Engaging social capital does not always translate to fruitful business ventures “in real life”. Katrin Klimova is building one of the most successful mompreneur legacies in Russia, and beyond. Here is her inspiring story.

Katrin Klimova on Building A Thriving Offline Business As An Influencer

Engaging social capital does not always translate to fruitful business ventures “in real life”. Katrin Klimova is building one of the most successful mompreneur legacies in Russia, and beyond. Here is her inspiring story.

A loving family can give you superpowers. This is a humble message of Katrin Klimova’s account on Instagram. It attracts 1.5 million followers throughout the Russian diaspora worldwide. This impressive audience is nearly three times the size of population in her native Pacific port city of Vladivostok. Seven time zones and a lifetime of experiences later, she is enjoying her busy life in Moscow: three beautiful children, two popular brands for kids and pre-teens, a new nailcare line, and speaking engagements. An influencer with real influence must have impact offline!

Engaging social capital does not always translate to fruitful business ventures “in real life”. Katrin Klimova is building one of the most successful mompreneur legacies in Russia, and beyond.

However, before “all this” life was very challenging for a girl born into poverty in the Far East region after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Her father lost custody and her mother passed away when she was just 12 years old. “I knew from a young age that nothing is guaranteed. You must go after your dreams with all the passion you have in your heart. Nobody is going to just give you professional success, financial stability, personal fulfillment,” says Katrin. A grandmother taught her many important life skills and introduced her to fashion and sports. “Healthy spirit dwells in a healthy body!” When she started her blog in 2013 after the birth of her daughter, things clicked. Her insights, sense of humor and style (as well as unique handmade babycare designs) resonated with many talented Muscovites, including singer Victoria Daineko, actress Anna Khilkevich, TV presenter Liasan Utiasheva and others. A real influencer fosters a real community! 

It was in fact her followers who inspired her to create her first brand – wowsocks. Parents loved the line of cute baby socks that were comfy for the little feet and put a big smile on adults’ faces. Later, parents of pre-teens lamented lack of “cool” outfits for this group and in response she launched Okidoki. Both brands are among the bestsellers on Wildberries, the largest Russian e-commerce platform. Her next big bang idea is posed to disrupt the nail salon industry by delivering high-performance results at home. Katrin’s TOP LAK is a spa-quality line of innovative nailcare products that make it easy to express yourself in selfcare. An influencer’s offline ventures must produce not just quality goods, but jobs and new personal d growth opportunities for the followers. 

Engaging social capital does not always translate to fruitful business ventures “in real life”. Katrin Klimova is building one of the most successful mompreneur legacies in Russia, and beyond.

As for Katrin’s personal creative resolutions… Having posed for photographer Danil Golovkin, one of Russia’s most in-demand glam editorial lensmen, she is setting her sights on another international fashion legend. “I’d love to work with Patrick Demarchelier, for myself and my daughter. I adore his work, always surprising, with fascinating atmosphere,” dreams Katrin. With a track record of making her wildest dreams come true, this is a match made in influencer heaven. 

Follow @katrinka_family_tut as she builds her online audience and offline business legacy.