For those who spend a lot of time online, it can sometimes feel like you have to choose one of two lifestyles:
- You can dive head-first into the world of hustle culture and work yourself to the bone
- Or, you can embrace slow living, spend your days doing sun salutations, and turn your back on the corporate world.
Jules Acree disagrees. The productivity guru and lifestyle influencer believes you can live a life full of purpose without putting your mental health on the line — and her content is dedicated to providing her followers with tips and guidance on how to do just that.
Here’s how Jules Acree is reimagining the role of the lifestyle influencer in the digital age.
Who is Jules Acree?
Jules Acree has the dream job. A self-named ‘professional homebody,’ she’s carved out a niche for herself online — and capitalized on it.
Now a lifestyle-focused businesswoman and digital content creator, Acree got her start in 2014, back when blogging was all the rage. On her blog Om & The City, Acree posted wellness content (yoga, Acai bowls, the whole lot), which she grew into a successful business.
Soon, Acree realized her hectic job and environment were contributing to her bouts of burnout and anxiety. She knew something needed to change. Rather than quitting, Acree decided to try something new — and she took her audience along on the journey.
This journey of self-discovery led Acree to discover that she could create the life she wanted — one where she could thrive as a business owner while still enjoying her downtime — by blending technology and intentional living.
Through her Instagram (112K followers), TikTok (257K), and YouTube channel (130K subscribers), Acree has built a brand that resonates with those seeking a more peaceful existence by creating content that champions mindfulness, healthy productivity, and intentional living.
How Jules Acree finds balance in her content
If there’s one word to describe Jules Acree and her approach to content creation, it’s ‘balance.’
She’s highly productive, yet she’s intentional about it.
She’s got a constant upload schedule, but she’s flexible with it. (She uploads ‘almost every Friday.’)
Her lifestyle is aspirational, yet she’s incredibly relatable.
Acree’s content is similarly focused on helping her audience find balance in a fast-paced digital world, with each video and post being marked by a blend of beautiful aesthetics with realistic advice. Here’s what makes her content so enticing to audiences:
- She’s curated a calming aesthetic. From her beautifully edited vlogs to family photographs, Acree’s content is characterized by a clean, minimalist style. This creates a calming environment for her fans while echoing her ethos of simplicity, reinforcing her brand’s message through every post.
- Her advice is practical. Acree’s content is packed with advice on everything from decluttering to finding structure in a fast-paced world. But you won’t find any outlandish claims or ridiculously impractical advice. Her advice is informed by lived experiences, ensuring every tip is valuable to her audience.
- She’s aspirational yet relatable. Acree has been building her brand for a decade and is lucky enough to make a living creating content. She has a beautiful home, a lovely family, and what would look to any outsider to be the perfect life. However, Acree retains a good amount of relatability by opening up about the low points in her life, including her struggles with anxiety and perfectionism.
- She lives what she sells. Instead of showcasing an unattainable way of living, Acree balances aspirational content with practical, down-to-earth advice. She helps people live more fulfilling lives, aligning with the growing demand for content that prioritizes responsibility over consumerism; to Acree, this means taking a more thoughtful approach to life by living sustainably and protecting her well-being.
What we can learn from Jules Acree
Want to create an authentic, value-driven brand like Jules Acree’s? Here are five principles that wannabe lifestyle content creators can take on board:
- Prioritize honesty. Acree doesn’t shy away from showing the messy parts of life. In a world where creators can choose to filter the negativity out of their content, leaving only a highlight reel of happiness, prioritizing honesty can help foster a strong connection with your followers.
- Put value first. Acree’s content consistently provides value, whether through practical tips, personal insights, or product recommendations. Aspiring lifestyle creators should remember that selling is the secondary element of their role; the first is to ensure their content provides value by being educational, inspirational, or entertaining.
- Find your unique niche. Acree isn’t just a lifestyle influencer or a productivity guru — she’s found a unique approach that works for her in the intentional living space. Identifying a specific angle that sets you apart from others will go a long way to helping you build a dedicated following that is aligned with your values.
- Incorporate personal storytelling. Acree cut her teeth in the blogging world of the 2010s, which means she understands the true power of personal storytelling! By leveraging your own stories — turning your life into teachable moments — you, too, can ensure your content is intimate and engaging.