Ask An Influencer: Street Style Queen Lauren Recchia, @NorthOfManhattan

I would say one of the hardest parts about my job is that there is no direct path to success and for the most part, there are no right or wrong answers. You learn as you go, make connections, and what may work for someone else may not work for you.

There is also a ton of work that goes on behind the scenes. I think a majority of people don’t understand the amount of planning and investing that really goes into this. From emails, negotiating with brands, to events and meetings - you are always either on the go, at your computer, or on your phone.

For me, my main focus is fashion and my personal style. I am planning outfits 24/7. One wall in my room is full of knobs, where I hang pieces I need to shoot, new items coming in, and looks I need to finish. I have found that my followers prefer a combination of both my daily looks (usually shot on an iPhone) and professionally shot looks that go on my blog. When I am ready for photography, I contact my photographer Dino Petrocelli and we schedule a date that works well for both of us. I wake up early, get hair and makeup ready, we shoot anywhere from six to 10 looks while switching up the locations. We finish usually around 5 pm, Dino goes home to edit, and I pick up my photos around 8 pm. It’s a full day of work, just like any other job. At the end of the day I am essentially the stylist, creative director, ‘model’, and social media marketer of my own brand.

[Photos via @northofmanhattan]