Instagram Influencer Spotlight On: Michael Cruz @yogi_mhc

1) Tell us a little about yourself. What are you doing now and where do you come from?

I was born and raised in the Dallas, Texas area, and I just finished a graduate program and now have my Doctorate of Physical Therapy. I love travel and adventure and hope to incorporate that into my job as a physical therapist.

2) What are your topics of interest? What do you post on Instagram the most?

I began yoga on February 2, 2013. It’s honestly changed my life for the better and has opened many doors and has led me to many amazing experiences. Because of yoga, I’ve been exposed to acroyoga, slacklining, handstanding/balancing arts, and many other areas of movement culture. So basically on Instagram, you’ll catch me doing yoga, acroyoga, slacklining, and handstands wherever I am in my life journey.

3) How did your Instagram name come about?

My Instagram name (@yogi_mhc) was created out of my love for yoga. A yogi is someone who practices yoga, and my initials are MHC.

4) What are some apps you use to edit your photos? Share with us your photo-editing routine!

I’m a huge fan of Snapseed and VSCO for photo editing aside from using the editing features on Instagram. I occasionally use Adobe Photoshop. I use iMovie to edit the videos I post.

5) Any Instagrammers whom you really like? Which Instagrammer inspires you the most?

@laurasykora was basically the reason I started yoga. One night back in college, my friends and I were bored, and one of us found her Instagram page, so we tried out a few poses she posted. And the rest was history after that. I follow a ton of people in the yoga, acroyoga, slackline, handstand, and circus communities. @maxandlizacro taught some of my first acroyoga classes, @patrickbeach inspired me to begin a handstand practice, @fitqueenirene helped me fall in love with yoga backbends, and there are so many people I follow on Instagram and also have met or actually know in real life who inspire me.

6) If there’s one thing your fellow Instagrammers just gotta try now, what’s it gonna be?

If you haven’t tried acroyoga, you should definitely try it. It’s a practice that attracts people of all different backgrounds: yoga, cheerleading, dance, gymnastics, martial arts, and so much more. A few days ago, I saw Jimmy Fallon learn an acroyoga pose on his talk show. Acroyoga is so accessible, and you learn so much about the importance of communication and trust.

7) What’s your favorite part about being an influencer?

I love being an influencer because I believe by sharing what I love to do, people become inspired to discover their true passions in life. I keep things light and fun for the most part on social media because I’m a huge believer that you shouldn’t take like too seriously. There’s always room in your day for a smile, a laugh, and a time to relax and get rid of stress. I also love the networking that occurs as part of being an influencer. I’ve been contacted by a bunch of people who share similar interests and passions and want to collaborate and work on creating something awesome.

8) What are some of your top tips to brands for running campaigns? How do you maintain authenticity?

I’m a huge fan of brands that run campaigns that inspire creativity but are also accessible and realistic. I maintain authenticity by staying true to who I am, which is why I developed a life hashtag #AimTrueAndBeYou, inspired by @tjhark. Campaigns that don’t fit my personality are ones I don’t participate in. I do love when I can infuse my yoga practice into a campaign and come up with something fun and creative.

9) What would your advice be on the importance of quality and original content?

It’s important to find your voice, which will help you find your audience. I don’t try to be someone I’m not, and I think it’s important to keep the way you caption your posts consistent by maintaining your personality through the words you type. I think we all know when we’ve seen a good picture/video and when we haven’t, so in terms of quality, I look into the different features that make up a good photo or video. Is the angle I’m taking the shot a good one? What’s going on in the background? Are things fairly symmetrical (if that’s how I want them to be) or does the view look balanced? I’m sure we’ve all seen Instagrammers who care about quantity versus quality and who upload a ton of posts in a small period of time, but their photos and videos aren’t of the best quality. Personally, I like to come up with quality posts that are creative and demonstrate my personality. It may mean only uploading one post a day, but I’m okay with that because I know it’s a post that I put my personality into rather than mainly caring about how many likes/views I get (those don’t hurt though). Be yourself, and the rest will follow!

10) What do you like best about partnering with brands?

I like partnering with brand who establish a good sense of communication and who care about you maintaining your personality and allow you to share what you love with others. Partnering with brands is exciting, especially when they encourage you to get creative and come up with unique ideas that turn into something really awesome in reality.

Topics:

• Health & Fitness
• Nature & Outdoors
• Photography
• Travel

Country:

United States of America