Gramworthy

Our round up of posts from local businesses on IG that we’ve double tapped (liked) and a Q&A with Jess Quinn

Jess Quinn doesn’t need much of an intro in the social media space, her work largely revolves around her journey of losing her leg to cancer when she was nine, she says she’s learnt a lot through the adversities faced and always felt called to help others on theirs. Prior to covid, she also worked as a model on a mission to get more representation and has previously competed in Dancing with the Stars and written a recently released book, Still Standing: what I've learnt from a life lived differently. She also operates an online store, Quinly and works with a range of brands she aligns with, having recently become a Brand Ambassador for Peugeot North Shore. “Most of my work revolves around social media where I share my story and speak about diversity, resilience, living with chronic illness and body image” explains Jess, as she talks to Channel Mag about navigating social media, using it for good and her career overall. Channel Mag: Tell me a little bit about your business and how it came about… Jess Quinn: One day I decided to do a photoshoot with a friend because I had a really cool new Jess Quinn. running blade. I posted the images to my social media at the time and overnight they went viral. I went from 1000 followers to 100,000+ really quickly which gave me an auidence to share my message to the world. Over the past 6 years that audience has grown to 700,000+ across instagram and TikTok and has lead to all of the incredible things I have had the opportunity to work on like Dancing with the Stars, a TED Talk, writing my book and partnering with incredible brands like Peugeot. I also am working on a project within the Chronic Health space and have an online store called Quinly where I stock items that I love. CM: Is Instagram a source of inspiration for you? Who do you recommend following and why? JQ: It definitely can be. Because my work revolves so heavily around social media I try not to spend more time than I need to on it but I find it really inspiring to connect with my audience. I share so openly on there and in turn, I get incredible stories back from people so it makes for a really inspiring environment. In terms of who I follow, I would say the best thing we can all do for our social media, to help us find inspiration, is to follow people who do live or look like us. It's so important that we learn about the lives of others and remind ourselves of the diverse way our world is made up. I love following people from different cultures or people with different abilities because that's a more realistic view of the world we live in. CM: Which other local businesses/artists do social media well? JQ: There are so many. I love following @jessmolina - Jess shares really insightful thoughts and her fashion is so on point. I just love her honesty and they way she sees the world. @BraveFace is a brand I've worked with in the past but do an incredible job of not just showcasing their product but actual educating their audience on important mental wellbeing tips. I also recently got diagnosed with Endometriosis and @endogram (from Australia) are a really great account for others living with it. CM: You have sponsorships and work with a few brands, what do you enjoy about that side of things and why is that an important part of what you do? JQ: I am very fortunate to work with some incredible brands, some I've worked with for 4+ years. My main mission is to "normalise different" and to help others feel less alone in the things that make them different. By working with brands I am able to combine that with their mission and get that message out further. It's also really important to me that we are working towards a better sense of representation in our media so by working with brands I am able to add to that diversity. CM: What are your goals/plans for the rest of 2022? JQ: Right now I am working a lot on healing my body. I have been through a lot of ups and downs over the past few years so my main goal is to get moving again. In terms of work, I have a few projects that I am slowly chipping away on but I am taking things slow. I have found comfort in slowing down, which lockdown definitely taught me. A while ago the vibe was all "go go go", "hustle hustle hustle" but honestly, that didn't serve me at all. I always like to be working on some sort of project and pushing myself in my career but I also want to slow down and enjoy all aspects of my life as I go. To follow Jess' journey, take a look at @jessicaemilyquinn and her online store is @quinly.co

Boot weather is upon us and these styley MARLO boots caught our eye, a brand by two friends in Devonport @Marlo_nz Merino wool blankets made in NZ, need we say more. These gorgeous baby blankets are made by local Shore business Zen & Zee, full gramworthy interview next month from this lovely brand @zenandzee_ Holyshot is a local Takapuna fav known for their coffee and friendly service. The team has just expanded to a larger space next door serving more food options. We love their savoury scone seen here @holyshotnz