Beyond Influencer
Photograph by John Towner
You’ve probably heard the term “influencer” thrown around lately, it’s all the rage, in case you didn’t know. It’s somebody who has thousands (or tens of thousands) of followers on social media, and gets paid or gets free stuff from companies looking to spread the word about their product or service (I’m assuming it’s cheaper than having to pay for advertising). Just how much these individuals make is uncertain, and depends on who you ask. Most influencers either won’t tell you, or aren’t truthful about what they earn. Whatever your take on it, being an influencer seems to be a big deal, these days.
But that’s not who we are, here at Kingdomz X. I’m not knocking anyone who does it, but I like to think we’re better, in that despite being a luxury magazine, our articles aren’t about objects, they’re about experiences. There’s a story behind the construction of a yacht, a shoe, piece of furniture, or condo. The only reason we share stories from our site to social media, is because we want to spread the word about good food, great art, and fabulous experiences, in hopes that others will enjoy these things as well. We’re not doing it to make a few bucks (or freebies), which isn’t to say that we won’t accept such offers (and if we do, you’ll know). So far, we haven’t. Though I have signed up for three different influencer accounts, it was merely to explore my options. My point here is, Kingdomz X is truly a labor of love, and I still prefer doing things my way.
We’re redefining (or perhaps clarifying) what “luxury” actually means. Many of us are often told that necessity (food, water, shelter, clothing) is the obverse of luxury. While this may be true to a certain extent, without luxuries, we would be nothing more than grazing automatons, and life would be pointless. We are creators, and our creativity manifests in the foods we prepare, the furniture upon which we lounge, the spirits we consume, the timepieces with which we mark the hours. These things are the very definition of “luxury”, and they are essential to the quality of the lives we live.
Photograph by Tobias Polinder
With that said, I’d like to address the lack of content here in recent months, and overall.
Though I’ve had a few writers contribute here and there, it’s me doing the bulk of the work. My plan was to get a few contributors to write for me for a few months, without compensation (interns, basically). This would have allowed me to work on the physical publication of Kingdomz X Magazine (a large, luxurious quarterly, with exclusive content unavailable at our web mag), which in turn would have provided me with the means to pay my writers, and more. Of all that I’ve tried to accomplish (with the magazine, and in other things), this has proved to be most difficult, and seemingly impossible. The truly unfortunate part, is that I’ve lined up for interviews all sorts of fantastic individuals in the arts, music, interior design, and more. Though I’m doing my best to get around to everyone, my human abilities are limited.
But I refuse to let any of this stop me. In fact, you’ll be seeing a lot more coming out of Kingdomz X in the near future. What’s changed to make this possible? Find out next month in my next editorial.
