Instagram is a social media platform that is loved by many, and it's a great platform for people who want to be influencers and bloggers; those who want to send messages of positivity and put out vital information to help people. We have such influencers and bloggers here in Qatar who are doing a great job everyday, and what makes them more unique is that they are mothers, too, and often have to balance their family life with the work they do as influencers.
Let's get to know some of these momstagrammers in Qatar!
Kim Wyatt or Mama Baba Ganoush as she is popularly known in Qatar. She is also the host/presenter of I Love Qatar's much loved MBG food, culture and travel show and can often be seen in episodes of Live Green, too, where she shares her love for all things green. She is also co-founder/director of Dawar - an award-winning company that aims to reduce food wastage in Qatar - and co-director of Qatar Volunteers - a popular community organisation which aims to provide a platform and opportunities for volunteers in Qatar. She also writes for different publications like Harper's Bazaar Qatar, Time Out and Doha Family.
She's Australian, mother to two boys and believes that as a momstagrammer "it's a constant juggling act" but since she works mainly from home (unless filming on location), it helps especially since her boys are older and more independent. She loves what she does and advises anyone who wants to be a momstagrammer to "be authentic and find a niche area that showcases your skills, knowledge or interest. Also, have quality time away from social media so it doesn’t become an all-time consuming occupation.
Yezenia Navarro uses her Instagram platform and her role as an influencer in Qatar to help others. She believes "you have to choose what kind of influencer you want to be". Yezenia, a former Mexican model, is the founder of 'Queens Without Scars' which creates awareness about domestic violence and violence against women and children, and is currently, the Community Leader for the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and support for all sports events. She is also passionate about fashion, new trends, makeup, travels, health, beauty and more! Did you know, she's on TikTok, too?
She is a mother of three boys and has learned to "balance motherhood with work". She says: "My children are my motivation and inspiration to be better in everything I do. I want my kids to see that they can do anything if they work for it and I want them to feel proud of me."
Yezenia's message for all those mothers who want to also be influencers to "be yourself, don’t force it, share your knowledge, be transparent, don’t let anyone tell you how to do it or what to do, share something you are good at (cooking, exercise, makeup, hairstyles, parenting, fashion, poetry, music, art...). ENJOY!'
Shehar Bano Rizvi, known in the influencer world as The PMP Mom, was a certified project management (PM) professional and software engineer before she became a mother, and now devotes her time to her children (a girl and two boys), writing, blogging and being a professional photographer. She believes that her PM training has taught her to plan, prioritise and manage time, and says "it's all about teamwork". She supports causes like depression and its awareness, and also covers topics like parenting, DIY, home decor, lifestyle, food, and has recently published a cookbook 'Virsa' that earned her three Gourmand Awards.
This Pakistani momstagrammer's advice to other women wanting to be a momstagrammer, is "to be yourself! Find your own style. Be original and don't try or pretend to be someone else. The audience always connects with real and authentic good quality content.
Elisabete Reis a.k.a. Glam Your Image is a full-time Image, Protocol and Etiquette Consultant for individuals and companies who look to achieve a successful image, besides her work on social media. She says: "Since I have always worked outside the home, I simply organise, plan and schedule my days and their (my kids) days since they were babies. Now it’s much easier because they are older."
This Portugese momstagrammer with two boys and a girl gets her motivation from people because they "love more and more to take care of their image, to learn about protocol and etiquette, so it’s a pleasure to share what I do and the collaborations I have". Her other big motivation is her family because they love seeing her happy and doing what she loves. They are all very supportive.
For those mothers who are planning to step into the life of an influencer, Glam Your Image suggests that they plan and organise their time properly, so they don’t stress and neglect one or the other. Her advice is to "always prioritise your family, not your social media."
Fatima A. Abbas of FatimaaBlog is an image stylist and consultant and a mother to two girls. She tries to organise her day ahead of time like "a family calendar" to mark what needs to be done, engages her daughters to work with her and asks for their opinion, so they feel like they are always her priority. Fatima always gives herself a break in between so she doesn't collapse. She believes: "Breakfast, lunch and dinners are a must, so we will be always connected as a family."
Fatima's motivation is "that we learn as we grow and experience, achieving our dreams, and succeeding, in this journey we call life." and she wants her daughters to be "strong and not feel afraid of experimenting with life".
She tells women who are mothers that if they want to blog or be an influencer: "Let your family be your priority, give time to yourself to gain back your strength, be unique and don't copy anyone else and everything else will come along."
Fatimaa Blog: @fatimaablog
Heidi Severino, or 'Meet me On Style Street' is a fashion designer, a travel addict and a blogger. She's from the Dominican Republic and creates statement jewellery that comes with a Caribbean touch. She has a daughter who she takes to the nursery and picks up herself every day; this allows her to work on her brand 'Heidi Severino', attend events or have meetings in between. She "understands that things "are not always perfect, especially when you have kids", and so she schedules around her personal life so she can "leave room for flexibility".
Heidi loves what she does and for her, self-expression and connection are the main motivation behind it. She believes that social media is an interesting place where you can learn a lot, connect with others, discover amazing small businesses and great products.
For mothers who want to step into the world of blogging, Heidi is very supportive, and tells them to "get up and go for it, girl! Be passionate about whatever you choose to do but always prioritise. Also, it's very important that what you preach matches with your lifestyle so people can relate."
Heidi Severino: @heidiseverino / @meetmeonstylestreet
Anahi Brown is a "Certified Wellness Coach, Certified Brainwork Recursive Therapy Practitioner, Certified Mindfulness-Based Relational Coach, trained Chef, Bestselling Author and Award-Winning Speaker."
She's a Venezuelan-Argentinean mother of two boys who motivate her to be an influencer, and she doesn't "believe in balance but, instead, in harmony". Like most working parents, she also struggles and finds that "focusing on one goal at a time is the best." She says: "There are moments when my focus is solely on my boys, others where I shift to myself and my wellbeing, others where it shifts to my work. They all matter and, when I view them as part of me and my greatest joy, I can choose which one to nourish each time."
She advises mothers who want to be influencers and bloggers to "question your motives. Being an influencer must be about serving others, about bringing a deeper message, especially now, especially when also being a mother with limited time on your hands."
Akgul Ali is known as Russian Qatar and as her Instagram name suggests, she's from Kazakhstan. In fact, she's the founder of the Russian Qatar Networking Club and an influencer who likes to tell people all about Qatar, her second home where she lives with her family. She has a boy and a girl and is a stay-at-home mother and momstagrammer. She says she started to blog "to help my community to find more information about Qatar, mostly for mums, as many don’t speak English. That's why I blog in Russian."
For mothers who may want to be influencers, she suggests "just simply start sharing how they spend time with their family and provide suggestions for new mothers. Be simple, be genuine, be honest, and others will feel it. Don’t stop; it’s easy to start, but not many keep going and develop their blogs. Consistency is key."
Afshan Mujahid is an Indian Expat in Qatar who blogs by the name Aff Blogs on Instagram. She also runs a nut butter business called Go Nuts Qatar and all her products are Keto-based/gluten-free/vegan nut butters without oil and sugar, and is a food photographer. She has four kids and so momstagrammer is the word that best suits her, and though her life as an influencer is important to her, she prioritises her kids over anything else, and is not ashamed to ask for help. She is a community lover and sharing her discoveries on her blog gives her joy.
Feedback and appreciation from other women (particularly mothers) keeps her going. Though she doesn't really consider herself an influencer, raising four kids of various age groups, has made her confident enough to share her experience with fellow Mums. She likes to inspire mums to "get out there and involve themselves with their kids' activities."
For other mothers in Qatar, who may want to start blogging, she tells them "it's a wide and welcoming community out there and you just need to step out of your comfort zone, stop hesitating and share valuable content on your platform."
Cover image credit: Shutterstock
How many of these momstagrammers do you know? How many of them do you follow? Which ones will you follow now? Do let us know in our comments section below. Like and share the article - it keeps us going!
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