“My biggest achievement is my kids,” – Famous Influencer Katey Stanley

Most people believe that being an Instagram blogger or celebrity is all about living a fancy lifestyle, receiving PR packages, going on paid vacations, and the list goes on. However, only bloggers themselves can truly understand what it’s truly like when all eyes are on you and your life. Balancing your private life with the one you live on screen can be quite challenging, and not everyone is able to master it. Katey Stanley, however, is an exception. Part-time blogger, writer and a full-time mother and wife, Katey is a dynamic woman who manages her personal life like a pro while still influencing over 131k followers through her inspiring and fun-filled Instagram account. In order to get a better insight into how this mommy of four keeps it together, we sat down with the ever-so-pretty Katey Stanley. Here are the excerpts from the interview

Who is Katey Stanley? Tell us about yourself.

Katey Stanley: Well, for starters, I’m from New Jersey. I went to Rutgers University and graduated. Soon, I landed a job in marketing and PR. I used to be the Social Media Manager at Avis Budget Group and worked with bloggers. One thing led to another, and I decided to start my own blog, which quickly evolved into Instablogging.

How did you get into Instablogging? What inspired you? 

Katey Stanley: I was having lunch with Amber Fillerup, who I was working with at Avis, and she encouraged me to go for it full-time, and the following summer, I did precisely that. I left my corporate job to start Instablogging and found myself happier and more fulfilled while spending even more time with my family. While I was pregnant with my daughter, other expectant mothers followed my journey, and it only grew from there. That was almost six years ago, and since then, I have never looked back.

How would you like to describe yourself?

Katey Stanley: I am a fun-loving mother of four – Tripp, Adeline, Killian, and Preston – who’s a child at heart. To be honest, I feel my biggest achievement is my children. Apart from that, I love creating wonderfully fun memories with my kids that inspire others to engage with their children. I am tenacious, a go-getter, and a flower child. If I were left in a flower field alone for 3 hours, you’d find me happy as a clam with a pile of flower crowns I made for sharing.

How do you like to spend your time with your family? What do you love to do in your leisure time?

Katey Stanley: I love going on walks with my family, baking, or doing science experiments. We have a golf cart, so when it’s nice, we go on beautiful rides together along our lake, always in search of a wildflower field. We ice skate on the lake during winter and typically head to Florida for sunshine. I wish the kids could go to school in South Florida January-March so we could escape the winters!

How do you balance your professional and personal life?

Katey Stanley: It’s hard to find a balance when your personal life blends into work, but we make it fun. If we want to go somewhere or see something, we’ll try to incorporate a brand to offset the costs. This makes it amazingly easy to justify doing just about anything, all the while making for a fun family lifestyle.

How do you manage your role as a wife, mother, and writer?

Katey Stanley: I try not to work in front of my kids. I never want them to think I prefer being on my phone or laptop rather than talking to them. I set time aside when my husband is around to spend time on what I need to do. It gets hard sometimes as there aren’t enough hours in the day, but then we figure it out as a family.

What is your greatest strength and weakness?

Katey Stanley: Creativity is my strength, as I can imagine and create things, while fear is my weakness. It can paralyze you, cause anxiety, and, quite frankly, ruin your life! I’m working on controlling how I let my fears interfere with my life.  

Do you have any regrets?

Katey Stanley: I regret drinking 8oz of whiskey on my wedding night at about 2 a.m. It was completely unnecessary, and I threw up for two days. Other than that, nothing! 

How would you want to make this world a better place?

Katey Stanley: One day, when I have the time, funds, and energy, I want to optimize the United States adoption system. I have so many friends who are desperate for children, and it’s just so impossible to adopt a child into a loving family. On the other hand, there are so many children, and babies that would benefit from finding these families.