HOW A NEW IOWAN ROMANTICIZES HER LIFE IN THE MIDWEST
Her love for photography started in Bogota, Colombia, when she was 12 years old. It was a love sparked by a digital camera and the ⬤ Barbie Photo Designer software. ⬤ Tatiana Peña, owner and creator of Iowa Lovers accounts on social media, said her sister gave her the camera. ⬤ “I’ve always liked to be behind the camera,” she said. From Bogota, Colombia, to Des Moines: How the woman behind Iowa Lovers fell in love with the state
Peña first visited Iowa in 2016, on a trip from Colombia to see family who had moved here. She met her husband, Cesar Peña, and two years later, she was here to say.
Her friends frequently asked her, “Why Iowa? Why not New York, or Miami? What is there to do in Iowa?”
This inspired Peña. She knew Iowa didn’t have mountains or beaches, but she chose it anyway. She knew small Midwestern towns and the stereotype that those who willingly moved there were boring, or even small-minded. But, she did it anyway.
“So, let’s romanticize it,” she said.
‘It’s a business now’: How the Iowa Lovers social accounts were born
She started an Instagram account, @IowaLovers, in 2020 and romanticize Iowa she did. From restaurants to Airbnbs or markets and fairs, the Peñas were all over the state. Going out every weekend, they posted all the fun they were having for their followers to see.
And at first, they didn’t get paid for any of it. “We went to every place,” Peña said. “We were just spending because we like to try new things, you know?”
Her passion and the accounts grew from a personal blog to a business. Today, Iowa Lovers’
inbox is full of companies and brands wanting to create content together. Her partnerships have included new restaurants and a llama farm.
“It’s a business now, to create content for [companies],” she said. “We give them the raw material, our content, and it depends on their budget.” The couple doesn’t have a flat rate it charges clients and customizes its services to fit a partner’s interests.
Iowa Lovers accounts take off in 2023, growing to 50,000 followers in four months
Near the end of 2023, Cesar and Tatiana Peña noticed that Iowa Lovers was starting to gain followers quicker than usual.
“She was growing really fast,” Cesar Peña said.
Believe it or not, there are plenty of other people looking to romanticize Iowa state too. But what Cesar Peña said is the most inspiring about Tatiana Peña is the fun she has when she’s working.
Iowa Lovers gains at least 80 followers a day recently and clocked in just above 70,000 on Instagram, Cesar Peña said.
Tatiana Peña is putting in the work sustaining her account, too, with at least six new posts a day. When asked what she does in her free time, she giggled.
Around 90% of the account’s followers are from Iowa, and most of the rest live somewhere in the Midwest, the couple said. It’s clear her account has become a sort of Wikipedia page for Iowa events. She’s always enjoying herself, he said, and it’s empowering.
What’s next for Iowa Lovers? The account is helping founder Tatiana Peña embrace her own voice
Peña’s followers loved her so much, they started asking for more personal content.
She was nervous. Her followers didn’t know she was an immigrant, and nearly all of them were American.
Would they still support her content? What if they weren’t expecting to see a Colombian woman behind the camera? It wasn’t until March 2023 that Tatiana Peña even showed her face on the account. But it paid off.
Iowa Lovers experienced more engagement from followers, like comments and direct messages, as well as more business deals. Companies enjoyed getting to know Tatiana Peña more personally and wanted to continue to do so through partnerships and collaborations.
English isn’t her first language, so she avoids using her own voice in videos. Between translating, adding text and actually editing, she spends nearly all day making videos.
And if she isn’t editing, Cesar Peña said she’s on the road capturing new content.
Tatiana Peña hopes to start using her voice more. (Literally.)
“I would like to start more talking videos,” she said. “But I don’t feel comfortable with my pronunciation.”
Her confidence is growing, though. Tatiana Peña said she wants to be the representation young girls of color, specifically Latinas, see in Iowa.
Where to find and follow Iowa Lovers, Tatiana Peña
Known for: Creating Iowa-based content, connecting Iowans with new experiences
TikTok: @IowaLovers with 63.7k followers
Instagram: @IowaLovers with 64.1k followers
Facebook: Iowa Lovers Contact: info@iowalovers.com Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.