» alyssa garrison ith an impressive sixty-five thousand followers on Instagram
W and sizable online footprints of thousands on Twitter , Pinterest , and Facebook , the RAOP brand has become one of those online behemoths usually only heard of in the UK where YouTube stars and social media influencers seemingly flourish ‘ round every street corner . To Garrison , social media is “ the most instant and simple way to connect and share […] and I genuinely love posting because it doesn ’ t feel like hard work or a burden . For me [ social media ] is all about fun !” With a primary focus on fashion , beauty and design , Garrison ’ s online presence has galloped its way to the forefront of homegrown Canadian social media talent .
Her blog posts in particular are always very imaginative and creative , but at the same time they present a very honest rendering of who Alyssa Garrison really is . She shares her personal thoughts and musings in Dear Diary-like posts and tells us all what we ’ ve been missing in her flavourful travel and lifestyle pieces . At the end of the day , there is something here for everyone and RAOP has essentially become a How-To guide for young readers and millennials who find themselves stuck and uninspired by their surroundings . For Garrison , her most difficult blogging task is “ deciding what to share and what stays private , especially as someone who ’ s single and dating .” She goes on to explain that most bloggers and social media influencers are already “ pretty settled , so sharing cute engagement photos is easy for them , but in my case , do I share a post [ about ] a Bumble date ? Do I rant about someone I like ghosting me ? It ’ s hard to draw the line .”
A RAOP blog post that really stood out for us was posted on June 29 , 2017 entitled We Don ’ t Expire . In it , Garrison pleads with us to slow down and to live in the moment . She explains that society places so much unneeded pressure on women to have it all ; the house , the spouse , the children , and the rewarding career that will ultimately make women everywhere feel fulfilled . Garrison reflects on her own life and experiences and assures her readers that no matter what stage in life they ’ re at , everyone ’ s life is valuable and precious as long as we take a moment to savour every breath , every juicy morsel , and every minute spent living whether it ’ s with a partner or not . Like the title says , we don ’ t expire – “ we get to decide our futures , and our value is based on so much more than being wanted by someone else .”
Though outwardly the RAOP world resembles a sort of online fantasyland , it ’ s obviously more than that . Garrison wants her visitors and followers to delight in every tasty crumb she offers up including her fanciful array of lifestyle products available in the RAOP shop . Here you ’ ll find a curated collection of housewares , clothing , accessories , beauty products , tasty treats , and one-off exclusives . Her charming selection of products does a great job reflecting who Alyssa Garrison is ; you can almost picture her using that mint green milkshake mixer on the daily !
When considering her future and the future of her brand , Garrison becomes thoughtful . “ I think I was always going to be a writer , but had RAOP not taken off , writing likely would have slid to the side while I took on a new career . I always wanted to get into perfumery or florals […] who knows ? Maybe it will still happen one day !” When asked to get a little more personal , Garrison leaves us with this insightful tidbit : “ I ’ m hoping RAOP will organically grow into a mom blog . In all honesty , I really want to have a family , that ’ s my big goal for the next stage of my life now that I ’ ve been so successful in my career . I also plan on writing a book , which has always been at the top of my list .” It goes without saying that we wish Alyssa Garrison , one of our country ’ s brightest online stars , nothing but the very best ! May her reign prove fruitful and be filled with sparkles , glitter and a whole herd of unicorns ( and as many rainbows as her universe can handle )!
36 • fredi digital 2017