Coast to Coast, Barnes Is the Ultimate Trendsetter
Once Instagram arrived 12 years ago, the career of the āinfluencerā was born shortly after. And if you were creative, smart and consistent enough back in those early days of social media, it might have changed the course of your entire life. For Rocky Barnes, who started blogging and posting on Instagram about 10 years ago, just that happened. With an impressive 2.9 million followers on Instagram and now a growing 2.8 million likes on TikTok, Rocky Barnes is undoubtedly known as one of the original social media influencers. Influencer Entrepreneur Rocky Barnes
Prior to the world of social media, fashion, creativity and modeling all played big roles in Barnesā life. āI got scouted right after college,ā Barnes recalls.
āI was hustling, then working four jobsātwo restaurant jobs, marketing part-time (which is what I went to college for) and then modeling part-time as well, driving back and forth from San Diego to LA.āĀ
Barnes found her modeling niche within the swimsuit/lifestyle fitness world. She explains that while the modeling world is so different today, when she started 15 years ago, the modeling agencies wanted āall of the girls to be tall, thin and light-skinnedāwhite, essentially.ā Influencer Entrepreneur Rocky Barnes
āI was shorter, curvier (for modeling, per se), and Iām half Filipino, so I was always tan. I always liked different photos than the agencies did, so I started using Instagram as my personal portfolio,ā Barnes explains. While the photos the agencies would choose were over-exposed and airbrushed, Barnes gravitated towards the more original and natural images of herself. āModeling is creative for every other person on the team, except for the model,ā Barnes says. This frustration led her to leverage her Instagram account as both a modeling portfolio and a creative outlet.Ā
Already traveling around the world for photoshoots wearing clothes she loved, Barnes began to snap images of her outfits in tropical locations and post them.
āIt kind of just turned into what it is today; itās evolved over the past 10 years, but itās what kind of gave me my initial start,ā she humbly admits. Influencer Entrepreneur Rocky Barnes
And evolved, it has. The Instagram app, which might be unrecognizable from when it first launched, has become much more than users posting a pretty photo. āItās become more and more of a beast, to say the least. At first, it was like one photo here or there. Now people want multiple photos, videos and stories,ā Barnes says. Barnes has worked with a variety of incredible brands over the years like Revolve, American Express, Veuve Clicquot and Express. Aside from being strikingly beautiful, her effortless styleāCalifornia cool meets eclectic bohoāmixed with the dreamiest of locations, high-quality images and all-around authenticity is all part of the secret sauce that keeps her followers coming back for more.Ā
āItās so much more about being relatable and real, engaging with your community and showing vulnerability now. Itās definitely done a 180 since I started, [but] in the best way possible. I think itās really evolved with who I am as a person,ā explains Barnes. Curating the most perfect image is not as important on social media as it once was.
Followers today are craving realness and vulnerability, and Barnes finds that especially refreshing since stepping into motherhood. Sheās learned that being genuine not only builds connectionāit also creates space for others to feel seen and supported. āNow that Iām a momānot just a mom but a mom of two, which let me tell you is a complete game changer from oneāweāre still just figuring it all out at the moment,ā she laughs.
āI know moms are always trying to be perfect and hold everything together for their families, but being able to have an opportunity to connect with other moms and share our grievances is nice. Itās nice that social media has allowed that to be a safe place among other things.āĀ Influencer Entrepreneur Rocky Barnes
While keeping up with constant content on Instagram, a whole other social media platform emerged that viewers quickly turned towards in 2020: TikTok. While the virality of TikTok has spread more rapidly than Instagram, Barnes was still hesitant to join the platform at all. āI didnāt want to just jump in with anything, having already established myself on Instagram. I wanted to do what felt right for me, and not just start off dancing or doing whatever everyone else was doing,ā she explains. Barnes found her sweet spot on TikTok by posting āget ready with meā videos. She now coordinates her TikTok videos with her Instagram images, admitting sheās had a lot of fun on the platform. āI think social media is constantly evolving. In order to stay with it, you have to always be willing to evolve with it,ā she notes. Influencer Entrepreneur Rocky Barnes
Off-screen, Barnes enjoys life with her familyātwo boys, Jones and Charlie, and her husband and business partner, Matt. Balancing marriage and business hasnāt always been easy, but Barnes calls it a valuable and ongoing learning experience. āLearning how to deal with each other on a professional level and also still be loving and come together as husband and wife has definitely been a struggle. Itās not easy to find that rhythm, but when you do and itās clicking and youāre having a good day, itās like the best thing ever,ā she says.
Looking at what they have built together, however, the two wouldnāt want it any other way.
āWe work from home, we work together, we have two kids together now. We have our moments but itās allowed us to have such an amazing life together. We’re lucky to be able to travel together and create our own schedule,ā she says.Ā
The family spends their time bi-coastal between Los Angeles and New York. Barnes is a California girl at heart, born and raised in Los Angeles, while Matt is originally from New York. āOur home base is LA, but we keep Mattās apartment/bachelor pad in New York. We try to get out there as much as possible,ā Barnes says. The duo recently renovated their stunning Los Angeles home, which Barnes notes is one of her biggest accomplishments to date. While the family will certainly be enjoying their home, they also look forward to traveling the world as a family of four. Influencer Entrepreneur Rocky Barnes
Adding successful entrepreneur to her list of accomplishments, Barnes launched her own clothing line in the middle of the pandemic. The Bright Side is Barnesā passion project that sheās dreamed of having since she was a young girl. āGrowing up, whenever they asked what I wanted to be, it was always a designer,ā Barnes gushes. She notes that itās been a humbling learning experience, having so much more respect for what brands have all gone through, especially with the supply chain issues from these last couple of years.
āWeāre trying not to rush into things and have everything we want on our time schedule. So, itās slow-moving but I really love it. Also, itās nice to have something outside of the social media space,ā Barnes says.
In the fast-paced world of social media, Barnes keeps evolving while staying true to herselfāa rare and lasting combo. With nearly a decade of blogging and a growing clothing line, sheās now setting her sights on even bigger goals. āIāve always said growing up I wanted to be a combination of Rachel Zoe and Martha Stewart. Really taking a fashion brand and the lifestyle space and having a full lifestyle brand would be so fun.āĀ Influencer Entrepreneur Rocky Barnes
Undeniably a trendsetter, Barnes has utilized her platform to evolve both in and out of the social media landscape. With a loyal following and fiery passion for creating, Barnes continues to set trends and embrace her many roles as mom, wife, model, designer and social supernova.
Taylor is a graduate from the University of Southern California with a degree in journalism. She is our Los Angeles and Orange County editor. You can find her dining at a new restaurant, in the ocean or planning her next adventure. Say hello!
