Janice Joostema: How the Internet’s Most Fascinating Influencer Built a Six-Figure Life

Discover how Janice Joostema turned creative passion, adversity, and Instagram savvy into lasting success.

By Medha deb

Created on Oct 3, 2025

Discover how Janice Joostema turned creative passion, adversity, and Instagram savvy into lasting success.

Janice Joostema stands at the intersection of fashion, beauty, and digital culture. Her journey from a broke model to a six-figure influencer highlights both the possibilities and the challenges of shaping a career in the age of social media. In her early twenties, Janice leveraged creative vision, resilience, and the power of Instagram to become one of the most talked-about personalities online, inspiring millions through her aesthetic and her story.

Early Life & Modeling Roots

Born in Vancouver to a Fijian mother and Dutch father, Joostema’s multicultural background shaped her unique style and worldview. Growing up was far from simple. At age 11, her parents’ difficult split forced Janice to seek solace in the world of hair and makeup, a hobby that became a passionate escape from home and school stress. She recalls staying up until dawn perfecting looks, emphasizing how beauty was a way to “focus on a positive outcome” rather than dwell on negatives.

Self-taught beauty routines helped Janice develop both discipline and creative flair.
Her mother’s and father’s roots introduced her to varied cultural standards of beauty and fashion.

Janice’s first foray into professional modeling was not glamorous. An injury while working abroad left her physically and emotionally drained. Recalling her experience with a questionable medical practitioner who treated her knee injury using “bee sting” ointment, Janice details the vulnerability of models abroad and the industry’s lack of support: “Unless you’re Kendall Jenner, there’s not really a point of being a model. You’re basically an object.”

Pivoting to Instagram: A New Path

Social media offered Janice a lifeline. Her first paid Instagram post came just two years before her rise, when a brand offered to pay for a simple photo featuring their tea. What started as casual sharing of photos quickly became an opportunity for curated self-expression and entrepreneurial growth.

Collaborative support: Janice’s boyfriend, James Lynch (a photographer with a marketing background), and business partner Hourash Falati helped shape her evolving feed.
Strategy shift: What once was spontaneous posting became a meticulously curated aesthetic Janice describes as “neutral but warm.”
Joostema admits posting about a dozen sponsored photos per month, earning thousands of dollars per post and receiving designer/fashion gifts.

Her first big break in the digital world came when Anastasia Beverly Hills regrammed one of her beauty shots, netting an immediate 8,000 new followers. From then on, every post became a calculated move, balancing authenticity and strategy.

Building a Visual Aesthetic

Janice approaches her feed as a seamless narrative. She constructs mood boards, strategizes thumbnails for flow, and plans color integration with sponsored content. If a red lipstick shoot is upcoming, she will introduce red tones into the previous six photos for cohesion.

Preparation: Mood boarding and feed layout planning happen the day before each scheduled shoot.
Teamwork: Location scouting involves Lynch and Falati, ensuring backgrounds align with her brand visual.
Tools of the trade: Image editing via FaceTune, VSCO, and Darkroom helps polish photos while maintaining authenticity.

Janice’s Shooting Routine

Early breakfast and makeup session.
Collaborative scouting for picture-perfect locations.
If a location is marred (such as by an ugly car), the team relocates.
Shoot duration is under an hour, followed by editing and post-platform planning.

Challenges for Today’s Aspiring Influencers

Janice is candid about the realities of social media fame. She recognizes that her journey benefited from two key advantages: an early entrance onto Instagram and the support of skilled collaborators. “It’s a little bit impossible to do it by yourself,” she admits, urging would-be influencers to recognize the importance of partnership and timing.

Instagram algorithm changes have made growth and visibility more challenging than ever.
Janice notes that unless you’re already famous or related to fame, gaining traction today is a steep climb.
She offers perspective on privilege in the digital sphere, citing Cindy Crawford’s daughter’s rapid rise.

Personal Style and Fashion Philosophy

Janice’s taste in fashion is as eclectic as her background. She enjoys styling outfits that are clean yet warm, minimal yet inviting. Her collaborations, such as the Olivia’s x Janice Joostema home edit, reflect her affinity for “timeless neutrals and golds,” and a blend of luxury with simplicity.

Influences come from wabi sabi, mid-century modern, and luxurious contemporary styles.
Janice encourages individuality: “Find a piece you love and build around it for your unique self.”
Her curated edit aims to help others create cozy, stylish, and personalized homes.

Janice’s Summer Style Must-Haves

Wide brimmed sun hat
Stylish sunglasses (cat eye, Celine Shadow)
Dainty ankle bracelet
Big chic earrings
Designer bag or small straw tote

Beauty Favorites

Janice’s love for beauty is grounded in her formative years and continues to influence her content and collaborations. Among her top beauty choices:

Lip products: Nude shades, Rouge Dior Nude Lip Blush in ‘Trompe L’oeil’, Bite Beauty’s Amuse Bouche Lipstick in ‘Meringue’
Nail polish: OPI ‘Tiramisu for Two’
Makeup approach: She still does her own makeup for shoots, believing in the meditative power of the routine.

Travel, Adventure & Aspirations

Janice’s lifestyle extends beyond fashion and beauty—she’s a passionate traveler, foodie, and explorer. She often combines travel with content production, infusing her feed with aspirational yet relatable glimpses into exotic locales.

Destination	Purpose	Notable Experience
Riviera Maya	Modeliste Magazine Getaway	Spa-quality massages, beautiful excursions, unique room designs
Europe (Florence, Positano, London, The Hamptons)	Summer travel	Exploring food, fashion, and content creation
Bucket List: Morocco, Dubai	Future aspirations	Completing personal travel goals for 2017/2018

Work-Life Balance and Entrepreneurial Mindset

Janice’s story is emblematic of the new wave of digital entrepreneurs. She navigates the delicate balance between creative freedom and brand commitments, relying on organizational tools, trusted collaborators, and a willingness to adapt as platforms and audiences change.

Value of mood boards and feed strategy for content consistency.
Importance of adaptability in responding to changing algorithms and market dynamics.
Embrace of team effort as essential for success.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How did Janice Joostema become successful on Instagram?

Janice grew her Instagram through a combination of curated aesthetics, strategic posting, collaborations with skilled photographers, and leveraging opportunities such as regrams by major beauty accounts. Early adoption and consistent branding helped distinguish her feed.

What are Janice’s top style and beauty tips?

Choose timeless, minimal, but warm-toned outfits and accessories.
Plan your beauty looks and wardrobe ahead of shoots for visual consistency.
Stick to favorite beauty products that make you feel confident, such as staple nude shades for lips and on-trend sunglass styles.

Is it still possible for new influencers to succeed like Janice?

While the landscape has changed and the Instagram algorithm is less favorable to newcomers, opportunities remain for those with a clear vision, strong team, and consistent content. However, Janice notes that gaining traction is considerably harder now without celebrity ties or established fame.

What advice does Janice offer aspiring models and influencers?

Build a support network. Collaborators can make all the difference.
Focus on your strengths and authentic interests.
Don’t hesitate to pivot platforms or strategies as the industry shifts.

How does Janice balance creativity and business?

She blends disciplined planning (mood boards, posting schedules) with artistic exploration, ensuring every post fits both her personal brand and her professional obligations. Her entrepreneurial mindset is vital in achieving financial independence and content longevity.

Key Takeaways from Janice’s Journey

Resilience is crucial; setbacks can lead to new opportunities.
Curate your feed with intention and strategic color/planning.
Build and lean on your team for collaborative success.
Stay true to your personal style and story to foster genuine engagement.
Embrace change and continually refine your approach to social media and brand building.

Conclusion

Janice Joostema personifies modern entrepreneurial creativity in the fashion and beauty arenas. Her ascent from hardship to six-figure influencer status was built on passion, persistence, and calculated artistry—a blueprint of possibility for would-be influencers in an ever-shifting digital landscape. Her story is one of authenticity, strategic growth, and the transformative power of self-made success.

References

Author

medha deb

Medha Deb is an editor with a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad. She believes that her qualification has helped her develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts.

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