Oversaturated: Making It in Manhattan’s Caroline Vazzana + Her 4 Tips on Becoming an Influencer!

By Sierra Mayhew May 8, 2019 0 Comments

I would like to introduce you to my new series called “Oversaturated.” This all began as a project I was doing for school and I am now bringing it to my website with my first blogger profile on Caroline Vazzana. This project was inspired by how saturated the influencer space has become. I will be meeting up with and highlighting different bloggers in New York City this summer to share how they stay unique and true to themselves in their roles as a blogger and influencer. If you like this series, be sure to leave me a comment so I know to keep writing them. Enjoy!

caroline vazzana, making it in manhattan

Walking down the streets of New York City with fashion blogger and author of “Making It In Manhattan,” Caroline Vazzana, you would think you are on a college campus. She moves confidently, running into fashion industry elites on every corner. And if living in NYC during your mid-20s was college, Vazzana would win best dressed and most likely to be CEO all at once.

I spent the day shadowing Vazzana so that I could write and learn about her career path for my own personal development and to share with others. A day in the life with Caroline took us all over Manhattan. We made our way through seemingly every Manhattan neighborhood at a rapid pace, seeing West Village, Midtown, SoHo, Tribeca and Flatiron in just five hours.

I first met Vazzana at Cha Cha Matcha about two years ago. Today, I am joining her on a job shadow to share the story of how she became her own boss.

During our day, she stopped by the offices of fashion designers and public relations firms to check out their new collections, give feedback and network. This included Negri Firman, C&M Media and Nina Shoes — all of which are elite powerhouses including many talented industry insiders. She spoke to the employees of these companies as if they were her closest friends, creating a bond that went further than a strictly business relationship.

Many of these connections found Caroline Vazzana through her success on social media or by referral from other brands. She attends many events and has an outgoing personality that has led her to make great connections that have led to partnerships. Some of these brand connections go back to her early days working for magazines.

While this wild ride through Ubers and New York’s cobble streets may seem out of the ordinary, that is not quite the case for Vazzana. She certainly does not have what most young professionals consider a structured work-week schedule. This hectic yet thrilling adventure is as close to a “normal day” as it gets for her.

“Going to press days is kind of like a normal day. Yesterday, I was at previews all day and stopped in the middle to shoot quickly. A normal day one day could be previews, appointments and events all day and another could be staying at home writing all day. There’s never two normal days and that’s something to accept,” she said. “Being freelance, you’re technically always working. I have to go to these previews to see these people and build all these relationships.”

Caroline Vazzana started in this industry by the typical career route — her first jobs were at InStyle and Teen Vogue between the years of 2014-2016.

“I started my career in [fashion] journalism,” she said. “I worked at magazines. During that time I saw the shift to digital. It was growing and evolving, and if you didn’t jump on board you would be left behind.”

She thrived in this environment, moving up the corporate ladder quickly for someone of her age.

It was obvious early on that Vazzana was born for far more than the corporate magazines. She was surrounded by editors in the typical fashion industry uniform: jeans, a T-shirt and designer sneakers. Trés chic, but not a Caroline move. She prefers loud colors, bold prints and clashing textures. This is what made her stand out early on and led to her breaking away and starting her own brand.

Early in her career, Vazzana was always looking for ways to do more than her 9 to 5. She eventually decided that writing a book would be her first step. This is where she penned the name “Making It In Manhattan” (Skyhorse, 2018). She did not know it then, but this title would later be framed on the real-life bookshelves at Barnes & Noble and the virtual ones of Amazon, with fashion icons like Christian Siriano and Isa Arfen singing their praise for her work.

The book details Caroline Vazzana’s experiences in the industry for young people who are thinking about a career in fashion. She dishes out secrets about her early days sneaking into shows and also explains how she was able to begin working in magazines right out of college. She knew she wanted to write and she felt this subject matter was the best way to share her life experiences with others. The colorful story is filled with great career advice and laugh-out-loud awkward moments, shedding a truthful lens on the industry.

“[While I was] still at InStyle, still writing the book on my own time — weekends, lunch breaks, commute time — [my literary agent] said to me, well, why don’t you start a website for now?” This is how her blog, Making It In Manhattan, was born.

“I wanted to write this book to help out the next generation, share my stories, and I just wanted to write this all-encompassing guidebook for young people. That was really my sole intention, and the website was my second thought,” she said. “I’ve never been someone who does whatever is cool. I honestly want to do the opposite of what’s cool.”

Vazzana said that many women are trying to get a following on Instagram and start successful blogs, and while this is what she is doing now, it was never her intended career path. Vazzana is an author, influencer, freelance content creator and fashion blogger. Most of her income and work comes from her Instagram account, which currently has over 200,000 followers. And she still manages to respond to every single comment, direct message and e-mail from her community. Starting in 2016, she began to post more of her fashion content including outfit of the days, close-ups of her accessories and images of her working. Growing her strong following gave her the ability to monetize her presence at an event or support of a product.

“Most of, if not all, [of my income] comes from collaborations, campaigns, appearing in photoshoots, appearing at events, all of that,” she said. “That’s my main source of income. Obviously, I also have income from the book and some from affiliate linking. The main part of my income is from brand collaborations on Instagram.”

While most Instagram influencers start off as bloggers, Caroline Vazzana curated an editorial site. She and a team of freelancers pitch stories for the site, keeping it updated with several articles a week. Many of her writers are former interns, friends and industry members looking to get more experience on the writing side of the business.

“For my website, I have about seven freelance writers. I like to think about my site as editorial. We write about how to make a career change, how to land your dream job. Things people really want to read about. If it was just me writing all the time I think that could be super tiring.”

While running through the city for her meetings during the day, Vazzana has to spend weekends, late nights and slower days writing and working from her desk.

On this particular sunny day, Vazzana visited press days, which is where designers showcase their latest and greatest work to magazine editors and bloggers.

The public relations experts raved over Vazzana’s recent travels and content, clearly avid followers of her Instagram account as well. One of them even pulled both of us aside and shared that her 8-year-old daughter is a huge fan of Vazzana.

While the “Devil Wears Prada,” this angel wears Manolos and a “Caroline” necklace — modeled after the classic gold, cursive piece worn by Carrie Bradshaw herself. Vazzana’s exuberant style while attending press days and meeting all of these industry people is what landed her the coveted title of “the modern-day Carrie Bradshaw” — for those who are familiar with the character Carrie Bradshaw from the early 2000s TV show “Sex & The City,” you will see the resemblance. In her book, Vazzana details that the first time she felt like Carrie was when she was rushing through the city and hailing a cab.

As her career continued, she began to be called this at random. An avid collector of Manolos with a unique facial structure and outrageous sense of style, the term is very fitting.

Vazzana recalls being told, “If Carrie lived now in New York, she’d be you. Wearing glasses, quirky and a blogger-author hybrid.” This title was awarded to Vazzana by industry people and has only helped strengthen her work. “It’s such a good thing and iconic figure to attach your brand to,” she said.

Now, just a few years later, Vazzana does frequent partnerships with the Manolo brand and works closely with them on their new products. Being an editor is what initially connected her brand with Manolo, and she now has been working with them several times a year. Recently she created Fourth of July content to highlight a launch of their patriotic color scheme.

She also had a huge accomplishment at the beginning of 2019 by becoming the face of the updated “Carrie” necklace. In the show, this necklace is adorned by Carrie throughout each season and is memorable for her. The former stylist of “Sex & The City,” Patricia Fields, has recently released her own take on the iconic statement piece, and Vazzana is the model for this campaign. Having the opportunity to work with the companies affiliated with such an iconic character in fashion history is quite impressive.

While her job and life may seem like a complete fairytale to hopeful bloggers, she says the main downside to it is the lack of down time. She spends 24/7 writing, responding to emails and engaging with her audience. Work/life balance does not exist for Vazzana — she never turns her cellphone off. Even her off-days are spent writing by the computer with a face mask and a cup of tea.

“There isn’t any [work/life balance]. We’re working all the time,” she said. “Even if I’m like on vacation, I’m still posting on stories or shooting content. So I think being able to like incorporate your work into your life is a way to overcome it.”

Something that has been able to help Vazzana get through this is having a supportive and understanding boyfriend. Her unique style and hardworking attitude is something that he admires in her, making it easier for him to understand her crazy life. She is also very close with her family — literally. Vazzana resides in Staten Island, which is the New York City borough where she was born and raised. This allows her to see her family and some of her siblings whenever she wants and helps her keep those relationships close. Commuting into the city every day allows her to continue living close to home.

Even with this success, Vazzana has plans to expand her brand. Her first book was a great introduction to the industry that shared a lot of her stories from early on in her career. Vazzana hopes to be able to write a second about her life now as an entrepreneur and influencer, giving advice on how to pursue this unique career. Even further down the line, Vazzana could see herself as a creative director for a brand one day or maybe even expanding her own to create clothing.

What has made Caroline Vazzana so successful includes her unique approach to the influencer space and a sense of style that is unforgettable. For those hoping to have a role as an influential fashion entrepreneur, she recommends the following steps:

Find What Makes You Unique

“I always say before trying to just jump into being a blogger or just start posting on Instagram, try to do some research and figure out what you can add to the influencer space, to the industry that isn’t already being done.”

Vazzana has done a great job in this by choosing a sense of style that is rarely seen on other bloggers. There are a lot of little things about her brand that make her stand out, like her glasses, having written her own book, her background in the industry and her warm and friendly approach when interacting with her audience.

Be Willing To Work Really Hard

“Be willing to work really hard. People think it’s glamorous and just … it’s a lot more than that. It’s a lot of handwork and long hours and running around the city.”

A good work ethic has been Vazzana’s key to success. This takes a hardworking and humble mindset that can be hard to achieve. It took a lot of sacrifice to get where she is today.

You Have To Love It

“You have to really love it. It can’t be something you thought of one day … figure out what you really love that you are super passionate about. If it’s something that you really love talking about and posting about and writing about, that will come across to your followers and will help you build a stronger brand.”

Vazzana has done this by selecting brands to work with that she genuinely loves, choosing subject matter that she cares about, and standing up for her beliefs on her platform. A job like this is truly a labor of love.

Be Authentic And True To Yourself

“Being authentic and true to yourself will really stand out.”

Authenticity is one of the most important parts of what Vazzana does. She selectively chooses what brands she works with and does not post about something unless she fully believes in it. This has created a sense of trust from her audience that has helped her grow such a big following.

It sounds simple when it is simplified to just four points. In actuality, it took years of hard work for Caroline Vazzana to build herself up to this level. A self-made blogger and entrepreneur, she has accomplished so much with a lot more to come. During my time shadowing her, I was inspired by her unique story.

We spent the end of our day over drinks at Laduree, and she helped me remember to value my time and not to wish it away. It was so kind of her to give so much of her time to sharing her story with me, and that is yet another thing that makes her so different from other bloggers.