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A photo posted by J E N COLEMAN + (@jenlovescove) on
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So, Jen Coleman isn’t exactly a housewife, and she doesn’t really live in Dallas, but none of the “real housewives” of Real Housewives fit that profile, so I stand by my decision to use those words.
Jen Coleman actually lives in this awesome Rowlett A-frame with her kindergartner and husband (who, by the way, is an easy-on-the-eyes fireman). And she seems to have cracked the code when it comes to being a mom and making a living.
In 2012, she hooked up with fellow blogger Laura Wiertzema to start the Instagram account Target Does it Again, a series of product pics and dressing-room selfies featuring their favorite Target merch. It blew up. The account now has 544,000 followers.
This led to the pair creating the online clothing shop Ascot + Hart, a curated collection of boho gear and slouchy tees. The shop’s Insta feed has 61,000 followers. Jen Coleman’s personal account has 35,400. And just three weeks ago, Coleman and Weirtzema started a “does it again” spinoff using warehouse retailer Costco and it’s stock of health-conscious goods as the subject. Costco Does it Again is already 32,100-followers strong and growing.
This is where you think, “Wow, if Dallas mom could turn Instagram followers into money, that would really be something.” And she has. It wasn’t long before Target Does it Again and the corporation formed a partnership. Sprinkled among Coleman’s and Weirtzema’s finds are sponsored posts (which are usually designated with “#sp”).
I wrote to Coleman to ask how it all works and whether Costco was following suit in terms of a partnership. While she couldn’t share any particulars (i.e. how much she earns per Target post), Coleman says she and Weirtzema have in fact started working with some Costco brands. I asked if they’re able to pick and choose what brands they work with, and here is what she wrote back:
Brands will reach out but we pick who we want to work with. We’ve had sugary candy bars reach out before, but that’s nothing we would eat. If you noticed, Costco is mostly our healthy food finds! Laura and I text each other our finds at any store! Zara, HomeGoods, Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc. We decided to do the Costco spinoff because they’ve really stepped up their game with organic and healthy food. We are passionate about living a healthy lifestyle. We could do “does it again” spinoffs with many stores but most of them have been taken by random people trying to emulate what we do. There’s a lot of accounts now following in our footsteps.
Funny, because I was just thinking I could create my own account that documents all my emergency diaper/milk/anything-to-ease-the-tantrum trips to the closest corner store with my toddler in tow, but someone’s already snapped up @walgreensdoesitagain. (Only 62 followers.)
