When I first interviewed Caroline Groth in early 2017, I had no idea that two years later I would be calling her one of my close friends. Her incredible openness and vulnerability, her warmth and courage, and the love and time she has not just for her friends and family (and stray dogs she adopts) but also for her followers is both admirable and inspirational.
For those of you who haven’t previously come across Caroline, she is a spiritual junkie that likes tackling all the big issues when it comes to health and wellness – both the physical and the mental. Having battled her own health demons including cancer, disordered eating, and depression, Caroline’s Instagram and blog has become a platform in which she shares the learnings she’s gained from her own personal journey. It’s raw, honest, and relatable.
Here, we pull her aside to find out a little bit more about her path – talking everything from leading with passion to holding tightly to integrity.
Missed the last articles in the 50 Questions series? Click the links to read interviews with They Call Me BamBam’s Sanja Grohar, Jules Cecilia, and La Elegantia‘s Zlatina Jekova.
1. Best beauty product of all time? Ole Henriksen Balancing Force Oil Control Toner – it helps keep my pores clean and unclogged so I don’t break out
2. Five beauty products you can’t live without? Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme, Skinstitut Glycolic Cleanser, Ole Henriksen Cold Plunge Pore Mask, R+Co Hair Salt Spray, Kristin Ess Dry Texture Spray
3. Hair “done” or messy? Messy, always. Intentionally & unintentionally to be completely honest 😂
4. Favourite fragrance? Le Labo Thé Noir 29
5. Favourite item of clothing? It’s a 50/50 – you can always find me in jumpsuits or vintage Levi’s
6. Favourite fashion brand? Shop ReDone, Bassike, Levi’s, PE Nation…
7. Gym or exercising outdoors? Indoor classes followed by a morning swim in the ocean – the best of both worlds
8. Healthy eating or treating yourself? I’m going through a gut-health diet atm which means I’m very restricted as I’m trying to heal my gut through food, but I’m all about BALANCED healthy eating and eating what supports your body
9. Can you cook? I often cook – 3 times a day and I absolutely love it
10. Favourite food to indulge in? When I’m in Denmark and have Danish lollies and Danish pastries – nothing compares 🤤
11. First thing you pick from the mini-bar? CHOCOLATE
12. Best place to eat out? The Depot, Porch & Parlour, The Republic Bakery, Raw Bar (all in Bondi)
13. Happiest moment? Meeting my partner Pash and meeting my nephew & niece when they were born
14. Saddest moment? Losing loved ones to cancer
15. Blog or YouTube? Blog, always
16. Iphone or camera? Both 😆
17. Type of camera? Canon EOS M50 – fits in my handbag
18. Facetune or untouched? Untouched
19. Lightroom or VSCO? Lightroom FTW
20. Favourite filter? I create my own in Lightroom
21. Favourite way to edit pics? Bright, light and colourful with a touch of clarity
22. 9-5 job or full-time influencer? Full-time Influencer – though I wear many hats and also consult in social media & digital marketing on the sideline
23. How did you first get your start in Instablogging? It just sort of happened. I’d probably call myself almost one of the OG’s (😆) as I started my IG back in 2013, and my blog in 2013 as well. I was sharing my life as I was going through illness and I think people just really related to that
24. How much time goes into a normal picture found on your Instagram account? Approximately 2 hours if I’m shooting at home, but if I’m shooting outside of the house, then about 3-4 hours including editing, captions etc. If I’m shooting for clients, it could be days as there’s a lot of liaising forwards and backwards. I’d love for people to understand that there’s lots of thought behind my content – whether it’s sponsored or not – and I wholeheartedly put all my beliefs and heart into it. I’d never ever promote a product that I haven’t used myself prior or that I wouldn’t stand for. My integrity is everything. I don’t say that lightly
25. What’s your top Instagram tip? Don’t force yourself to be in a genre that isn’t you. Stay true to your authentic self and always speak from your heart and be KIND
26. Who takes your pics? Mainly myself or sometimes my boyfriend helps me. Sometimes I shoot with a pro (if I’m really treating myself) like you 😉 [Editor Yelena: Love shooting with you!]
27. Career highlight since being an influencer? Getting to go to One&Only Wolgan Valley with Ole Henriksen – it was an absolutely incredible experience
28. Career lowlight since being an influencer? People can often forget that we are also real people behind an Instagram account. I give very freely and produce a lot of content that I simply do for the love of it and share with others because it’s my creative muscle that gets stimulated. Sometimes this can be sponsored & sometimes (majority) it can be organic. I also have a lot on my heart and a lot of life experience that I want to share so that it can help others, but sometimes it would be nice if (serious minority) followers can remember that a ‘please’ & ‘thank you’ can go a long way instead of demanding 😊
29. Best campaign you’ve ever worked on? Abundant Natural Health whom I’m an ambassador for. We’ve been working together for a while now, but initially I started out using their products and fell absolutely head over hill. I love that they give me the creative freedom to talk about how their products are helping my gut to heal in a very natural and own way. It has a far better impact and reach than brands who dictate too much
30. Worst thing that’s happened to you on a photo shoot? Luckily I don’t do ‘photo shoots’ that often, so I’m pretty good 😂
31. The best gift you’ve ever received as an influencer? I am incredibly grateful for the items I receive because though I know I’ve worked very hard to be where I am, I never forget how blessed I am to receive them nonetheless. But I’d have to say that working and collaborating (exchanging services) with health professionals has been vital to getting better when it came to my eating disorder and gut-health. That way we’re helping each other and spreading the word of functional and natural medicine and that’s exactly my jam
32. Last thing you googled? Cheap movers Bondi Beach (we’re moving house 😆)
33. Favourite film? ‘Remember The Titans’
34. Favourite book? ‘A Course in Miracles’ and ‘Eat Dirt’
35. Favourite song? Atm, obsessing over Mitch James – ‘Bright Blue Skies’
36. Living in the city or living by the beach? Bondi Beach for almost 9 years and never leaving 😉
37. Favourite travel destination? LA, New York or Hawaii
38. Most Instagram-worthy spot? At home with my dog Archie & boyfriend Pash – working but creating memories too 🤗
39. Top three essentials to pack when traveling? Eye-gel masks, facial mist, & noise-cancelling headphones
40. Going out clubbing or quiet dinner with friends? Quiet dinner. I’m turning 30 this year but my soul is about 60 😉
41. Partner or single? My boyfriend Pash ♥️
42. Siblings? I have a sister @Christine_hgp – she’s 2,5 years older than me
43. What city are you currently living in? Sydney, but originally from Copenhagen, Denmark
44. Celebrity/influencer crush? I’ve never really been a fan-girl tbh, but I do adore @Hannahbronfman – I think she’s a kickass ladyboss!
45. Pets? We just adopted an 8 month old Cocker Spaniel from RSPCA – he’s a menace, but we love him. His name is Archie 🐶
46. What is your best asset? People say that I have a kind soul
47. Biggest misconception about you and your job? That brands just contact us and we sell our souls for money to promote anything. I’d never, in a million years, ever do that. You could never pay me enough money for me to sell out on my integrity or what I stand for. When I do work with brands and get paid for it, it’s been a lengthy and long discussion that’s absolutely tailored to my audience by myself. I would’ve tested/tried the product or service for a while before even speaking about it. I’d love for people to understand that more
48. Top five Instagram accounts to follow? @christieswadling @katiewilllly @katherine_hay_nutritionist @cassolholm @ashleyhart @betterbeingsteph (I know that’s more than 5 🤭 )
49. Favourite quote you live by? “Just start… just start and the rest will fall into place”
50. Top career tip? Don’t ever tell yourself that you are not good enough to reach a certain level within your field, that you’re not worthy enough of success, or that you’re not smart enough to be what your heart desires for you. Your mind and your heart are two complete opposites, and the mind plays games with us. Follow your heart, lead with passion, and don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot make it.
All images: Caroline H Groth
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