It’s been over a decade since Kim’s journey in the social media world began. She grew up in the fast-paced city of Dubai and her education culminated with her Masters in International Business from an Australian university. She had a set career path, focussed with a specialization in Operations & Supply Chain Management and soon landed with employment in a top MNC. It was at this point when love struck her and she decided to settle in Mumbai after she got married.
Her husband, a surgeon by profession, was very supportive. Both are talented piano players too. Growing up, she was a national level athlete winning over 130 medals, a fashion model in several TVCs and print ads and finally a supply chain manager. Kim got some good opportunities to work in a couple of MNCs in Mumbai before she began to feel that there was something more that she wanted to pursue in life. She started a blog, penning down her personal experiences, her learnings, her pleasures on mumflix.com and she was enjoying every bit of it – on a personal level. Soon they decided to expand their family, kids came along soon enough and sticking to a 9 to 5 job became impossible.
As a result, she began to have more time for blogging, began to focus on the content that she wrote and that’s how the journey to becoming an influencer began. Kim had never even thought something like this was possible, and has pretty much ‘gone with the flow’ as she shared her work and life on social media. The first few years were on her blog, Twitter and Facebook, but a lot of it later has been on Instagram.
Kim says- “While I share its also important to highlight that blogging/ content writing or being an influencer might look like fun or easy to many but there is a lot of hard work, effort and time behind the scenes put in for every single video or pic clicked. But there will always be challenges in every field. The biggest one is being undervalued for your work which is why I pick and choose who I wish to work with now. But, growing in this sphere means looking beyond the shortcomings which accompany all career paths to pursue the sole passion that burned inside me, the passion for social change! Insta became the platform which helped grow my brand, the brand of being a mommy influencer. I often get asked how do you manage it all now with 3 kids? My answer will always remain the same…ONLY BY GODS GRACE. Well despite managing 3 kids , home and work responsibilities sometimes I push myself towards it all, as my work COMPELTES ME and gives me a sense of fulfillment and contentment, being an influencer keeps me going. I love what I do.
Generating content has got to be one of the most challenging things to do, but also one of the most fun.”
Kim is a perfectionist at heart and is particular about every detail, be it in writing, in pictures or in videos. The colour, the lighting, the scene – what’s in her mind has to be seen through her eyes to fulfill the feeling of creative accomplishment. She is a people’s person who enjoys being with people, meeting and making friends and exploring the world she lives in. Her work now gives her more than enough opportunities to do this and she says she could not have asked for anything more.
Kim further adds- “By God’s grace, I now have given my kids more than what I remember growing up with. All this, while doing what I love, whenever I want to, and at the same time being available for my three children when they need me. I don’t think this would have been possible with my earlier career endeavour. My social media career gives me the ability to make memories with my family while I work and document them. Sometimes, when I look back through the last few years of this career, I am in awe of how my children have grown, and can literally see that in my work. This gets me even more excited to pursue this passion as I fulfil both my desire for creativity and imagination as well as my need for being with my children at every stage of their lives. Who would have thought that I could combine my work time and family time to make it the same thing without losing out on life itself.
But I love my life right now the most where I am, at the same time, both an influencer, a blogger, a content writer and a mother! ”
Her advice to all the mothers out there – Dream big, stay focussed on your passion and surround yourself with family and friends, cause you need to surround yourself with happy and positive people.
Do follow Kim Paradise (Kimberley Castellino) on @kimparadise7 and read her blog www.mumflix.com