I recently sat down with Hilary Elrod, Founder & Owner of the blog By, Hilary Rose. You may recognize Hilary from her colorful and stylish Instagram posts, her viral etiquette Pinterest pins or a blog post highlighting some of her favorite Charleston hangouts. With a readership of over 90k on her three-year-old blog and over 102k followers on Instagram, in person, Hilary exudes a down-to-earth personality and a wealth of grace and humility.

Recently Hilary spoke at the Social Media All Day Conference (SMAD-CON) on the Trends Panel with other such notable influencers as Iesha Vincent, Kelvin Davis and Timothy Kelly. I sat down with Hilary at Workshop, just around the corner from the conference venue, for a chat.

Born in Georgia, and most recently having lived in Austin, TX, Hilary has a national base of loyal followers. Her Instagram and blog feature an approachable, yet enviable, style that seems to come effortlessly. Recently, she decided to branch out and focus on some of her other passions, including food, by adding a weekly “Foodie Friday” post. Though only having lived in Charleston for about a year, she takes her role as an unofficial “ambassador” to the Holy City seriously by frequently posting about her favorite Charleston spots and dishing out itinerary advice. Hilary differentiates herself by taking the time every day to respond to the messages and questions she receives from her fan base. After sitting down with Hilary, it’s clear her most memorable quote from the panel also resonates throughout her personal brand: the most important trend is authenticity.

5 Things You Didn’t Know

1. Growing up, Hilary considered herself a tomboy. She loved playing golf, hunting, fishing and barrel racing.

2. She thrives off of her unconventional schedule by making every day’s itinerary different.

3. Hilary’s proudest career moment was being featured in a two-page editorial spread in Southern Living Magazine.

4. Her favorite animal is the beluga whale and her dream trip is to go kayaking during their migration.

5. She is currently in the process of writing her first fiction book.

Charleston Fast Five

Bar: Wine & Co.

Brunch: Pawpaw’s Southern Plates

Beach: Sullivan’s Island

Brewery: Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company

Boutique: II Brunettes

Read part 2 of this article here.