Ever wonder what it would be like to work at the Instagram Headquarters in New York City? Katie Couric, teaming up with theSkimm, is visiting and interviewing successful women in their places of business to understand the secrets of their success. In this episode, Katie visits Eva Chen, the head of Fashion Partnerships for Instagram.
Eva is known for her social media presence with Instagram, posting a picture of her shoes daily on her way to work. In addition to her success at the colossal app, she is also a mom of two young kids. Eva gives a little bit of the inside scoop of what its like to work for Instagram, how she got there, and what she values in regards to her position.
Eva deals with everything that touches the style world. Her job is to connect with designers, models, stylists, photographers, magazines, and others involved with the fashion business.
She points out that to grow, as a stylist or fashion blogger with Instagram, posting content regularly is the best way to get out there for people to see. She recommends using natural light in the posts, using interesting locations, and to be you, as authentic as possible.
Eva also gave a little insight to herself, having parents that emigrated from China. She describes herself as a quiet, bookish little girl. She also studied pre-med at Johns Hopkins University, before ultimately deciding on another path and working in magazines for a while.
She states that this was an important step, as she could only get to where she is by being true to herself and her passions. She hasn’t always known what direction her career was taking her, but she notes that asking her community, family, and friends for advice and help was a major factor in her success. Her biggest advice is to keep asking questions, and your career could take you in several different directions before you get to where you want.
According to Eva, one of the things she does with her coworkers is working out. They get together twice a week as a team and exercise, and as she says, she won’t go do it on her own without them. The Instagram offices have a bunch of really interesting features that make it a dream workplace.
One is a “green wall,” a wall of living plants brings life to the office. Another is the gelato bar, where employees can pick between tons of different options. The offices also have a rooftop hangout spot, with a fantastic view of the city.
Check out the video above for more on the Instagram headquarters tour and Eva Chen.
