Spotlight Sunday · Aug 30, 2020

SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY// Jess from Inside.Number2

We were excited to catch up with Jess from Inside.Number2 this week. In 2016, Jess and her partner made the leap onto the property ladder purchasing a new build property near Norwich.

As an interior designer, Jess started documenting the decorating and styling of her home on Instagram. Flash forward 4 years, and she now has an Instagram following of over 130,000, a blog and a YouTube channel!

We wanted to find out what life is like as an influencer, what inspires her, and how she managed to build that following....

Jess, thank you so much for speaking to us, tell us a little bit about yourself...

My name is Jessica, or Jess. I am the creator behind the social media platform Inside Number 2. I live in a market village just outside of Norwich in the East of England with my partner and our daughter. I established Inside Number 2 in January 2017, when I found myself with a passion for styling my home and wanted to create a platform that would allow me to diarise our home journey. From there the platform has grown and I now enjoy sharing all things lifestyle, home interiors and beauty with my audience.

You have an incredible 131,000 followers! What inspired you to start your Instagram page?

Wow! When I see that number it still can’t quite believe it! I was inspired to start my account when we moved into our first home. It was a new build and a completely blank canvas. I wasn’t really sure how to style it, so I started looking on Pinterest for inspiration and then this landed me on Instagram, swooning over some very beautiful homes and it all started from there.

How have you built your following? Do you have tips and secrets you can share with our readers on how to grow your Instagram following?

I get asked this question a lot and my top tip would be create friendships and communicate with others by commenting on their posts and reacting to their stories. When it comes to Instagram the phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day” could not be truer. It requires a huge amount of commitment so be sure you know what you want to get out of it, whether it be a hobby, somewhere to diarise your journey or a full-time job.

Which people or books have had the most influence on your growth?

I would say I am most inspired by the big influencers such as Lydia Elise Millen and Victoria McGrath (InTheFrow). These ladies have been on the influencer scene for a long time and are just fabulous! They inspire me to continue creating new and exciting content on all my platforms. If I could be half as successful as them, I would be happy!

You have collaborated with many different brands, is there one that particularly stood out to you, perhaps your first one? Or one that was extremely close to your heart?

One collaboration I will never forget is with a small business called oh.my.print, I don’t think it trades anymore but I remember being their first brand rep and it was my first debut as a rep as well. They hosted a competition where you had to design your own print and I won. I don’t know why but this just sticks with me with a fond memory. I also still have the print displayed in our house.

Where do you get your interior/styling inspiration from?

There are two interior designers I love to follow on Instagram called Claire Garner Interiors and Claire Totman Designs I adore their style! Every house they design is perfection in my eyes. I am also a huge fan of Sophie Paterson, she is a hugely popular interior designer and I find her style to be so calming yet sophisticated.

What does a typical day in your week look like?

Like all working mummies, my day is busy! Things have obviously been a little different recently but most of days consist of having fun and making memories with my daughter Olivia. We enjoy trips to the zoo and playing in the garden.

You do a lot of IGTV's, stories, and have your own YouTube channel - do you have any tips for those starting out on how to build confidence in being on camera?

Just go for it! It took me a very long time to show my face on the camera but once I started, I realised there was nothing to be afraid of. I often just have a chat with myself, it’s a bizarre thing to do but you get used to it!

What does your perfect day off look like?

Starting the day with a coffee in bed and then having a nice slow morning. Then going for a nice walk along the coast with my family and finding a nice Norfolk pub for some food. Heading home and enjoy a hot bubble bath.

How do you balance work and family time?

This has been my biggest challenge recently. With my work being on my phone and at home, I have had to work on putting these down and focusing on my family. I have started setting myself time limits and working hours to improve the balance.

In one word;

Your favourite beach destination?

Wells-Next -The-Sea

Favourite family day out?

Go to the zoo

Favourite independent clothing boutique?

I’m a high street clothing kinda girl!

Favourite independent interior store?

Hudson Home

Favourite TV Show?

Greys Anatomy

Which are you top 5 products from our Norfolking Around store?