Despite being a rising influencer, Ushiro routinely meets people who don't believe what she's doing is a real job."I almost have to tell people how much I'm making," she says. "This is the hardest I've ever worked in my life."The money that Ushiro makes goes towards props for her photos, and materials and ingredients for her DIY projects. Time is spent meticulously planning the colours and layout of every photo (she looks at her Instagram grid on the VSCO app ), ensuring that there isn't repetition, and that everything fits with her overall aesthetic.In many ways, she and other influencers function as creative directors, but brands don't always take their jobs seriously."Companies will reach out and say, 'We want you to feature these things and show your followers, and in return we’ll send you the product,'" Ushiro says. "I get contacted so often by sock companies and I’m like, 'I don’t pay my rent in socks.' The problem with the whole thing is they’re always going to be able to find someone to do those free things for them because there isn’t this rule book, there’s nothing written about how to do this."Ushiro didn't realize how ridiculously low her initial £20 rate was until a friend told her she should charge more. Speaking with her mentor, Erica Domesek, of P.S. — I Made This… also helped her correct that figure. After about three months, she started charging around £175 per sponsored photo, then £700.Today, Ushiro charges brands a base rate of £1,000 per sponsored Instagram post, a number that can rise depending on how much work is required. A DIY project, for example, can cost as much as £1,400. In a good month — typically one with a holiday — Ushiro can make about £14,000 pre-tax. But most months, her income is a gamble depending on what kinds of work comes her way.