Several years ago, I interviewed social media influencer Paula Galindo in an interview originally published in Thrive Global. Here is an excerpt from our conversation:

Adam: What is something about you that the many people who follow you don’t know?

Paula: I love to spend afternoons listening to good music and trying a bunch of makeup looks on myself, even if I’m not going out… I just love to practice, learn from other beauty creators and just let myself be creative. OH! Also, I’m dying to buy a little puppy. Quite random. 

Adam: What are your hobbies and how have they shaped you?

Paula: I love to practice yoga and meditation. Now that I live in Los Angeles, I felt really inspired by this lifestyle. It balances my busy life and it helps me being more centered to keep up with all my projects and giving the best of me to my followers.

Adam: How did you become an “influencer”?

Paula: I graduated from high school and I still didn’t know what I wanted to study so I started posting my beauty tutorials just for fun. I never thought this was going to be my full-time job one day and nowadays I truly enjoy to be able to work in something I’m passionate about.

Adam: What advice do you have for those interested in becoming influencers?

Paula: Create content that you really love and that gives a message to society, I think we have to be conscious that being an influencer is not just selling products, it also being a role model to a big generation that looks up to us. Also, be constant and patient, this career takes time but is a fun way to go.

Adam: What is the biggest misconception about the influencer world and life as an influencer? 

Paula: That we don’t do anything, because it looks easy. “Just taking pictures.” “Just making videos.” But actually it’s not that easy to be creative and stay different from the others. I say, if it was easy, then anyone would do it. 

Adam: What has being an influencer taught you about branding and marketing?

Paula: A lot and more now that I launched my own beauty brand “Paula By Pautips,” I’ve learned that each of us is a different brand and we need to build that core value that makes us relevant on social media. We need to understand all of our followers as if they were clients and take care of them, listen, and create a strong relationship. 

Adam: What advice do you have for those interested in working with influencers?

Paula: Just look for an influencer who has the same values and vision as the brand has. It’s the best way to make a valuable relationship between both. I really like to work with brands that empower women and obviously that I organically use and recommend. For me, the most important thing is the trust that my audience gives me. 


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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