THE SURREAL WORLD

Her instagram posts are light as air. Breezy.

Take for example, an entry from late October—a quick take she calls “Camera roll lately,” featuring fashionably curated snaps from the world of a woman whose career is to, as her bio says, “overshare.”

It’s a modern, still-life tableau that features … in this order … rich burgundy manicure contrasting with a winter white cropped blazer; cup of tea next to a tablet strategically cued to favorite “Pins” on that other social media site; shoes (presumably designer) shyly peeping out from a pair of well-worn jeans; signature black Mac computer perfectly positioned next to a copy of Vogue, sleek black sunglasses, Yves Saint Laurent wallet, and bottle of green juice; another white jacket (same as before, perhaps?) contrasted with black Chanel bag; bedroom selfie in casual yet chic couture, iPhone covering face; and finally, family dog (a golden retriever whose name, you surmise from comments, is Frankie) in (where else?) a bathtub.

She makes it seem so effortless. Easy.

“You are an entire vibe,” one follower raves.

But get to know Lake Forest native Victoria Glass and you realize nothing about what she does and the success she has built from her social media brand is simple at all.

“It does take a lot more time than people realize,” says Glass, former member of the corporate buying team for Ulta Beauty who used the time she saved commuting during the pandemic to cultivate a presence on social media. “I lived in downtown Chicago and had been commuting to Bolingbrook. When COVID hit, I was working from home and downloaded this new app called TikTok.”

Boom.

At first, her stories and reels on TikTok and Instagram were merely a creative outlet. Then she got more and more followers, and one day, she was presented with a paid offer to feature a sponsored product.

“I built it up until I was working two full-time jobs at once and eventually, I decided to take a chance and work solely for social media,” explains Glass, a Lake Forest High School graduate who studied advertising and public relations at Indiana University. “I left my corporate job in August 2021, and the rest is history.” If you are one of her 41,800 Instagram followers, it’s a history that’s already well-documented.

In April 2022, Glass got engaged to Anthony Bozin, and seven months later, moved back to her native Lake Forest. The couple (who was married in September 2023, just weeks before our interview) met in 2015 when they were both working out at Lifetime Fitness.

“I would go to the gym and would see him and we kept running into each other,” she explains. “It wasn’t until a few years later that we started going for walks after our workouts.”

Three years after @victoriaoglass became a fixture on the morning Insta scroll, life as a newly married woman has been woven into the aesthetic of her social media persona. However, Glass says she is mindful of the need for separation between her real life and the carefully stylized image she portrays in the surreal world.

“It can be so deceiving,” she says. “Everyone posts their highlight reels but it’s not reality.”

Speaking of reality, despite the urge to compare this social media tags-to-riches story to the uber-popular Emily in Paris (the one where a darling girl from Skokie just happens to get a job in Paris and becomes a social media sensation with ten thousands of followers literally overnight), Glass is quick to note the difference.

“It’s a cute show, but it’s definitely not reality—at all,” she says. “Emily blew up on social media, which can happen to people, but it’s not that easy. There are a lot of misconceptions about what creators do. While for some it may be a hobby, for me it is a business.”

Glass says it wasn’t until she hit the 50,000 followers mark on TikTok (in March 2021, less than a year after creating the account) that the switch went off that her creative outlet could be harnessed into a lucrative career.

First, brands began gifting her with products to feature in her posts. Then came paid brand collaborations, which is how Glass and other social media influencers earn income.

“My first brand deal was with Express,” explains Glass, who now has a social media audience on TikTok and Instagram of 370,000, made up of primarily women between the ages of 18 and 34. As an influencer, you become a media outlet, she explains. This requires you to have a media kit with all your updated statistics and demographics.

“I started by taking product and creating a video in exchange so I could build up my media kit,” says Glass, adding that she now works with an agency in L.A. to manage her brand deals and collaborations. “Last year, I worked with 75 different brands. This year, I’ve worked with 35 brands. As I’ve grown, I’ve been able to be more selective in who I choose to collaborate with.

Today, her business expands even beyond her social media pages. Glass creates content for brands such as YSL Beauty, Dior Beauty, Calvin Klein and Estee Lauder to use solely on their platforms as well.

“It has definitely been an interesting journey. It’s a new industry and is constantly evolving,” she says. “When a brand deal is negotiated, there are a lot of different variables that go into the contract, such as a specific set of deliverables, brand usage rights, ad boosting, and more. Every influencer has their own niche and style.”

While Glass says some “extremely famous” influencers can just talk into the camera for 30 seconds to cultivate their following, most spend quite a bit of time working behind the scenes to create the content they share.

Take the fall décor reel she had trending at the time of this interview.

“For that post in particular, I started by laying out all my décor. Once I make a decision about how I want it to look, I figure out how I’m going to film it with the camera and lighting,” she says, explaining that she does all the filming herself on her iPhone with a tripod. “I usually have 40 to 50 minutes of footage that I cut up and edit. Then I add sound. For me, a lot of my content is aesthetic. Everyone has a different niche. Mine is very pretty visuals set to music because that is what my audience finds appealing.”

Behind the filter of social media, Glass has lived a life not unlike those of her peers. Her childhood growing up with three brothers and a sister in Lake Forest was a happy one. Her hobbies and interests are also ones that many share, ranging from a fabulous fashion find to interior design hacks. The difference, Glass explains, is that her new career requires everything she does to be put in the public eye—drawing attention that can be both a blessing and a curse.

As Glass continues to build her brand and business, she tries to stay true to herself and her vision for how she wants her stories and posts to impact others.

“Everyone is watching what I’m creating and doing every day,” she explains. “There is a vulnerability in that, making sure that I represent myself in an authentic way that I am proud of. I want what I share to have purpose. I always hope to leave my audience feeling happy and inspired.”

The result is what faithful followers see when they log on every day—a glamorous yet playful glimpse into a life of joy, fun, and style. While Glass now makes a living from the brands who sponsor her, she is also mindful to keep her posts grounded in the reality of her own life.

“I post almost every single day and most of my posts are not brand deals,” she explains. “Most of my TikTok videos, 90 percent, are not paid but that’s part of my job. I have to build up my platform and engagement and aim to work with the brands I want to work with.”

Glass is also increasingly mindful of her own relationship with social media.

“In general, social media can be tricky for a lot of people’s mental health. I always try to stress the importance of creating a healthy balance while using it,” she says. “I encourage people to unfollow or mute those they believe leave them feeling drained or discouraged. I always try to get feedback from my audience and my hope is to always help and inspire them. If I can portray anything, it’s that I cherish and celebrate all the good in my life.”

With gift guides and holiday branding projects well under way, Glass says she plans to take some time for herself away from the glow of social media to enjoy her first Christmas with her husband and quality family time.

“I am very particular about my social media usage when I’m with family and try to balance and give myself time off,” she explains. “I might be MIA during the holidays. I like to be present and protect everyone’s privacy— to enjoy the holidays as authentically and offline as possible.”