Entrepreneur Stephanie Shepherd first appeared on our radar as Kim Kardashian West’s personal assistant. Since working with Kim (and parting ways), Stephanie has gone on to carve out her own personal brand niche as a model and fashionista. She currently has more than a million followers on Instagram, and has made a name for herself as a successful fashion and beauty influencer. We recently chatted with Steph at SIMPLY LA about her favorite beauty, wellness and fashion trends, as well as branding and beauty tips. Here’s what she had to say:

What is your biggest secret for creating your own personal brand?

Definitely authenticity. I know people say that all the time, but if you don’t believe in it and love it, it’s never going to take off. If you try to sell something and you’re not authentic, it’s going to read. You just have to be yourself. I wish I could tell my 16-year-old self, “It’s cool you’re from Ohio and you’re from a farm town. It’s cool you’re Asian. It’s cool you come from a single mom home.” All these things that you think you might not like about yourself, you can use them to your advantage.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced when creating your brand?

The biggest challenge that I’ve faced so far is myself. Getting out of my brain, getting into action, and being confident. Taking risks even though maybe people won’t like it, and taking an “I like it so I’m going to do it” attitude.

What are your favorite beauty trends of the moment?

I’m rocking the low pony right now—that’s kind of my go-to, my slick low pony. I use the Ouai Pomade. Even if you don’t know how to do the low pony, just use a little bit of that and it gives you the look.

I just got these Cryo-Sticks that I put in the freezer, which get the puffiness and redness out of your face. If you’ve had a long night, if you’ve been traveling, if you’ve been crying, if you’re hungover or whatever it is—put these things on and they cool your face down, shrink your pores and tighten everything.

I’m loving the Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum Cream. It smells like summertime. It’s a really thick cream that works really great.

I’m really getting into the Drunk Elephant product line. I want to get more into the organic beauty space and do things that are better for my body.

What do you do to bring relaxation, balance and wellness in your life?

I definitely take yoga. I’m a Virgo in my head, so when I take yoga it makes me feel more balanced, centered and less chaotic. I know some people think it’s not for them, but honestly, you just have to relax and tap into it. You can go for and center yourself. I’ve been getting into crossword puzzles lately just to kind of get myself off the ‘gram. But I still have the fixation of being on my phone and it’s testing my mind, which I think is fun.

What do you do to give back to the community?

Since a young age, my mom has instilled in me that we need to give back. I’m so fortunate and I know that, so that’s not lost on me at all. I feel a moral obligation to do what I can because I have the resources to do it. I volunteer at People’s Concern in Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica. I’m going to do some work with RED next year, and hopefully go on one of their mission trips for HIV awareness. There are so many causes that need our attention. For me, the more people that follow me, there more that I’m able to advocate for things that are important. That’s my driving force at the end of the day.

[Image courtesy of SIMPLY LA/@Ographr]