Today we’d like to introduce you to Damini Kiran Patel.
Damini Kiran, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Hi everyone- I am SO excited to share a glimpse of my life with you all! My name is Damini Kiran Patel. I was born in San Antonio but raised in the capital of Texas. Proud to be an Austinite. (FUN FACT- 1 in 14 people are actual Austinites. We’re a rare breed.) Though I was raised in the big city, I have mindset of a small town girl. (AKA a true southern belle!)
Some things you should know is that I love my family, friends, food, traveling and skincare. And this is exactly what my Instagram blog focuses on! Growing up my family emphasizes taking at least one trip per year and have kept up with this tradition from when we were very young. It didn’t matter if it was only 3 hours away or to another country. We travel everywhere. This is where my passion for traveling and food developed. I remember when we went to Hawaii and every 10 minutes, our driver had to stop because we wanted to pick the exotic fruits of the trees to devour within a day. These would soon be our late night and mid afternoon snacks. When we went to Jamaica, my aunt brought a small pressure cooker with her in which the family made “kichdi” which is an Indian dish made of rice and lentils. The one thing I will go out of my way for is food. No matter how expensive or far it may be, anything is worth it to feel satisfied.
My mom has always had great skin. No one in my family grew up with acne. I was the first one to have crazy hormones affecting my skin, acne, dark spots, and dull skin. This continued on throughout college and I came to realize that I was tired of putting make up on every day. I wanted to wear my bare skin. I did some extensive research and in the summer of 2018, I implemented a skincare routine and wore/wear SPF EVERY DAY! (It’s a game changer, I promise!) As I began to see results, so did the people around me. I was constantly asked what I have been doing and to share my secrets. I have always been an open person and love helping people. So I created a platform to share everything about my wonderful life, from food, travel, to skincare, and now even lifestyle hacks you can find it at ADoseofDamini!
As I began my journey on Instagram, I gained so much support from my new influencer friends. I was able to build a community of people that loved sharing their lives just as much as I did. I was finally able to open up about my personal mental health challenges and was able to create an open/supportive environment for others. Honestly, I built a tribe. Though I haven’t been able to give back to my blog as much as I’d like at the beginning of this year, I’m hoping to be more consistent and share my life with you all! Stay Beautiful, Dams.
Has it been a smooth road?
HAHA definitely not, but it is getting easier as I learn more and more every day. The biggest challenge for me was learning (STILL LEARNING) how to be creative. I have never been a creative person, so trying to make the layout cute, making highlight covers, posting on stories, etc. has been my number one challenge. But as I see other influencers do things, I have started to branch out a little bit.
The biggest challenge for me is taking pictures. I don’t like taking pictures by myself, but I will take pictures with other people, of places, food, etc. all day long! When traveling, I believe constantly taking pictures and videos takes away from experience. You aren’t living in the present. This is something a lot of people continue to struggle with, especially in our generation with various social media outlets and the urge to show people what we are always doing! As a blogger, I’ve struggled with finding that balance between taking too many pictures or not taking enough. At the end of the day, I do what makes me happy!
Lastly, being comfortable and confident enough to share your stories. I recently had 2-3 friends reach out to me, asking how I started blogging and how I was able to share so openly. The key is to build a tribe and have a support system. Have friends that boost you and don’t be afraid to take constructive criticism!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the ADoseofDamini story.
I have a blog on Instagram that focuses on food, skincare, travel, and lifestyle! With such an array of focuses, it can get tough to hit everything throughout a week or even a month. However, these are all things I am passionate about. Honestly, I just love sharing anything and everything that I believe would be beneficial to others as well! Recently I have been posting a lot of food since I am in a new city and am able to scope out all the new restaurants. However, a lot of my followers come to me to ask about skincare and what products I believe would be beneficial to them or for their skin.
I’m most proud of my followers and the people that continue to support me, give feedback, and the new relationships I continue to build! Being able to share a glimpse of my life with others is what makes me happy!
What sets me apart from others? Being genuine and authentic in the relationships I build and what I share on my blog. It can be hard to be an influencer when numerous brands are asking you to advertise for them. I have made it a goal to only share products/things that I truly believe in.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I hope to be able to impact more and more people and help them throughout their journeys, whether it be discussing mental health, finding new skincare routines, or creating travel guides. I love to help people and I hope to expand my network! I am hoping that once graduate school is over, I can focus on my blog a little bit more to offer my tribe more value.
Contact Info:
- Email: adoseofdamini@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adoseofdamini/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ADoseofDamini/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/adoseofdamini
- Yelp: https://adoseofdamini.yelp.com/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/ADoseofDamini/
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