I’m hated because I’m an influencer & get free stuff but I’ve worked for 4 years for it – the same time as a degree
A FAMOUS influencer admits being paid to wear her favourite fashion is beyond her wildest dreams - but that trolls can make the job a nightmare.
Megan Welsh, from Glasgow, boasts 108,000 Instagram followers as well as tens of thousands of YouTube subscribers and her own podcast.
But things weren't always so glam for the 23-year-old after she left school and bounced around different jobs in retail and call centres.
That’s why she will never take her fabulous lifestyle for granted and wants to show people there’s more than meets the eye with influencers.
Megan, who works with big brands like PrettyLittleThing and BPerfectCosmetics, says: “I felt like I’d never get to where I wanted to be without a university degree, but I was wrong.
“Initially I kind of fell into influencing, I always had a slightly bigger following but it was just all local people.
“So when I was first contacted by a brand I was really surprised but as soon as I got the taste for it I started to put in the effort as I really enjoyed it.
“It’s been a slow and steady climb for me, it took a good four years (feel like I’ve been to uni now) of work before this became my full time job but I think it just makes me appreciate it even more.
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“Every day I do still pinch myself thinking - is this really my life?
“Being an influencer has enabled me to do other things that I could only have dreamt of doing before.
“I’m just a very normal girl from Glasgow with a very normal life and upbringing, my job just isn’t so normal.”
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Despite influencers receiving loads of lovely messages from their followers, there is also a nasty side to the job.
Megan admits that people often have preconceptions about her and reveals trolls can get under her skin.
She explains: “People are so quick to judge influencers and for a while it was a bit of a trend to hate on them.
I get paid to party and men throw money at me because I’m pretty, but it’s not as easy as it looks
Megan Welsh
“Don’t get me wrong, just like any profession there are some stuck up influencers, but that doesn’t mean we all are.
“I think people assume that influencers think they are elite and above everyone else.
“But speaking for myself and plenty of the other lovely girls I’ve met through this, that’s just not the case.”
She adds: “Being in influencer probably isn’t as glamorous as it may look all of the time.
“Getting paid to wear your favourite brands is genuinely a dream come true, and the opportunities I’ve had so far are beyond my wildest dreams.
“But something that no one can really prepare you for is hate and trolls.
“You’d think it would be easy to block out the negative comments and focus on the good, but unfortunately it tends to be the negative ones that stick and leave you questioning why you even bother.
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“I’ve definitely grown a bit of a thicker skin lately but I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t get to me.”
Previously, a 'cheeky’ influencer tries to bag free food but it massively backfires as they ‘end up at the police station’.