Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Weiser.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kate. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am the founder behind the Instagram account, @BucketListBoston, a virtual bucket list of all things Boston. What has now grown to a collection of my original photography and a following of over 13,000 certainly did not start with the intention of becoming big. The account actually came out of rejection. I had wanted to be a member of the @IGBoston community since I’d arrived in Boston freshman year at Boston University. I originally applied fall of my freshman year on my person Instagram account, to which I was told I had insufficient photos of Boston, which made sense (it was my personal account, after all). Nevertheless, I still really wanted to be a part of IG Boston. So I sat on my rejection and came back into second semester with the idea to create an Instagram solely for my Boston pictures. At first, I was posting for myself, the account served as a place I could compile my Boston imagery. But that changed quickly as classmates of mine would approach me and say “the @bucketlistboston picture of the day is the highlight of my day.” I quickly realized I was filling a need; a need for people to get off campus and explore the city they were living in – all they’d needed was a little inspiration. It was then that I saw I owed it to my followers to post consistently, to always give them a new spot to explore, museum to tour or restaurant to try. From then on I made a concerted effort to get off campus every single day, to explore and to take photos. If I was going to sell my brand, I ought to be living it. Thus, Bucket List Boston was born.
Has it been a smooth road?
My success stemmed from failure. When I was not accepted into the @IGBoston community is when I decided to take matters into my own hands. Like anything worthwhile, this was certainly not only smooth sailing. Building a following organically and from the ground up is no easy feat either. It takes patience, persistence, and determination. I looked at @BucketListBoston as my side hustle, so I made sure that I was always having fun with it. This past semester I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia and leading up to January I was asked so often, what are you going to do with @BucketListBoston? During the semester people would ask me who I had posting for me, I’d chuckle and say, “It’s me!” They’d often look shocked to realize I was 16 hours ahead, across the world, and still maintaining consistent posts. It certainly wasn’t easy, but if it was certainly something I cared about, so I made the effort and it paid off.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Bucket List Boston story. Tell us more about the business.
I have always loved cities and exploring. Bucket List Boston is an Instagram account that serves as a visual representation of the items all Bostonians should cross off their proverbial “bucket list.” Each post is numbered chronologically as the next item on the bucket list, this creates a narrative and keeps followers coming back daily for the next “must-see” on the Boston bucket list! I chose the name because I love alterations and as a BU student, I like that it can be BUcket List Boston. I came up with the idea of the bucket list format to differentiate my account from all of the other amazing Boston Instagram pages. I needed to create something original that would give Bostonians a reason to follow along on my adventures.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My friends play a huge role in my success – they are the ones coming out on adventures with me, suggesting places for me to add to the bucket list they might have been, and just generally supportive of the whole endeavor. My parents have also been extremely supportive and excited about the journey. For summer 2018 I had really wanted to be interning in NYC but after much applying, it seemed that my best offer by far was in Boston. Despite the fact that he’ll miss me, my Dad explained to me that I’ve made a name for myself in Boston and I need to take advantage of that. I am excited to be working at Broadway Restaurant Group in Southie as a Social Media and PR Consultant as well as the Social Media Coordinator at Metro Meeting Centers in the Financial District. Finally, my BU professors and advisors have been amazingly supportive, too. I could not have done any of it without all of these people in my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kalemekate.com/
- Email: kweiser@bu.edu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bucketlistboston/
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