Galina Antonova is an actress, influencer and blogger from the Los Angeles area, who has more than 190,000 followers on Instagram. Originally from Russia, Galina moved to the USA at age 19 with a dream and never looked back.
Speaking with Galina the other day was insightful, We talked about herself, her brand and how she has been able to come this far. Here is our conversation;
Where are
you from originally? What is your story?
I am originally from Moscow, Russia. I moved to USA when I was 19. I put myself
through college and got a BA in Finance! I lived in Moscow, Atlanta, Australia
and now Los Angeles! I am a model, actress, fashionista and an angel investor.
When did you get into acting, fashion
and blogging? How long have you been doing it?
I always loved acting and the idea of being able to share a story with the
audience. I started to model and act when I was 15 in Moscow, I have been
active on social media for the past 3 years and I use it as an outlet to
express myself and share my values or opinions!
Do you see yourself as an “influencer”,
and if so, what does that mean to you?
Lately the word “influencer” has received a bad connotation, to the point where
I don’t like to call myself that. I prefer calling myself a public person.
Whether you are on social media or not I believe we all influence each other
whether we realize it or not. Of course anyone with a large following on social
media has the ability to influence more people. Being an influencer is a
responsibility that I take very seriously.
Social media and mental health concerns
continue to be a topic of conversation. How do you balance your social media
presence and personal life?
Social media can cause destruction, anxiety and depression because of
comparison. So I believe in taking an active approach to managing your mental
health. Don’t just hope to feel good when you wake up, have a morning routine
that puts you in your happy state first thing in the morning and focus on
sustaining that feeling throughout the day. What works for me is maintaining a
healthy lifestyle; early rise, exercise routine, healthy eating and avoiding
alcohol and caffeine. Also, be extremely selective in who you surround yourself
with because depressed and anxious people will make you feel depressed and
anxious as well.
If you were to give someone advice who
is thinking about getting into social media and the world of influencing, what
would it be?
Decide on your purpose first because social media can consume a lot of your
time. You have to know why you are doing it and be specific about what value
you can provide to your followers. Choose your niche carefully! Also,
understand that it takes years before you are able to support yourself doing
it.
What
are some general words of wisdom you live by?
I live by the quote by Diana Vreeland “There’s only one very good life and
that’s the life you know you want and you make it yourself”. In other
words, create the life you want to have, don’t just wait for things to happen
to you!
What is next for you in 2020?
I think 2020 will be an amazing year because I have many exciting projects that
I am working on, to keep me very busy and happy!
You can reach Galina and view her adventures via Instagram: @galinaantonovala