Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaitlyn Norgaard.
Hi Kaitlyn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started Inspired Iowan as a creative outlet in 2020 after I had our first child during the pandemic. I was a brand-new mom navigating postpartum and I needed something that just allowed my creativity to flow. I enjoyed sharing photos of our home, decorations, and diy projects that my husband and I were completing. People seemed to enjoy learning where I was finding or shopping for these items in our home. Especially when things came from small businesses. When COVID hit and the world shut down it was really hard to see how it impacted a lot of the small businesses. So, I started doing Instagram live sessions with a few of the small businesses that I enjoyed just as another way to help them share where people could shop their products and it just felt like a small way that I could help support (even with a really small following at the time).
Through our home building process in 2020 I worked with some really fun and local brands and that really was kind of the start of “influencing” or content creation for me. However, I always knew that for me my brand was going to be more than just about sharing products or follower counts. For me Inspired Iowan is deeply rooted in who I am as a person and how I was raised. The name comes from summers spent on my grandparent’s farm, growing up in a small town, bon fires and back roads. It’s my family’s heritage farm that has been in our family for over 250 years. Its tradition. Its places that are often overlooked but hold the sweetest gems.
From sharing guides about the best coffee shops and ice cream stops, to ways to spend a girl’s night or things to do with your kiddos. To sharing day to day tips, outfits or activities that I am doing with my own family. My goal is to create fun, visually appealing content that resonates with a wide range of people!
This brand is my love letter to the state of Iowa. To the parts that may not be peoples first choice, the small businesses tucked off the main path, and the small-town traditions. It’s about showing that inspiration lives in all parts of Iowa.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think one of the hardest things in content creating is constantly trying to keep up with the new “rules” of algorithms and trying to learn new trends and what’s working and what’s not according to what social media says. My background is actually in elementary special education, specifically intellectual and behavioral disabilities. So, I personally don’t have a background in social media/graphic design/marketing or anything. Everything has all been trial and error and self-taught. I have been really lucky to meet a lot of really wonderful women along my path that I can collaborate with and learn from. The content creation is not my favorite part of the work, I love coming up with the ideas and planning, and connecting with people, and I could talk all day long, but the work of designing things on a computer is actually really hard for me and I would love to just be able to have someone do it all for me ha! My other thing is that I just want to put out content that people find valuable and I want to find small businesses and places that could really use or benefit from getting the word out about their business. Even if it brings one new person to their door that feels worth it to me!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Essentially Inspired Iowan is a blog on social media platforms that shares about Iowa/Midwest sights and scenes, unique small-town gems, and partner with small businesses to help bring awareness to their brands. I also do some lifestyle content where I share outfits and brands that I enjoy myself. I truly do try and share based on follower feedback. I do get quite a bit of requests for kid centered content like activities to do with littles (like crafts or sensory bins etc) I will share some of this. However, I always say, I am a mom who blogs, but I am not necessarily a mommy blogger. I got into this so I could have something that felt like it was for me and my creative outlet. I will always share fun places or events that our family enjoyed, but if it is a craft or something we did I sometimes may just snap a pic in stories.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I am truly just a girl with a phone and a few social media apps. I usually have a four-year-old hanging on my while I am trying to post or I work on my content at 5:00am before my kids get up in the morning. I don’t think I am supposed to admit this, but I don’t really have a content plan and I just kind of go off vibes and what feels right! I genuinely just enjoy meeting the wonderful people in my state and the really cool and creative things so many of them are building! So, I love shouting them from the rooftops. I am truly so grateful for every single follower. I may not be a huge account but honestly, I am proud to know that I have built an authentic following. I love interacting with my followers!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspirediowan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredIowan/
