Name: Maria Patrascu
Instagram: @m.ssmaria
Years of being an Influencer: 1

1. What does success as an influencer look like to you?
Success as an influencer for me looks like being able to positively inspire my audience, and earning their trust through authentic content creation. I would love to reach the point where I am able to make a living through doing this. 

2. Would you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?
I am both! I started out as a really shy young girl, but growing up as a high-level tennis athlete forced me out of my shell and taught me to be brave. I still have a naturally shy aura, but I absolutely love meeting and talking with people.

3. How do you try and stand out from other people with similar followings? What makes you different?
I think there’s very few influencers who fall into my category. I am a professional tennis athlete & lifestyle influencer. It’s exciting and scary at the same time because I always feel like I’m stepping into uncharted territory! 

4. Do you feel like blogging can provide you enough success to make a satisfactory living?
I don’t have a blog yet as tennis and Instagram takes much of my time, but I 100% believe a blog is essential and can definitely boost the chances of making a living. I’m set on making one soon!

5. Who do you look to for inspiration?
I’m constantly inspired by people. Some examples are my mom for her never-ending kindness, everyday people who fight for their beliefs no matter what, brave soldiers who go into battle to protect their country, public speakers who speak with confidence in front of thousands, and even my dog who makes me smile every day! 

I find inspiration in so many and it helps me to channel my energy to inspire my audience. 

6. What’s the hardest thing about your job?
The hardest thing about being an influencer is that it’s still very new. Many people still don’t understand this is how marketing works now! Influencers and brands are discovering new facets of the industry often, but it’s always changing since social media platforms change as well. The fact that everything is evolving very fast and we are always in “discovery mode” can be really difficult and stressful at times. 

7. What’s your favorite image that you’ve ever taken?
My favourite photo is from my first tennis photo shoot I did last year for Ellesse. That’s when I realized it was becoming serious, and I loved it!

8. Where is the influencer landscape headed—will your job exist in 5 years?
I feel like the sky is the limit for influencer marketing over the next 5 years. I’m no fortune teller but with the way things are going influencers are definitely here to stay; my prediction is by next year they will have a much wider, and more professionally recognized place in the industry. 

9. What has being an influencer done to your self image / self confidence?
The last 1-2 years have been crazy for me. I struggled with personal problems in my teen years but in the last few years I’ve managed to come out of that and overcome them. Along the way, realizing that I had this huge passion for sharing my journey and inspiring others through Instagram. It motivates me to always push to be better. I’m constantly striving to be a better person, especially since I want to be a good role model to those who follow me. 

10. If someone were starting out today, what advice would you give that person?
My advice would be to hit the ground running, the best time to start is now! If you’re willing to put in the work and time, then you can do it. Find your niche, what makes you passionate about it, and what value you can offer to the world. 

Most importantly, ALWAYS stay true to yourself, that is your biggest power. 

"10 Questions" is a series where Fohr asks influencers, well, 10 questions to get to know them better.