Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Kozman.
Hi Christina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, thanks for having me! I was actually born in South Florida to Egyptian parents. As a first generation American, I was fortunate to experience two amazing cultures while growing up. My parents migrated from Egypt to Miami to have a better life and start a family. A few years later, they had my sister and I. Then, when I was only 5, they bought their first home in Pembroke Pines and I’ve called this city home ever since.
Over the past 20+ years, I’ve had the privilege of watching the city grow and change so much. Having lived here so long, I’m always eating, shopping, and visiting different places around town. Pembroke Pines, Miramar, and all of West Broward have so much to offer, yet I felt no one was actually making an effort to highlight them! That’s when I decided to start an instagram page to do just that, and @OnlyinPines was born.
I started with just a few videos of local restaurants and before I knew it, my audience started to grow. Now, I’m helping to share all of the amazing businesses and events this area has to offer, and loving every minute of it!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has honestly been such an amazing and smooth experience. The process has been organic and I have been able to meet and network with so many great business owners and people. Even my followers have been so supportive and engaged. It’s been such a blessing.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
By day, I’m an IT Project Manager for a national healthcare company. I love my job and the people I work with but I’ve always had a creative side too. That’s part of why I started @OnlyinPines.
I found that creating videos and engaging content allowed me to express that creativity in a way that had a big impact, not only on my followers, but also on the local businesses themselves.
What started out as an outlet for me to share and support local businesses, quickly grew into a community. It’s shown me that people really care about helping one another and that my efforts are truly appreciated.
Now, I love discovering new local spots and adding my unique perspective to help share their story with the world.
What sets me apart is that you won’t actually see me in any of my videos; instead, I focus on highlighting the business or event in a way that captures its true essence and variety.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
After COVID-19, I knew many small businesses were suffering and people were still afraid to go out. That motivated me to think about ways to help revitalize the local economy and I knew @OnlyinPines could do just that.
Sharing my videos makes me feel like I’m genuinely lending a helping hand and contributing to the success of the awesome businesses and events in the area. Since first creating my page on Instagram and TikTok, the feedback and engagement have been truly incredible and thankfully, I feel like I’ve really helped make a difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/onlyinpines
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/onlyinsoflo_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onlyinpines
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@onlyinpines
Image Credits
Monica Morkos – @monidesigns
