Born and raised in New York by Polish immigrant parents, Jessica Markowski has had to chase the American dream hard to get to where she is. But her strong work ethic has certainly paid off, with Jessica starring in a range of television shows and films, working as a model since her school days, as well as now adding successful social media content creator to her resumΓ©.
With Jessicaβs next film currently in pre-production, we thought now would make the perfect time to pull her aside for a little quiz time. Here, she takes on our latest Fast 50 to talk making social media her third line of business to the importance of being real to who you are.
Missed the last articles in the 50 Questions series? Click the links to read interviews with ChloΓ© Monchamp, Caroline Groth, and They Call Me BamBamβs Sanja Grohar.
1. Age? 26
2. Height? 5’8.5
3. Best beauty product of all time? Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum
4. Five beauty products you canβt live without? Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, Becca Highlighter, Caudalie Beauty Elixir, Bioderma Sensibio H2O and Burt’s Bees Chapstick!
5. Hair βdoneβ or messy? Done
6. Favourite fragrance? Atelier Cologne Pacific Lime
7. Favourite item of clothing? Shoes
8. Favourite fashion brand? Giambattista Valli
9. Gym or exercising outdoors? Gym
10. Healthy eating or treating yourself? Healthy eating
11. Can you cook? No, but thank god my boyfriend does. Can you believe it? I am Polish and don’t cook!?
12. Favourite food to indulge in? Ice cream
13. Favourite read? βBecomingβ by Michelle Obama
14. Favourite hobby? Walking around NYC
15. A strange fact about you that followers might not know? I had braces in middle school
16. Biggest fear? Accidents
17. Blog or YouTube? YouTube
18. Iphone or camera? Camera
19. Type of camera? Canon
20. Lightroom or VSCO? Lightroom all the way!
21. Favourite filter? I don’t use filters. I add brightness if it needs it β I like to keep images the way they were shot for the most part
22. Favourite way to edit pics? Little exposure and brightness
23. 9-5 job or full-time influencer? Full-time influencer for sure!
24. How did you first get your start in Instablogging? Well, I started as a model and actress. I would always document my career on Instagram and wanted ultimately my friends and family to see that I was a working model/actress. Then companies would approach me to give me products. At that moment, I realised I could make social media my third line of business…
25. How much time goes into a normal picture found on your Instagram account? Shooting the images takes an hour. Then I have to figure out which shot I like most, which takes another hour. When I have narrowed down selections, I see which image looks best on my feed which takes 10-30 minutes. Then when I see which shot makes it to the feed, I go ahead and edit it for 10-20 minutes. So all in all, it can take 1-2 hours.
26. What’s your top Instagram tip? Be real to who you are. I think the Instagram “culture” has really taught us to follow people’s aesthetic. I think being the real you will attract an audience. Wear what you want to wear, use what filter you like, etc. Trust me.
27. Who takes your pics? I always take pictures with NYC photographers. Typically, I shoot with Tatiana Katkova @photo_tatianakatkova
28. Career highlight since being an influencer? The amount of amazing people you get to meet and connect with
29. Career lowlight since being an influencer? Spending too much time on your phone/laptop. It is really hard to be in conversations in real time β a lot of your time is spent by your screen
30. Best campaign youβve ever worked on? Honestly, each campaign has been a great experience. I can’t just choose one in particular because each one has been so fun and valuable to me and my career
31. Worst thing thatβs happened to you on a photo shoot? Probably a shoot I had in the fall (mind you fall in NYC can be cold) and the director of the music video wanted me to get into the ocean for the shot. The back of me was only used because I was in tears from the front! OMG I get the chills just thinking about it!
32. The best gift youβve ever received as an influencer? That is so hard to answer! I have been fortunately gifted by so many amazing brands and designers!
33. Last thing you googled? “Delta Check in flight” because I am flying out tomorrow!
34. Favourite film? βTitanicβ
36. Living in the city or living by the beach? Living in the city. I am from NYC so this is definitely the place for me!
37. Favourite travel destination? Vail, Colorado
38. Most Instagram-worthy spot? My neighbourhood β the West Village. Every corner is Insta-perfection!
39. Top three essentials to pack when traveling? Laptop, passport, makeup!
40. Going out clubbing or quiet dinner with friends? Quiet dinner with friends
41. Partner or single? Partner
42. Siblings? Yes, sister Victoria Markowski
43. What city are you currently living in? Manhattan
44. Celebrity/influencer crush? Rosie Huntington
45. Pets? Not yet!
46. What is your best asset? Being patient
47. Biggest misconception about you and your job? A lot of people don’t understand how you can make money on social media
48. Top five Instagram accounts to follow? Leonie Hanne @leoniehanne, Xenia Van Der Woodsen @xeniaadonts, Julie Engel @juliahengel, Jenny Cipoletti @margoandme, Olivia Palermo @oliviapalermo
49. Favourite quote you live by? βEvery day may not be good, but there is good in every dayβ
50. Top career tip? Hustle. Take every single opportunity.
All images: Jessica Markowski
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so beautifulβ¦. love to read about you
Landscapers Sydney
Ou.. how about second sister?