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Youngish internet users who don't have their heads buried in dark and unspeakable places will likely know who Naomi Neo is.
The 24-year-old influencer has a hefty 637,000 followers on Instagram, as well as 451,000 subscribers on YouTube.
More recently, she has also gotten a S$600,000 Lamborghini Huracán, which turned out to be rather polarising news for Singaporeans: while some applauded her for the feat, others dismissed it as a disgraceful splurge.
Stopped taking pocket money at 15
Neo, however, does not appear to be the spendthrift others peg her to be.
For one, the mother of one hasn't taken pocket money from her parents since she was 15.
The influencer candidly admits to Mothership that the sentiment was not born out of sensibility, though.
It was, instead, the workings of a rebellious teen who wanted control over her lifestyle.
"[...] Due to my shopaholic/rebellious nature and ambition to go to a lot of places/ do a lot of things, I started working and stopped taking pocket money from my parents at 15. Obviously not because I was being sensible, but rather it was my way of getting whatever I wanted without my parents controlling my spending hahaha."
Nonetheless, one of the values that her parents have instilled in her was the importance of money — specifically, the importance of spending wisely.
Neo surmises that her parents could probably have afforded plenty of her "wants" when she was younger, but they never indulged her.
Since earning her own income, she has been careful to set aside money for rainy days, and more importantly, save more than she spends.
Committing the cash to purchase the car therefore required a clear savings plan that spanned a few years.
Six-digit annual income
And yes, the million-dollar question: How much does Naomi Neo actually earn?
The influencer modestly divulges that she earns an "estimated six-digit income a year", and a "five-digit income a month derived from mainly sponsored content".
Neo's full-time job is being an influencer, although many believe that the terms "job" and "influencer" are inherently at odds.
Yet to the chagrin of haters, Neo manages to make a more than healthy income creating sponsored content for products and services.
She also enjoys the flexibility of being her own boss, which means planning her own schedule and workload.
Neo does not shy away from acknowledging the "special [privileges]" accorded to her at establishments, although that comes with its drawbacks as well.
"[...] Many brands often recognise me and provide me with better service/ treatment. Although I must say it’s not something I really enjoy because I personally feel it’s kinda sad to think that people are only nice to you because of who you are... Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely thankful for this privilege but I’d rather be at a place where I can feel completely at ease/ myself sometimes."
Beyond the material perks, Neo finds that another boon of being an influencer is having an online voice and presence that can be used positively.
"One thing I’ve always loved is how I can use my platform to raise awareness on certain issues + support the underprivileged, it’s something I strongly believe other people with ‘a voice’ should be doing as well."
As it is, Neo and her family distributed 100 bags of food and essentials to underprivileged households during the circuit breaker period, although this was not as widely-publicised as her Lamborghini purchase.
While most of the cost came out of her own pocket, several brands also came aboard to provide discounts when they learned that it was for a good cause.
Screenshot via Naomi Neo's Instagram page
Haters vs. influencers
Despite the advantages (or the good she has done), however, one might have noticed that certain audiences are undeniably hostile towards influencers.
When asked for her views on the subject, Neo touched on the same point that some do not think being an influencer is an actual job, and these people's belief that influencers "only know how to take nice photos".
Neo disagrees by saying that some "know-how" is needed for personal branding, social media management, and content production skills.
This is especially so when compared to about a decade ago, when the influencer market was not as saturated and competitive.
Social media usage was a burgeoning trend, and the quality of peer-created content was generally held to lower standards.
Content formats were less diverse as well.
According to Neo, there are also misconceptions where some perceive influencers to be stuck up or full of themselves, which she feels is not entirely true.
"There are just a lot of assumptions made based off what we see online most of the time. At the end of the day, I’m sure there are influencers who aren’t very nice/ are unethical, but not all of us are the same."
These are some drawbacks of being an influencer, as experienced by Neo:
- The stress of being in the public eye, as people are constantly watching her
- Having to consistently keep up a good image
- The downside of having no fixed working hours, which includes overworking, and replying clients or doing work on vacation.
For the last point, Neo revealed that the lack of maternity leave during her first pregnancy meant that she had to work as soon as she had any job scheduled, even if it fell within her confinement period.
For those who are aspiring to be an influencer, Neo has three tips: be yourself, be humble, and be genuine.
This is how the inside of a Lambo looks
Since we have scant opportunity to scrutinise a Lambo in real life, Neo has helped to take photos of her new ride upon our request.
Photo courtesy of Naomi Neo
Photo courtesy of Naomi Neo
Photo courtesy of Naomi Neo
Photo courtesy of Naomi Neo
Photo courtesy of Naomi Neo
Photo courtesy of Naomi Neo
Photo courtesy of Naomi Neo
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Top image via Naomi Neo