How ‘nerd’ Pia Muehlenbeck grew to become Australian social media royalty
As soon as a “nerd” and lawyer, Pia Muehlenbeck now lives a glamorous life many dream about. Right here is how she did it – and her tip for coping with the darkish aspect.
As certainly one of Australia’s founding on-line content material creators, Pia Muehlenbeck is probably the closest factor now we have to social media royalty.
With husband and enterprise companion Kane Vato Muehlenbeck, the 31-year-old has cultivated a powerful on-line neighborhood, with greater than 3.6 million individuals following the Gold Coast pair’s adventures on social media, YouTube and Wine Time podcast.
“I nonetheless pinch myself daily that I get to do that for work, and the actual fact I get to journey and do all these unimaginable experiences with my husband is so particular to me,”
Pia says.
“We’ve been collectively for 12 years and married for the previous 4, so our entire journey with social media has been one thing that we’ve skilled collectively.”
How Pia grew to become so profitable
It’s no secret that social media could be a profitable trade if you know the way to leverage it.
And Pia’s pulling energy has garnered some unimaginable alternatives through the years, from luxurious work journeys to Monte Carlo and the Maldives to assembly large names comparable to pop icon Rihanna.
“I believe in our trade you actually must be fluid and open to shifting with the occasions,” Pia says.
“Some individuals dig their heels within the sand and keep away from attempting new issues, however I at all times say, ‘Why not simply give it a go?’”
It’s that go-getter mentality that has finally led to the couple’s on-line success, as they delved headfirst into content material creation when it was simply beginning to take off.
“The entire social media trade was a totally completely different panorama after we bought into Instagram round 2015,” Pia says.
“Again then it was a really scaled-back platform: no IGTV, no tales or reels; actually only a grid of photographs.”
The challenges of being an early influencer
Usually thought of the glory days of social media, the early years of Instagram offered fertile floor for reaching a world viewers and constructing a substantial following because the platform was far much less saturated and aggressive.
Nevertheless, being an authentic influencer had its personal set of challenges and, in response to Pia, the pair needed to hustle to safe enterprise and consider the viability of content material creation as a profession, all of the whereas coping with naysayers.
“In these early years there have been solely a choose few companies that had been even allotted a advertising finances and sometimes you needed to clarify or justify your position to manufacturers,” Pia says.
“Now it’s an entire 180.
“There are such a lot of alternatives for content material creators, and social media is way more integral to varied advertising methods.
“We’re at each trend week around the globe, each launch marketing campaign; each model now has a advertising finances for social media content material creation and there’s a stage of respect within the wider media neighborhood that wasn’t at all times there.”
Pia’s suggestions for influencers
Whereas TikTok has emerged because the social media platform to observe, Instagram continues to be a serious participant, with greater than two billion month-to-month energetic customers.
The facility of social media platforms comparable to Instagram has led Australia’s Therapeutic Items Administration to crack down on influencers in a bid to control sponsored posts and product endorsements and scale back public misinformation.
Pia notes there are extra influencers today and in addition extra manufacturers that need to work with them.
She has the following pointers for these eager on a profession within the area.
“For these beginning out in content material creation, my recommendation is to focus on one thing you actually like doing, deal with the standard of content material, the standard of neighborhood and to not get disheartened by the numbers,” she says.
How Pia offers with trolls
On-line trolls have been an omnipresent supply of irritation on social media, however Pia says she’s lucky to have a supportive neighborhood behind her.
“My tip for coping with blatantly imply feedback is, truthfully, to disregard it and transfer on,” she says.
“I’m a businesswoman. I’m busy and, frankly, I don’t have time for this to occupy my thoughts any greater than it deserves.
“Having that mindset for years and years has allowed us to domesticate a neighborhood that’s actually pleasant as a result of the meanies simply aren’t there.”
Working as a workforce
Proper now, video content material is main the cost on social media, which Pia and Kane have naturally leaned into as seasoned YouTubers.
However the couple additionally credit score their success to combining their distinctive talent units.
“We carry utterly completely different abilities to the desk,” Pia says.
“Kane’s a quintessential artistic: a designer, photographer, artistic director — these are the areas he actually excels in.
“Whereas I mainly simply learn by our contracts!”
Earlier than creating content material, Pia spent six years incomes a legislation diploma, getting honours, and turning into a practising lawyer earlier than finally deciding it wasn’t her true ardour.
“I nonetheless put my diploma to make use of,” she says.
“Issues like dealing with contract negotiations, company governance and so forth are quite a bit simpler when you understand what you’re doing.”
Pia’s simple magnificence routine
As a result of she’s usually on a good schedule, the Bondi Sands ambassador has adopted a less-is-more method to magnificence.
“On a day-to-day foundation, I’ll apply a tinted moisturiser, SPF, some bronzer all over the place, a bit of mascara after which I’m good to go,” Pia says.
She’s additionally a passionate advocate for skincare.
“My mum’s a retired para-medical esthetician, so she instilled good skincare practices in me from a younger age,” says Pia, who can also be a Cetaphil ambassador.
“I notably love Cetaphil’s Optimum Hydration vary.
“It’s nice for delicate pores and skin, is tremendous hydrating and it doesn’t irritate or trigger breakouts.”
From the previous to the longer term
Having emigrated to Australia from Germany at eight years previous, Pia tailored to the Gold Coast life-style as rapidly as she picked up the language.
“I used to be a little bit of a nerd rising up and was devoted to my research and excelling in school,” she says.
“(However) energetic existence are ingrained in Gold Coast tradition, so it’s one thing that (Kane and I) like factoring into our lives.”
It’s set to be a busy yr for the couple as they make their foray into the world of property improvement.
“Creating an actual property improvement firm and beginning our first undertaking this yr has been extremely daunting and thrilling,” Pia says.
“We’re working with certainly one of Australia’s most superb architects and it’s going to be so unimaginable.
“We’re aiming to doc all of it on YouTube.”
What Pia is wanting ahead to
As for the place they plan to journey to subsequent, Pia is eyeing a cruise to Antarctica, a lot to her husband’s anguish.
“Kane’s not a robust swimmer and isn’t a fan of the chilly, however I’m assured I can sway him,” Pia says.
“A life ethos we attempt to dwell by is to gather recollections, not issues.”
The couple’s life motto extends to utilizing their social media presence for good by supporting causes near their coronary heart.
“We’re eager to become involved in a wildlife conservation undertaking in Borneo that helps endangered orangutans,” Pia says.
“Kane and I are such animal lovers.
“We need to assist in any manner we will together with utilizing our platform to get the message on the market.”
Written by Charlotte Brundrett.
Images: Cameron Grayson.
Styling: Karly Brown; Hair and make-up: Nicole Kene.
