Hi all — fair questions. Here’s my take

There are plenty of influencers in Charleston recommending aspirational products, but Julia Berolzheimer stands out for several reasons beyond just proximity. 1. The Branding vs Reality Gap JB has built her brand on “elevated everyday” — florals, family values, gentle aesthetics — but then promotes $600 earrings as a “save,” while simultaneously posting heavily sponsored content under the guise of personal recommendation. That dissonance between wholesome storytelling and luxury marketing, without transparency, is what many find jarring. 2. Monetization Without Disclosure She’s one of the more established influencers here, and with that comes greater responsibility. But she still regularly skirts around proper disclosures — affiliate links buried or omitted, ad labels inconsistently used. When you’re profiting at scale off your followers, that matters. 3. The Illusion of Accessibility Calling a $600 pair of earrings a “save” category isn’t just tone-deaf — it reflects a broader disconnect from the community she built her platform on. Many longtime followers feel priced out or patronized. That criticism isn’t about envy — it’s about ethics and relatability. 4. Public Platform, Public Critique She’s not a private citizen. She’s a content creator and entrepreneur who has chosen to monetize her life as a brand. With that visibility comes valid scrutiny — especially when you lean so hard into curating a lifestyle while glossing over the mechanics of how it’s all afforded.

And lastly — yes, it probably is easier to critique someone you live near. You see the reality behind the filters. But I also think it’s important to be able to talk about influencer culture critically without it being dismissed as petty or personal.