Hinfluencers is a team of Instagram influencers made up of creatives that include photographers, videographers, and models who aim to create authentic content together for their audience. Below we learn more about Hinfluencers from the founder himself, James Cole, in a very thoughtful and inspiring interview:
Photo by: Brandon Woelfel
Hello James, to start off can you tell us a little about what Hinfluencer’s means to you and what you want it to mean for others?
For me, H is all about community. As we become more digital, faster, and, ironically, less connected as a larger society, we feel it’s all the more important to have a family to inspire you, to center you, and to create with. We hope to authentically generate content together, to learn and grow as a community, and, most importantly, to inspire others to do the same.
As the founder of Hinfluencers, when did you realize that this company that you comprised together was really taking off?
I still feel as though we are in a “taking off” phase. Every day is better than the one that preceded it – we have more members of our family, we are creating better content, and our mission is becoming clearer and more defined.
That said, there are little moments: our last Meet Up (at Sutro Baths) we announced only 4 days ahead of time and 120 people showed up. When I circled through the crowd meeting people, I was astounded by how far people had traveled (many of them 3+ hours) to feel a part of something and to create with other, like minded people. It struck me, in that moment, how necessary this community is!
Photo by: David Rice
Photo by:January Lunsford
How do you want Hinfluencers to impact the way we view and portray content?
I want H to make people challenge the way we view branded content. “Ads” shouldn't be disruptions anymore. We should be passed that. Instead, “ads” should be authentic and provide value. By creating together, and being genuine in HOW we create, the hope is that WHAT we create will also be genuine and therefore more meaningful to our community more broadly.
Just a curious question, what does the H stand for in Hinfluencers?
The H is a visual metaphor – its shape represents connectivity and independence all at once. Creators have separate visions and separate goals, but the cross beam of the H connects them just as our community can facilitate collaboration and cross pollination. It’s a reminder that we all (influencers to influencers, brands to brands, and brands to influencers) have more similar goals than we realize and that by creating as a unit and aligning our goals, we can be stronger than we’d be separately.
How did you gather the members of your team?
The beauty of how H has grown is that its been largely organic. H has a powerful message: lets leave the inauthenticity, and the quest for fame and quick money to the side and create, genuinely, as a family. People with whom this message resonates seek us out; plain and simple. As we grow larger we will likely have to be more selective but for now, the only prerequisite for being a member of H is believing in the mission and putting yourself to the side in favor of the larger, authentic message.
Photo by: Nesrin Danan
The content produced by Hinfluencers is absolutely stunning, can you explain the process of how Hinfluencers takes an idea and turns it into reality or better yet a finished product?
H works as a team. The great thing about how we have structured the company is that we all are friends and genuinely like working together and brainstorming. Further, we have a good sense of each other’s style etc. so we often find ourselves finishing each others sentences or planning the same kinds of trips. You can see lots of behind the scenes footage etc on our website (hinfluencers.com).
Photo by: Brandon Woelfel
Photo by: Alivia Latimer
Can you elaborate more on how you believe that the marketing landscape is becoming less and less authentic?
For many marketers, the digital landscape is just another, new channel to output their message. What they miss, is that social media has made it so that brands no longer have control of their brand. The users, consumers and followers control every brand message now. Everyone is a marketer. Anyone can post and share and inform others. By digging their claws in and trying to CONTROL the information, brands disrupt the conversation and flow of content and come off as inauthentic and out of touch. The future is a world where brands inform, and contribute to the discussion as opposed to trying to govern it.
Do you have any advice for those who are aspiring creatives: photographers, videographers and/or filmmakers?
It’s simple: create, create, create. If you want to learn more, or get better, or gain inspiration, you need to get out and shoot. Often, action precedes passion; that is to say, you have to get off your butt and CREATE before you are hooked, before you are good, and before it makes complete sense to you. Another tip would be to involve others. One of the things we believe very deeply at H is that feeding off of other’s energy and passion is the best way to spark your own!
Photo by: Nesrin Danan 
Photo by: Nesrin Danan
What can we expect from Hinfluencers in the near future? Any exciting projects?
H has some amazing trips planned in the coming months: to LA, to Joshua Tree, throughout Northern California and hopefully (fingers crossed) abroad.
And last but not least, where can people find out more about Hinfluencers?
Follow us on instagram at @hinfluencercollective, check out our website www.hinfluencers.com or send me an email at james@hinfluencers.com. I always love hearing from people and getting feedback!
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