Elena Sokolova, a 29-year-old mother from Barnaul, has successfully transformed her blog into a full-time career, generating income to support her family. Her journey involved transitioning from posting random videos to creating deliberate content and building a loyal following of 30,000 subscribers from an initial 12,000 “dead” accounts.

Sokolova’s approach emphasizes authenticity, a factor that played a key role in her blog’s growth. She underscores the importance of sincerity over chasing trends, sharing both her successes and struggles with her audience. She openly discusses topics ranging from her guardianship of her younger brother to the challenges of pregnancy and motherhood.

The blogger’s story began in 2013, but she began to treat it with intent in 2022-2023. She stresses the necessity of having a genuine audience, as advertisers often scrutinize engagement statistics. This led her to delete fake subscribers, causing an initial drop in statistics, but she remained steadfast, highlighting the importance of understanding one’s motivation and persevering despite slow progress.

Sokolova’s personal history adds depth to her story. Raised by her grandmother after her parents were unable to care for her, she later became the guardian of her younger brother, Vanya, who she says needed medical care and education. She shared openly about her difficult pregnancy, sharing the realities of motherhood. She believes her sincerity resonated with viewers and helped to build a dedicated following.

She considers blogging a serious profession, akin to a traditional office job. She plans her content in advance, negotiates with advertisers, and manages her finances professionally.

With around 30,000 followers across her social media platforms, Elena attributes her success to hard work, not luck, and she now collaborates with major cosmetic brands.