Influencer: Camila Coelho Has 7 Million Best Friends

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I moved to the United States from Brazil when I was 14 years old and then I went to high school in Pennsylvania. I decided to move to Boston after high school instead of attending college because my aunt lived here. My mom didn’t understand and was very upset with my decision. I remember telling her, “Mom, I promise I will make you proud!”

My first job here was working at the Dior makeup counter at Macy’s in Natick. That job showed me how much I truly loved beauty. I became a makeup artist, and it was during that time that I discovered YouTube. No one knew how strong social media was about to become, nor did I know that it could become my job one day.

I originally created my YouTube channel to share my makeup tutorials with friends and family, but the videos started getting a ton of engagement and so I created a blog. I wrote about fashion as well as beauty, and within the first 12 days we received about 120,000 unique visitors, which was mind-blowing to me. Blogging became my passion. As the months went by, brands started reaching out for partnerships and I quit the makeup-artist job and focused on my blog. Before I knew it, I was sitting front-row at fashion shows and being featured on magazine covers.

The most embarrassing thing that’s happened to me at a fashion show was when my silk pants ripped while I was sitting in the front row! Good thing I had a coat to cover myself because I was hiding from the photographers on the way out.

Having 7 million followers on Instagram isn’t stressful, but it is a big responsibility. I always like to make sure I’m sending a good message and influencing people in a positive way.

The best piece of advice I received when I was starting my business was believe in yourself, work hard, and never be scared of failing.

My perception of Boston fashion is that Bostonians are definitely more minimalist and traditional. Since Boston is such a sports-loving city, the fashion lends itself to more-casual dressing.

If I could change one thing about Boston it would be the weather. I love that we get to see the four seasons, but I wish our winter was a little shorter.

A hidden gem in the Boston area is Muqueca restaurant in Cambridge. You can find the best traditional Brazilian dishes.