Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Spohr.
Hi Andrea, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started Instagram as a way to do something for myself that felt creative, positive, and hopefully helpful to someone else walking through a difficult season. At the time, my mother lived three houses down from me and was battling dementia. After she suffered a massive stroke and her dementia symptoms worsened, I became her full-time caregiver.
At the same time, my husband — a Marine veteran who was injured while serving our country — is a 100% disabled veteran, and I am also his primary caregiver. Somewhere in the middle of taking care of everyone else, I completely lost myself for a while.
What started as a small creative outlet slowly became something much bigger for me. Instagram gave me a space to reconnect with myself through wellness, skincare, movement, style, and everyday routines that helped me feel grounded again. It became a reminder that even during hard seasons, it’s important to take care of yourself too.
Over time, my platform has grown into a community centered around intentional living, wellness, and encouraging other women who may also feel overwhelmed, burned out, or like they’ve lost themselves while caring for others. Honestly, Instagram has been a lifesaver for me in many ways, and I’m grateful that sharing my journey has also been able to help and encourage other people along the way.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Balancing caregiving, marriage, health, grief, and trying to rediscover myself has been one of the biggest challenges of my life. Caregiving can be incredibly isolating, exhausting, and emotionally overwhelming, especially when you are trying to stay strong for everyone else all the time.
One of my biggest struggles was losing my identity outside of being “the caregiver.” For a long time, my needs, health, and interests came last. I also struggled with burnout, stress, and the emotional weight that comes with watching people you love go through difficult health challenges.
Starting on Instagram was uncomfortable at first because putting yourself out there online can feel vulnerable, especially later in life when social media can seem geared toward younger generations. I had to learn content creation, editing, confidence on camera, and how to consistently show up even during difficult seasons of life.
There were also practical challenges — finding time to create content while managing doctor appointments, caregiving responsibilities, and everyday life. Some days still feel overwhelming. But over time, I realized that sharing honestly, imperfectly, and authentically connected more deeply with people than trying to appear like I had everything figured out.
What kept me going was realizing that my story, routines, wellness journey, and even the small everyday moments were encouraging other women who may also feel unseen, burned out, or stuck in survival mode. That made the hard parts feel meaningful.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Today, I create lifestyle and wellness content centered around intentional living, caregiving, wellness, skincare, style, and creating routines that help women feel more grounded and supported in everyday life. My content focuses on realistic wellness — not perfection — and showing that small daily habits can make a big difference mentally, emotionally, and physically.
I share everything from wellness routines, Pilates, skincare, and journaling to everyday outfits, caregiving realities, and navigating difficult seasons of life while still trying to take care of yourself. I think what sets me apart is that my content comes from lived experience. I am not creating a picture-perfect version of life. I share honestly and authentically, and I believe people connect with that.
Over time, my platform has grown into a supportive community of women who appreciate a more grounded, realistic approach to wellness, aging, self-care, and lifestyle content. I am especially proud that many people tell me they feel calmer, encouraged, motivated, or simply “seen” after watching my content.
Professionally, I have also been grateful to collaborate with brands that align naturally with my lifestyle and values, particularly in wellness, skincare, fashion, and intentional living. I only work with brands and products I genuinely use and believe in because trust with my audience is extremely important to me.
What I am most proud of is building something meaningful during one of the hardest seasons of my life and turning pain, burnout, and caregiving into something that encourages and helps other people.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the green spaces and the wide variety of activities Houston and its surrounding areas provide. There is always something to do, experience, or explore. I also believe Houston is one of the most diverse cities in America, and that diversity is one of its greatest strengths. The culture, food, and people make learning about and experiencing different backgrounds and traditions both fun and meaningful.
What I like least is probably the traffic and the lack of a mass transit system that truly makes sense for a city this large. Getting around Houston can sometimes feel more stressful and time-consuming than it should be.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/elevatedbyandrea
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andreamspohr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@elevatedbyandrea
- Other: https://andreamichele.substack.com
