The Elfstrand sisters
In this interview, we meet the sisters who have made a big splash in Sweden, on several social platforms. They have the Nordics' largest equestrian channel on YouTube and won several awards on Guldpodden last year. Of course it's the Elfstrand Sisters we're talking about!
Who are you?
"We are the Elfstrand Sisters and our names are Emma, 31 years old and Anna, 29 years old. We both live in the small town of Vara, located in Västra Götaland. The interest in animals has existed basically since the beginning, and we both started our horse lives, like many others, at a local riding school at the age of eleven and nine respectively. Not long after, the family was expanded with our own horse, "Bosse". Early on, we started helping a lot at the riding school with volunteer work, including stable service to learn more. Love the horse before the sport is a famous saying that we hold close. Together we largely share our four horses, although the horses Bella and Focus are owned by Emma and Anna respectively. We see advantages in riding several different horses and being able to help each other."
How did it all begin?
"During year three in high school, Emma was faced with a project work where I chose to focus on the subject of horse further education. To log the development, I created a blog, and this was the start of everything. The blog was soon one of the biggest horse blogs, and it was combined with videos on Youtube to be able to use them on the blog. But quite suddenly, a couple of years later, it turned out that the views were trickling in, and then the idea arose to invest further in Youtube. By 2015 we were already well underway, and it wasn't long after that before the YouTube channel was also one of the biggest."
Was the idea/goal always there to be able to work with social media?
"No, it didn't, but we did it mainly as a fun thing. But as we are both real competitive people and rarely do things to be second best, the whole thing soon got serious. This year marks five years since we went all in, when Anna left her previous job to start working full-time on our social media together with Emma. "
"It is not a coincidence that it has gone well, but there is a lot of hard work behind it."
Do you have any special plans with the work for the future?
"We think it works very well with Youtube, the podcast and Instagram, so we don't feel the need to expand the number of platforms we work with at the moment. However, in the future we always see opportunities to be able to develop within the platforms we already use. It's a fast-changing industry, so it's important to keep an eye out for new apps and trends. You easily lose your enthusiasm if you try everything, so we believe in staying within what we find fun in order to develop in the best way."
How do you think you have managed to build such a large and supportive community?
"We have always shared a lot, good and bad, win and loss and muddy days and sunny summer days. We have been told that many see us as their own siblings, as you get to know us so closely on our channels. We always try to answer questions and messages we receive, so that everyone feels seen, and as a thank you in return. We think it is important and respectful that this is done when we ourselves ask for answers and responses.”
"We want a two-way communication with our followers"
How do you feel about working with a sibling?
“We believe it has helped us enormously in our profession, we work very well together and both work hard to achieve our goals. When one of us is having a bad day, it helps that we can be open with each other, as the other of us can often help turn the mood and the day around for the better.”
You have many years of experience working with social media to varying extents. What lessons have you learned from the work?
"As a self-employed person, it is easy to bring work with you in everything you do, and work both a little here and a little there. It is important to be able to put work aside, and set aside time to be free. A sadder side of social media is that you will always be met with some negative comments, even though we have been relatively spared from this. Behind the screen sits a person who may be feeling bad and needs to get their feelings out on someone. The important thing to remember is not to indulge, but to learn to distance yourself from it.”
You are in the process of developing a collection in collaboration with ZacZess, how have you thought about this?
"In the development of the collection, we have thought a lot about coming up with colors that all the garments in the collection match in. Of course it has to be stylish, but even more important that it has a good fit for maximum comfort. In addition to that, there will be an extra size in the collection - XXL, to promote the work with Body Inclusivity. “
There are many who dream of the life you have - working with horses and social media. Do you have any tips you would like to share to help others move forward with their dreams?
“Of course! What we would say is that the first step is to find your own way, and try to figure out for yourself what you really want to work on. Working with horses is a large field with many professions, so we recommend finding out which part appeals. Step two is to work hard, and also see how others in the same industry work, maybe you can have an internship at a current location? The third step is to keep doing what you are doing and let it take time. Everything has its peaks and troughs, you have to work through these. “
Do you have a favorite item from ZacZess?
“Ohio Riddleggings are a real favourite, they are a real game-changer for long days in the stable. We like to match it with the Valencia Baselayer, both in Bordeaux. "
Shop Emma and Anna's favorites here:
We thank Emma and Anna for the interview and wish them the best of luck
and looking forward to our joint upcoming collection!
Who would you like us to interview next? Email requests to support@zaczess.com
Do you want to see more of the Elfstrand Sisters?
You will find their social media linked below.
Instagram: @systrarnaelfstrand
Youtube: Sisters Elfstrand
Podcast: Sisters Elfstrand's Hästpodd
