Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Herrera.
Marissa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began my Instagram blog almost one year ago. I have always had a passion for fashion, and I found myself always in search of influencers/fashion bloggers who looked like me to draw inspiration from. Unfortunately, the amount of Latina, tall, and curvy influencers was very limited. So the thought of starting my own IG page began coming up from friends who knew how much I enjoyed sharing my style and great deals. But my own insecurities and negative self-talk always held me back. Who would actually like my style? I’m not skinny enough to be an influencer. I hate my smile. People who knew me would talk about me and make fun of me for doing this.
Well, after years of talking myself out of it, something sparked my interest. My daughter and I had a conversation about it one night, and she encouraged me to do it. If I had her support and confidence, what else mattered? I wanted to be an example for her to help her see that anything is possible – you only need to believe in yourself.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting my Instagram blog has not been easy. I literally had to learn from scratch how to post, how to record on stories, how to research popular hashtags, how to edit photos, etc. It’s a whole job in itself to create a single post! It’s definitely not as easy as simply posting a pretty picture… there’s so many behind the scenes that I had no idea existed and I’ve had to learn along the way. Thankfully, Houston has a huge community of supportive and encouraging women who I have leaned on to help answer questions.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My Instagram, @mommystylefile, specializes in everyday fashion and beauty inspiration. I would describe my style as casual chic, from dressing up in a midi dress and heels, to dressing casually in a pair of biker shorts and a graphic tee. I love mixing high and low end finds to create my own look… fashion does not have to be expensive! I love sharing pieces that work for curvy body types, as well as tall women. We all have flaws but that does not mean that certain trends are off-limits. We just have to find out how to best accentuate the things we love about our bodies. I am real, I am honest and I share my daily struggles and experiences with my followers. I believe more people are inspired by our challenges and struggles versus seeing a perfect life.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Definitely, being authentic has allowed me to grow and succeed. My followers trust my recommendations because I share only what I love. If I wouldn’t spend my money on something, there’s no way I’m going to encourage my followers to spend their hard-earned money. I share what I wear in real life, and do many try-ons so that women can see the outfit in real-time how it drapes, how it moves, how to style a piece multiple ways to get the most value.
I also have created personal relationships with so many of my followers. We encourage each other daily, motivate each other to succeed and lift each other up on hard days. I have a very high engagement rate, and that comes from countless hours responding to comments, answering messages and being very active.
Contact Info:
- Email: marissagutierrez@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mommystylefile
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
