Influencers

Uff

Hearing about influencers and seeing young ones on video channels and learning they are making an absolute fortune promoting products to mainly people of their own age got me thinking the other day and I wondered how many older influencers there are. Quite a few actually but I didn't find many influencers for older, older people. 

I was speaking to my daughter on Monday evening and told her, tongue in cheek, that I was going to start a new career - an influencer for OAP's. Ok, she said, what products would you promote? Well, anything to do with gardening or DIY products. You know, secateurs (missed a trick the other day didn't I), any gardening tools etc or drills, screwdrivers, saws etc. She thought I might do ok with the former but didn't think many people my age would be wanting advice on buying power tools. Cheeky mare. 

Well, it was nice being a millionaire in my mind for a while at any rate. 

Did anyone have a mentor or influencer when they were growing up?

herbaceous

My Dad, Grandad and Geoff Hamilton. But I'm sure I'm not representative, only found out what an influencer was last year and being 27 I still prefer real people to machines.

Of course it is just possible that I am set in my ways 

AnniD

At senior school, my English teacher Miss Hendy encouraged my love of books. Gardening wise, it has to be Geoff Hamilton. 

Fairygirl

My Dad. I probably learned most of my DIY 'skills' from watching him, and helping. I spent many an hour holding bits of wood he was sawing. 
Every time I saw a bit of wood, I think of that 

Gardening wise - Geoff Hamilton for me too @AnniD

Uff

Your post took me straight back to me helping my dad in the shed Fairygirl. I know that I inherited my love of gardening from him but working with him in his shed must have given me a love of DIY and it must also have encouraged me to ask questions. 

Just going back to young influencers for a minute, I wonder what effect their new found wealth has upon their young lives. It can go either way, I know that. I hope they have good managers to guide them. 

herbaceous

I wonder that too Uff and hope they have their own 'influencers' to provide common sense and balance. My worry is the belief among young people that they can become rich overnight by setting up some UTube channel.

In my youth you had to have a guitar if you wanted to be rich and famous   

Fire

I'm not remotely interested in online 'influencers' who see this as some kind of career and flog products. I am interested on great online teachers - on Youtube or elsewhere, particularly in those who don't think they have all the answers, but have genuine curiosty by the bucketload.

Uff

Yes I hope so too herbaceous.
A week or two ago  I was watching something on TV about a girl of about 15 who had been an influencer for a year or two. Her father was her manager and both mum and dad were proud of her and rightly so. Pictures showed her as being old before her time in as much as hair and make up advanced for her years.
I know children today grow up very quickly but they take on many responsibilities that they shouldn't have to deal with. Plenty of time for that when they are older. 

didyw

There are lots of amazing gardening videos on YouTube.  And if we need to buy something and are looking for recommendations we just come on here! 
It used to be called peer-to-peer marketing, now it is influencing!  I got a free shredder once saying it would be used by our In Bloom group.  But it was useless and is still sitting, unloved, taking up space in my outhouse.

LunarSea

Fairygirl said:

My Dad. I probably learned most of my DIY 'skills' from watching him, and helping. I spent many an hour holding bits of wood he was sawing. 

Yes, definitely my Dad. Miss him terribly. Lost him to Alzheimer's long before he finally passed. He brought me up single-handedly when times were very hard and you made and/or fixed everything. Learned so much from him. Although he never had the opportunity to better himself academically, he made sure nothing held me back and he encouraged me through grammar school & university. 

Uff

I found that touching and heartwarming VictorMeldrew.