they want to see that I’m actually using the product, like being real with them. They want me to like actually be honesty with them so that’s what they really like. They like the honesty, the creativity, and making sure it fits their aesthetic and I’m actually usually selling it because at the end of the day we’re influencing them, right. So the way we do it is by actually being honest with them, and actually wearing the products, and using the products, and showing them how to do it and that we’re being completely honest with them and encouraging them to use it too.
Through the course of all these partnerships you probably had, do you have a favorite one that really jumps out at you? That you’re really glad you did?
Oh my god, yes. All the time, Aveda I’ve been working with Aveda for a year and a half now. They are the best company I like – I have a really good relationship with them and I love everyone on the team. I’ve been going there for a year and a half and I really do believe in them and I support them one hundred percent. And I literally will not go get my hair done anywhere else. Like I’m really committed to Aveda. Like I will not, I will not, I refuse to. I like love them so much. Yeah I am loyal to them and they are loyal to me. Like I love them and I definitely don’t lie about getting my hair done there. They do a really good job.
What is the strangest influencer request you’ve ever received?
I’ll tell you right away I keep getting emails about a Zen garden and I don’t even know what a zen garden even is. So I don’t think that really fits my audience. If I don’t even know what it is then obviously I’m not interested and I think that’s the most random thing ever. So I don’t even know what that is. Like how do you even come up with Zen garden, what is that even?
Do you have advice for aspiring bloggers, aspiring fashion influencers? Perhaps go into the Zen garden industry.
I have no clue but you know I’m not interested in the Zen garden or whatever. Weirdest thing ever.
Well definitely like one of my biggest struggles was definitely time management because I have a full time job and, you know, I’m also a blogger and influencer and finding like being able to juggle and find the right, you know, – I want to do this and do that because you have to pay bills at the end of the day. So like really time management was my hardest issues. But I still followed my dreams and I still was able to get to where I am today.
So keep pushing yourself, work hard, post content, keep shooting, and just keep engaging. That’s the most important thing especially because Instagram keeps changing it’s algorithm and makes it more difficult for us. Definitely keep engaging to really grow and keep posting. I actually think that’s actually everyone’s struggle now is Instagram changing it’s algorithm the whole entire time. And like the way you know they make it more difficult for us. For our audience to actually see our posts now.
Yeah, definitely engage I would definitely say start engaging and definitely posting and being creative and be yourself. Be yourself, be original and just do what you love to do.
Where do you see influencer marketing headed in the next five to ten years or so? How will brands be interacting with someone like you?
They’re definitely – now I’m not going to lie. Definitely influencers are the way now to sell products and definitely that’s not going to go away. We’re the ones in power now. Because yeah they have celebrities but they want to see real people. People want to see real people like actually using the products. So even just like now in – for example fashion week just ended [and] we saw more diversity on the runway. Like we saw more plus-sized women, we saw kids walking on the runway so definitely like we’re headed in the right direction that it’s people want to see real people. So like they are going to want to see us but also even not maybe influencer but people with a larger following.
Like five thousand followers, ten thousand followers, like real people. That’s what I think brands are going to head to and definitely online so, you know, selling online selling digital marketing.
How long does it take for you to create a social media post?
Sometimes – so even to get that perfect post like honestly I’ll take two hundred photos and it can take me even up to two hours to just get that right photo. And not even counting editing because editing takes forever. You know, like you have to edit it, choose the right lighting, contrasting, etc etc. And filters so it takes, yeah it’s me sometimes like even the whole day to get that right post.
Andrew is the Head of Client Services for Intellifluence and has a background in communications. He is committed to helping brands get the most out of their campaigns and is the co-host of the Influencer Spotlight series.
