stephanie ahn ·Sep 24, 2020

20 questions with Stephanie Ahn

Photography by Ryan Chua @ryanbyryanchua

Hello gorgeous, Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Stephanie Ahn. I’m a Canadian Korean influencer and based in Toronto. I became a full time influencer about a year and a half ago to fully pursue my dream and it’s been an amazing ride so far!

How would you define yourself in three words?
Confident, Hustler, Extrovert

In what ways have you been incorporating self – care into your daily routine?
For me, self care is about living a healthy lifestyle, both mentally and physically. The most important thing I do is start my day with a cup of coffee and do my devotion with God. Meeting God through prayer and reading His word prepares me both emotionally and mentally for my day. The second way I incorporate self-care into my daily routine is working out. Exercise has given me so much energy and rejuvenates my body so I feel stronger and ready to tackle anything that comes at me.

What’s the most fulfilling part of your job?
As an influencer, I have direct access to my followers. Through my content, I am able to inspire young women like me to love themselves and be true to themselves. When I get messages that other women relate to my content, are getting encouraged, and find motivation from my content, that’s when I truly feel that I’m in the right space doing what I’m meant to be doing.

Can you tell us about an exciting time in your career?
Last year, I got flown out to LA to shoot Laura Canada’s prom collection. It was an absolute dream to be able to shoot with a brand that stood for diversity and loved all body shapes and this was shown through the prom campaign I shot. I’ll never forget the experience and am still close friends with the girls I met on set!

What would you title this current chapter in your life?
Growth.

How do you educate yourself on ways of maintaining healthy skin?
I’ve always been obsessed with Korean beauty and skincare and it’s definitely no secret that Korea is incredibly influential in the beauty industry. I keep up to date on the latest products, brands, and techniques that come from Korea and I usually see them popping up a few years down the road to North America.

What do you love most about Pixi Beauty?
Pixi Beauty clearly stands for diversity and has incorporated this in all aspects of their brand. From influencer collaboration collections to the models they use on their website, it is so apparent that Pixi Beauty has made it a priority to make their brand relatable to EVERY girl out there.

What are your top 3 favorite Pixi Beauty products?
Summer Glow Palette—it’s the perfect warm neutral palette for my skin tone.
The Multi Balm in Baby Petal—I’m a sucker for multi-use makeup products to save time!
Glow Tonic—the best and most affordable toner that you need to start using if you haven’t already!

What does the word empowerment mean to you?
For me, empowerment means believing in yourself and taking control of your own actions, words, thoughts, and life. Everyone is equal and has the same rights. It’s my goal to help individuals feel confident in who they are and their capabilities.

In what ways do you use your platform for the greater good?
I encourage my followers to be go-getters, be confident in who they are and to practice self-love. Making a difference in our world starts with US. We have to love ourselves first to love others to create change. That’s always what my brand has been built on.

During these tough times, what has kept you motivated?
My faith. This whole year has been filled with uncertainty and is definitely not going as planned. It’s easy to get lost in a time like this and become discouraged. My relationship with God has helped me get through this time and see the positives that have come out of this. That’s what keeps me going to work harder and never give up no matter what the circumstances are.

How do you remain fit, active, and healthy with stay-at-home orders intact?
I work out at home and have been trying out new sports to keep it interesting. For me, it’s important to have a weekly workout routine that stays consistent but I leave room for other sports and yoga to change things up 2 days of the week. As well, since quarantine, I’ve started to cook and bake much more and have committed myself to only cook healthy foods. I share a lot of my recipes with my followers and it has become sort of a hobby now!

As a creative in quarantine, how have you found inspiration and ways to create?
It was definitely a process at first but the first step for me was changing my perspective of my home from “the place I live” to a creative
backdrop. I’m at home just like everyone else doing the same things everyone else is doing. So, I took those daily activities and turned it into content—cooking, cleaning, self care routines, working out–all of this is content and it’s what I realized what my followers wanted to see. The real me doing boring things that everyone else is doing.

What and/or who has had the most influence on your growth and why?
Definitely my friends and family. I surround myself with positive and hard working people and they push me and encourage me to continuously learn and grow in all aspects of my life and work. If it weren’t for them, I definitely would not have made it this far!

How can you as an individual actively take part in fighting a system of oppression and standing in solidarity with your peers of color to amplify their voices?
Change starts with us. I truly believe one of the most impactful things we can do is to reflect on how we can change our own actions and words on a daily basis. We must educate ourselves and have difficult conversations addressing racism with our friends and family. Once we realize how prominent racism is in our own communities and commit to transforming our society, that’s when we’ll make a difference.

How have you found ways to educate yourself and those around you?
I’ve had deep conversations with POCs around me and every single one of them has a story. The things I have heard is heartbreaking—and I live in Canada, the most multicultural country in the world. Now, imagine all of the POCs around the globe that struggle and battle racism on the daily. Getting insight from real people and their real tragedies they have faced, has made me realize how severe and prominent racism is. It’s these stories that I have shared with my peers, family, and followers to educate and show how real racism is in our world.

What do you think are ways that others can help society and our surrounding communities?
Keep sharing stories, signing petitions, donating, and don’t stop, EVER. Racism is an issue that is going to take time to eliminate and it’s up to us to change our society.

In what ways has your life changed due to current events?
We’re experiencing so much uncertainty but at the same time, we’re seeing a lot of positive transformation that will be historical. With so much happening, I’ve definitely become more proactive and outspoken on things that matter. I’ve shifted my priorities and goals in life and have never felt more confident in my own personal brand and future.

What advice do you have for someone who aspires to create a career like your own?
Just GO for it! If you’re passionate about it, don’t look back and just do it. Hesitation and over analyzing can be the biggest hurdle to defeat in this industry and you have to see past it. Don’t care about what other people think and be confident in who you are. Know that your potential is endless!