Meet Sari Lowenstein

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sari Lowenstein.

Hi Sari, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I moved to Kansas City after graduating from KU. Being from Leawood, I was hesitant to move home because I didn’t think that Kansas City had much to offer. I was very determined to expand my horizon and try new things constantly. I was always looking up what new restaurant was opening or driving around areas I hadn’t spent much time in and would make a note in my phone of every restaurant I passed. To this day, I still will drive around or walk and write down any business or restaurant I see that I haven’t heard of before. In the summer of 2018, I went out for ice cream with a group of friends. I am not sure why but I decided to post a picture of my ice cream on Instagram. I started getting messages asking me where I was and if I had suggestions to where people should go next. It was sort of a light bulb moment of starting a food Instagram. It occurred to me that there might be other people in KC, like me, that are used to going to the same place over and over and don’t realize how much there is in KC. I didn’t even realize at the time that there were other KC Food Instagram until I started to going on the hunt on social media to find restaurants.

I started just constantly taking pictures of food and asking friends and family for suggestions of where to go next. I always have so much fun asking friends to come with to me a place neither of us had been so that I could try it out and post about it on Instagram. As I continued to go to local restaurants, my eyes opened to all of the local businesses that surround KC. I started to categorize my feed by showing not just food but local boutiques, murals by local artists, as well as my photography business. I don’t really identify myself as an influencer because I don’t want to put pressure on myself to “perform”. What you see on my feed or stories is me, the real me. I never really paid attention to how many likes or how many followers I was getting through the process. The number one thing I tell people when I get asked about my page is that I do this because I love Kansas City and I wanted to have a place to share my experiences and highlight local businesses. I have absolutely loved the opportunities that have come from having this Instagram. It takes a lot of work to balance my day job, photography, my social life and keeping up with my page, but I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t having a blast.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the hardest things about Instagram is comparing ourselves to others. When I first started getting invited to Influencer events, I was shocked, I didn’t think that I “fit the mold” of who should be at those types of things. Then I started to question myself and trying to figure out if I needed to change who I was or the content I was producing to get invited to more events. I struggled mentally for a while going back and forth of being confident of what I was putting out there. There is always the worry of, do people like what I am producing or feeling like if you don’t get invited to an event, you “haven’t made it”. It is a constant reminder that I am in control over my page and if I feel I need a break from social media and constantly posting, then I am allowed to do that. Instagram is a wonderful world that has brought me some of my closest friends (which I never anticipated that happening) but unfortunately it has a dark side that is easy to get sucked into. I have met some of the coolest people through this process and it is so nice to have each other to lean on.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am not sure I would say I am known for anything but I definitely try to push supporting local is every aspect of my life and try to get others to do the same. I am constantly posting about the local businesses that I utilize every day from my clothing to house goods, etc. While running my Instagram is not my full-time job, I do consider it a job with how much time it takes. I think what I am most proud of is the connections I have made through the platform and creating friendships online that transitioned to friendships in real life. I think what sets me apart from others is that I am authentically myself. There is nothing I wouldn’t talk about on my Instagram that I wouldn’t talk about in everyday conversation. I have definitely experienced sharing my opinion about something on my story and losing followers- and that is totally ok. If someone no longer feels like what I am saying aligns with their views, I totally understand if they don’t want to follow my page anymore.

What matters most to you? Why?
Staying true to myself. Unfortunately, I have met many influencers in real life and they seem like a totally different person than their persona online. Those experiences have been really eye opening and I said to myself, I never want someone to have that experience with me. I might not be everyone’s cup of coffee but thats ok! I try to keep my page as local as possible and there are very few businesses I have posted about that are not local to Kansas City. I have turned down partnerships with businesses many times because I don’t think they align with my overall message of supporting locals. I try to only post about businesses I truly believe in and would go to regardless of having an Instagram or not. What matters to me is using the platform for good. I find it hard to relate to influencers that seem like they are always forcing products down your throat or pushing an agenda. I use this platform to highlight businesses and form connections with like-minded people.

Contact Info:

• Email: kcbysari@gmail.com
• Instagram: kcbysari