Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Liguori.
Hi Angela, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I never knew what an ‘influencer’ was up until seven years ago and I had no intention of going down this path —but I’m so grateful I fell into this. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been an outdoor lover, mostly thanks to my dad. He always took my sisters and me on camping trips and hikes, mostly around our home province, British Columbia.
After high school, I started hiking and backpacking almost every chance I got with any friends who would go with me. For the next five years, I went to university where I earned a degree in Communications. It took me one year longer than most because I went on two multi-month backpacking trips with my best friends—one to Europe and the other to South East Asia and New Zealand. This is where I fell in love with travel and my passion for the outdoors grew immensely.
I shared my adventures on Instagram for my friends and family to see. It was the only account I had and it was made to share photos so my circle could see what I was up to. During this time, from 2015-2018, I was slowly gaining followers. My account growth was very gradual and I never thought too much about it. My audience kept growing and it wasn’t until my older sister sat me down after I came back from New Zealand that she explained to me that I had an opportunity at hand. An opportunity to grow a community online, inspire thousands to get outside and potentially make money doing it.
After this conversation, I started to put much more effort into my Instagram. That meant producing more content, practicing photography, meeting new people, learning about the business (how to land jobs, how to read contracts, I could go on and on) and so much more. In 2018, I was working full-time at lululemon and putting all the energy I had left into my Instagram. That meant a lot of early mornings and late nights responding to emails, reaching out to brands, editing photos, planning trips—the list goes on. All my time went into these two jobs. Juggling a social life, staying present with my family, and staying active was a struggle—and to this day, I don’t know how I did it all. In early 2019, I finally took the leap and quit my full-time job. Since then, I’ve been making a living off of social media (Instagram and TikTok), content creation for brands, affiliate marketing via my blog, photo licensing, modeling, group trips, and more.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Juggling my full-time job and growing my online presence was an incredible challenge for me. Not only was I working around 60-70 hours a week, but I was also anxious about the move from having a stable job to freelancing. It always weighed so heavy on me because I wanted to ensure that all the early mornings and late nights would be worth it. I would work 4am-12pm at my full-time job just so I can work on my social media for the rest of the day and maybe get a hike in for content (and to keep me grounded/sane). This time is a huge blur to me because of how much I was doing each day. I did this for two years. Looking back, I’m so proud of myself and happy I went through these challenges.
I had a lot of questions and uncertainty from my family because they couldn’t wrap their heads around me leaving a stable job where I could move up in the company for freelance photography. My parents didn’t understand the potential of the industry, and to be honest, I was unsure at times too. I was letting my gut guide me when my head was filling with doubts. My parents were just looking out for me, and now are incredibly proud of what I’ve built.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in hiking, camping, travel, and generally anything in the great outdoors. I am known for exploring mountains in my home of British Columbia and different mountainous regions of the world like Patagonia, New Zealand, Switzerland, and more. I share information on these trips, along with travel tips and gear recommendations, with my audience so they can explore, too.
I am most proud of remaining authentic to myself throughout my social media journey. There is an immense amount of pressure to create high-performing content and to do what “gets likes”. I’ve seen creator after creator falling into a trap where they create to go viral and gain followers, instead of creating what they are passionate about. I’ve kept my authenticity top of mind throughout the years and have upheld who I am through my journey. I want to be seen as a friend when someone follows me on social media and I believe I do that for many people, especially the women in my community.
I’m also proud of connecting with and inspiring women on social media. There’s just something about women helping women and the female bond that really resonates with me and is what lights my fire. My mission is to help women feel confident in the outdoors, inspire them to get to places they’ve always dreamt of, and reap the benefits of nature.
What makes you happy?
The mountains. Pushing my body and mind to their limits. Completing things (like long treks) that I didn’t think I could do. Road trips. Women supporting women. Sunrises. Unzipping the tent in the morning. Cloud inversions. Checking off bucket list places, but also exploring the unknown. Sour candy. Landing in a new place and hearing “Welcome to… “. on the plane intercom. Coffee. A good playlist.
Contact Info:
- Website: angelaliggs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelaliggs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelaliggs/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/angelaliggs
