How did you find yourself working as an influencer?
It was something that was came as naturally as going for coffee in the morning. I’ve always had a huge love for fashion, and a close friend of mine really hammered the idea into me – thank you, Lauri. The day I started the blog, there were 6 or 7 other Australian guys working as a fashion influencer, however all of them were focusing on suiting. I realised no one was creating content for your everyday man who focuses on street style. That night I went home, deleted all my pictures on instagram and started MR TURNER.
What do you love about Instagram? If you could change something what would it be?
I love the ability to share pictures and videos on such a grand scale. If I could change one thing it’d be to make people spend a little more time looking at what is being posted rather than scrolling… including myself! There’s so much beautiful content and messages being shared by a lot of people, I wish we all had the time to see them.
What do you consider when collaborating with brands? Any advice for brands looking to partner with influencers?
I firstly consider what can I do that I haven’t done previously while still remaining true to my style and vision. Brands want to work with you for the content that you create, but I want to strive to be the Beyonce of the industry and aim to out shine what I’ve already created before.
If you’re a brand looking to partner with influencers, I’d say use your time to look for people who reflect the same values as you and your brand. I’ve seen time and time again that brands have worked with influencers with mass followings who’s audience wouldn’t really care for the product being shared. Although it’s great that your name is out there via a large reach, your brand will do better by working with someone who’s audience – albeit smaller – will be more receptacle to your product, therefore hopefully translating into sales and loyal customers.
What’s your posting process usually like when it comes to working with brands?
This is the most exciting part for me. Sitting down at my office – which happens to be my local library – and hashing out concepts and ideas. Which is then followed by bringing them to life, and finally putting the concept, hero images, captions, deliverables and extras into a slick PDF document and sending it to the brand for approval. It’s a way for me to share the entire process from concept to product in a professional way.
What is the biggest lesson you have learnt from social media?
This is a great question. There are a few big lessons. The first I would say is learning the ability to adapt. We have access to everyone in the world when we’re online, and there will always be new ways to do things and having the ability to easily adapt when there are huge changes is a way that you will always keep your content moving forward instead of doing the same thing over and over again.
Another lesson would be building the courage to continuously be yourself. When I say we have access to everyone, everyone also has access to us. A lot of these people might not like how you dress, your personality, or the person you are – and they’ll happily become the URL-BADMAN and let you now they don’t agree with you. But it’s ok to not have the same beliefs or systems, as long as you’re not disrespecting anyone else or yourself.
You do your fair share of jetting around for work, but what is your favourite way to spend a weekend when you’re home in Bondi?
When I’m home, I love nothing more than opening all the windows in my apartment. Making a huge pot of tea, jumping into bed, and spending all day reading. Days like that are few and far between, but they are my most favourite. Having the sea breeze and salty air fill your room, as words and ideas of literature fill your brain. Nothing beats that to me.