In a world where social feeds are often polished to perfection, it’s the real, relatable voices that cut through the noise. At Get Blogged, we’re always inspired by creators who champion honesty, humour, and lived experience, especially in spaces where those qualities are often overlooked. Today, we’re excited to introduce Saffron, the voice behind Saffron and Cyrus, who’s redefining what it means to influence as a woman navigating midlife.

Saffron’s blog is a breath of fresh air for anyone tired of performative content and unrealistic expectations. She writes for women who want to feel seen, not sold to, and who appreciate stories that reflect real life, messy, meaningful, and full of both challenges and triumphs. Whether you’re a fellow creator or a brand looking to connect with a truly engaged audience, Saffron’s story is packed with insight, humour, and heart.

A Conversation with Saffron of Saffron and Cyrus Blog

Get Blogged: Saffron, welcome! Your blog stands out for its honesty and focus on real midlife experiences. What inspired you to start Saffron and Cyrus?

Saffron: The polite answer is that I wanted to “add value” for midlife women like me. The true answer is that I was fed up.

Fed up with perimenopause being treated like a joke.
Fed up with midlife being painted as in decline.
Fed up with social media perfection peddled by people who pretend to be working out, when all they’ve actually lifted in the gym is a tripod.

I chose this niche because real women deserve better. We deserve honesty, humour and the freedom to admit that sometimes, despite the weekly shop, we still end up in the supermarket midweek hunting for convenience food after three back-to-back gym classes.

I grew up bullied, so I have a finely tuned allergy to anything performative. I balance career pressure, brain fog and the creeping awareness that I may be working until 70. And I love my family, my husband’s Persian culture, and my lived-in life.

So this blog isn’t about perfection.

If someone lands on saffronandcyrus.com for the first time, I hope they leave feeling seen, steadied and maybe even a little braver.

Get Blogged: That honesty is so refreshing. Can you tell us about a favourite brand partnership or collaboration from this past year?

Saffron: This year, brand collaborations have been few and far between. I’ve been rejected more times than I care to admit! No surprise really, I’m a micro influencer finding my feet, not one of those overnight sensations who mysteriously gain 10,000 followers after breakfast. I’m growing slowly, the way most real women do.

My favourite partnership so far has been with the Life Science Centre in Newcastle. It wasn’t glamorous or staged, just me and Cyrus wobbling our way around the ice rink. He was the real influencer that day. He marched back into school, full of excitement, told his class everything, and ended up inspiring a trip for the entire year group.

To me, that’s what matters. Not the curated feeds or the perfect pout beside yet another tripod. Real life is sharing the things you genuinely enjoy, the experiences that light you up and ripple out into the world. That’s the kind of influencing I believe in.

Get Blogged: Sometimes, the most impactful moments aren’t about numbers at all. Was there a campaign this year that surprised you or changed your perspective?

Saffron: Every now and then, a campaign comes along that doesn’t behave like a campaign at all. No glossy scripts, no agonising over engagement rates, no panic over whether the lighting makes me look like I’ve slept more than six hours. The one that surprised me most this year was the biggest in heart, and that was working with the Life Science Centre in Newcastle.

I went in assuming I was the micro influencer. Turns out the real star was my son. We spent the evening doing all the things social media can’t quite capture. He went back to school the next day, buzzing, marched into class and told everyone about it, and by the end of the week, the entire year group had arranged a visit. No algorithm, no trending audio, no frantic “save this post for later”. Just a genuine experience shared with genuine enthusiasm.

It surprised me because it reminded me what influence actually looks like. Not curated perfection, not panic posting, just real life influencing real lives. And in an era of AI, it’s exactly what we need more of. Sometimes the most meaningful reach is the kind no analytics dashboard can measure.

I realised:

• Authentic experiences still win over polished staging.
• Kids are often better ambassadors than adults, mostly because they don’t try too hard.
• Micro creators shouldn’t underestimate the influence of small, local stories.
• Real-world impact counts, even if the likes don’t reflect it.
• And maybe this is the midlife talking, but it reminded me to trust my pace. I’m growing, even on the days I feel invisible, and sometimes all it takes is a small boy on skates to prove it.

Get Blogged: That’s such a powerful reminder of what really matters. Has there been a brand partnership that felt especially rewarding or brought unexpected feedback?

Saffron: It has to be my latest collaboration with Innopure. They’re a small British company with no-filler supplements. What surprised me most wasn’t the product itself, although finding supplements that don’t contain mystery ingredients is a win these days. It was the feedback. People who read my blog started messaging to say they’d tried Innopure and were enjoying the updates. They were following along, asking questions, trying things, and coming back for more.

As someone still growing as a micro creator, especially in a space dominated by full-time influencers with immaculate kitchens and suspiciously tidy hair, that meant more than any campaign metric. It reminded me that real influence grows quietly. Sometimes it sits in the comments section or lands in your inbox on a Tuesday night when you’re in your dressing gown watching your son build Lego.

Get Blogged: When deciding whether to work with a brand, what questions do you ask yourself?

Saffron: I ask whether this brand genuinely helps women’s health, fitness or wellbeing? Would I recommend it to my best friend? Is this story real? Most of all, I ask myself if the brand fits the life I write about, which is midlife, real life, your life. Not a filtered fantasy. Not a shopping list of things nobody needs. A partnership should feel like a conversation with a friend, not a sales pitch.

Get Blogged: That’s such a valuable approach. What advice would you give to other creators trying to stay true to themselves in the world of influencer marketing?

Saffron: Numbers matter, I know, but stories land better. I’ve had fewer collaborations this year, partly because I’m still growing and partly because I refuse to say yes to things that don’t fit my lived experience. Forget perfection. My audience knows my house is lived in, and my brain fog is real. That honesty builds trust. Brands notice when you’re authentic, not auditioning. If it’s already in your cupboard, tell people. That’s how you get the good stuff. When I shared how much I liked Innopure’s no-filler supplements, the feedback surprised even me. You don’t need to be everywhere. Pick the platforms that energise you. I’m not built for TikTok dances, but give me a blog post and a cup of strong coffee, and I can talk for Britain.

Get Blogged: Looking ahead, what do you think the future holds for micro creators and brand partnerships?

Saffron: Brands increasingly see value in smaller creators with invested, engaged followings. Niche audiences, strong trust, relatability and better cost per impact make micro and nano creators ideal partners. Yes, short-form video will still dominate because it’s quick and easy to consume. But there’s an increasing appetite for deeper formats: blog posts, newsletters, podcasts, long-form stories and places where reflection and real-life experience can shine. As brands become savvier, I hope they start evaluating collaborations more like investments than advertisements. For creators, that means being realistic and transparent about who you influence and how. I think we’ll see more “community first” collaborations, brands working with small, tight-knit creator communities rather than big celebrity names. Trust, values and vulnerability will be more powerful than curated perfection. People want to feel seen.

Get Blogged: Finally, what do you think will matter most for creators in 2026 and beyond?

Saffron: Creators who understand their own boundaries will thrive in 2026. The future belongs to bloggers who know when to say no, when to say “this isn’t me”, and when to champion something that genuinely helps women’s health, fitness or wellbeing. Brands will increasingly want creators who bring insight, not just images, and that’s where mature voices, especially those of us navigating midlife, become powerful. We don’t just post, we reflect, we question, we bring cultural perspective, and we connect dots that younger creators sometimes miss. Most of all, for me, it’s having the quiet confidence that comes from having lived enough life to know my worth.

Key Takeaways for Bloggers

• Authenticity and lived experience are more powerful than perfection
• Real influence grows quietly through genuine stories and honest feedback
• You don’t need to be everywhere. Choose platforms that energise you
• Set boundaries and only partner with brands that truly fit your values

Key Takeaways for Brands

• Micro creators offer deep trust, niche audiences, and real-world impact
• Community-first collaborations and long-form content are gaining ground
• Value creators for their insight and cultural perspective, not just reach
• Vulnerability and transparency build lasting connections

Follow Saffron

• Blog: saffronandcyrus.com
• Instagram: @ofsaffronandcyrus
• X: @saffronandcyrus
• TikTok: @saffron.and.cyrus

Saffron’s story is a powerful reminder that real influence isn’t about chasing numbers or perfect images. It’s about showing up honestly, sharing what matters, and building trust, one story at a time. For bloggers and brands alike, the future belongs to those who value depth over perfection and connection over curation.

Stay tuned for more inspiring interviews and insights from the Get Blogged community.