COUNTRY GIRL MAKING A SPLASH ONLINE
YVETTE TAKES A CALM APPROACH TO SUCCESS IN A SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD
YVETTE Le Blowitz is living her dream life.
She travels the world extensively as a social media digital creator, podcast host, speaker, author and luxury spa travel reviewer.
Yvette, who grew up in small country Queensland town, is one of Australia’s most successful social media stars, being named a finalist in the Top 50 Influencer Awards in 2017.
She’s making an impact in the digital space with 150,000-plus followers across multiple platforms.
Yvette founded #spaitgirl, which is an online site and community that inspires thousands of girls and women to feel great from within by practising self-care at home or at a spa.
Her book, It Starts with Me, has become a bestseller.
And the seed that grew her globally recognised business was born in North Queensland.
“When I was a little kid growing up in Home Hill, I used to play with the World Atlas and then map out with a pencil all of the places I could travel to,” Yvette says.
“I loved watching the Getaway show every Thursday night with my Mum and when I first saw the Maldives on television that was it.
“The dream was cemented and from that moment on I dreamt of visiting paradise on earth. Now each year I travel to the Maldives. Prior to COVID-19 and the global pandemic kicking in I had travelled and reviewed six luxury spa resorts before having to return home to Australia.”
Yvette says she started Spa It Girl at a time before social media became woven into everyday life.
“When I first started Spa it Girl it was an online blog,” she says. “At the time it was back in bloggersphere prior to Facebook being a big thing so the focus was more on the audience, the reader, sharing your thoughts and feelings to them.
“Blogging back then was seen more as a hobby with hopefully one day it turning into even more than a hobby but a sought-after career and skill.
“It was fairly low maintenance to have a blog back at the start as you could work fulltime and then I would work on my blog on the weekend and people were happy to read a blog post on the weekend or during the week.”
But social media changed everything for successful bloggers such as Yvette.
“Once Facebook launched, then apps like Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, the workload continued to grow,” she says. “Then the social media industry started sharing how everyone who is a blogger, influencer, or who runs a business or page needs to update their pages daily. It was not once a day but up to three times a day. The demand then went from being able to take a photo that wasn’t that great quality to needing to have photos that looked like they were from the Vogue magazine.
“So the once ‘girl next door’ real person blogger that people once loved and adored was old news and before long people - as well as some brands - wanted Instagram perfection.”
Because Yvette started as an “early pioneer of blogging” she feels grateful she is able to create content from within.
“I don’t look towards anyone else for my creative ideas and as a result I started the original #igtvtravelshow when Instagram first launched their IGTV platform,” she says.
“And while I’ve been creating Virtual Travel shows and taking my audience around the world virtually via going live back in 2017 when Facebook launched its ‘live’ function, to now via IGTV.
“Of course, now Virtual Travel is totally in due to COVID-19.”
On her weekly podcast show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Podcasts, Yvette now shares interviews with people who serve tips on how to feel good from within, and how to cope better during COVID-19.
Yvette says her spa blogging has evolved considerably over the years.
“When I reflect on the journey at the start I would need to write about the interior design of a spa and hotel foyer,” she says. “But now thanks to video, I can visually show a person the story so in this respect it has saved a lot of time from sitting down and writing out word by word step by step.”
#Spaitgirl has now evolved to have a blog, vlog, podcast show, wellness events, meet ups, a book club, a magazine, travel show.
“And to think this all started with me simply wanting to share my love for how visiting the spa made me feel in hope it could help others feel good from within,” she says. “It’s a great reminder that if something starts from within it is your dream to pursue.
“When it comes from your own heart and soul, even if people say no to your ideas and vision, you can say yes and carry on. Only you know that your dream started from within, and only you know how it makes you feel.”
Yvette says today Instagram has become a huge tool for social media influencers.
“With Instagram it’s more about modelling. Basically posting photos of yourself,” she says. “I’m so grateful that I’ve now written a book and have a podcast show and travel show and still write blogs.
“That way I go beyond a modelling photo. As I believe posting a photo of me can’t transform anyone’s life, but sharing words of wisdom on how to meditate and destress and feel less anxious can.”
Yvette says creating the online #spaitgirl community has been incredibly fulfilling.
“Inspiring thousands of people to visit the spa, practice yoga, meditate, exercise, dream big, travel, believe in themselves, practice selfcare and seeing the transformation has been really exciting for me,” she says. “Seeing my book, It Starts With Me, in book shops across the country, and seeing it on the shelf beside other incredible authors and inspirational world leaders like the Dali Lama has been very rewarding.”
Yvette says the three traits to success in the competitive world of social media influencers is to surround yourself with positive people, be willing to learn for yourself, and create from your own heart and soul.
“Women need to believe in themselves and give things a go,” she says. “If it doesn’t work out, try, try and try again. It is important to have a clear vision of who you want to become and take small steps, actions towards that.”
Yvette says one of the biggest hurdles to success in her industry was learning to get used to people saying “no to your ideas”.
“When I was pitching the idea of being an expert spa travel reviewer at the time many people thought no one would be interested in spa and wellness travel but I knew that it could help people to feel less stressed, to feel calm and well again.
“This was at the time travel was all about restaurants, touristy sites, the bar at the hotel, not the spa.
“I also had the vision that people were switching off from A4 glossy magazine ads that promoted a resort and instead they wanted to read about the personal experience of a down to earth Aussie girl like me who ate, breathed and slept spa.”
To overcome the challenges she faced in establishing a name for herself in the industry, Yvette started a mantra.
“Every no I got, was my yes. I didn’t stop when I got told no or rejected I carried on and as a result I now visit the Maldives reviewing luxury spa resorts,” she says.
“I didn’t stop reviewing spas, lifestyle, skincare, active living products. I worked my craft and created content. I worked on learning my craft off my own back, and gaining experience. I knew it would take at least five-plus years minimum to gain experience and I feel even after 10-plus years I am only getting started.”
KEEP UP TO DATE spaitgirl.com Instagram Travel Show @spaitgirl_travel Podcast Show @spaitgirl Author @yvetteleblowitz It Starts With Me by Yvette Le Blowitz available from Amazon