Meet Karina Castro | Content Creator, Entrepreneur & RN

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karina Castro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karina, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I decided to pursue an artistic or creative career because, while working as a Registered Nurse, I realized I was not fully engaging in my deepest passions.

While I appreciated various aspects of my nursing career, I always had a strong passion for beauty and creativity. From a young age, I was drawn to interior design, filmmaking, travel, and all things “girly” like fashion and makeup. Although I wasn’t sure if I would ever pursue these interests professionally, they have always been significant in my life.

In 2021, after leaving my nursing job, I started PETUNIA, a small e-commerce clothing brand, that creates beautiful hand-dyed kaftan dresses. PETUNIA has allowed me to channel my passion for beauty & fashion into each design. Additionally, it has been incredibly rewarding to see people wearing and loving our pieces.

After launching PETUNIA, I had the opportunity to spend a year abroad, which allowed me to pursue yet another great passion of mine: content creation. This marked the beginning of my YouTube channel (originally @KarinaCastroTravels, now just @KarinaCastro), which has provided me with a platform for exploring my numerous interests and the ability to share them with others.

I started my channel by sharing travel content—little glimpses into my daily life as I explored different places around the world. Over time, it naturally grew to include more of my interests, like lifestyle videos, day-in-the-life vlogs, cooking, fashion, beauty, and makeup content. It’s been really rewarding to build a space where I can share all the things I love and connect with others who enjoy them too.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a content creator, I bring ideas to life. Most of my work lives on my YouTube channel, which serves as a home for the thoughts and creative visions I want to share with the world. What I find most beautiful about content creation—and what I believe sets each creator apart—is that no one can truly be replicated. Every individual brings their own personality, experiences, and perspective, and that makes each voice on the platform completely unique.

One of my proudest decisions has been stepping away from what some might consider the “safe” path to follow my heart and pursue my dreams. There’s something deeply fulfilling about taking a simple idea and turning it into something real—something that can inspire, entertain, or move others.

I’m excited to keep growing, learning, and evolving, and I look forward to seeing where this journey of following my heart continues to take me. The road hasn’t always been easy, but I truly believe that the hardest moments often become the biggest blessings. They push us, shape us, and ultimately guide us closer to our purpose. Living authentically has helped make even the most difficult challenges more manageable—and sometimes, surprisingly, even joyful.

I’m still learning every day, but one of the biggest lessons so far has been the importance of trusting myself and listening to my intuition. Not everyone will understand the choices I make, and that’s okay. In those moments, knowing who I am and staying grounded in that truth has made all the difference. Also, gratitude—both for the big wins and the small joys along the way—has been a powerful part of the journey.

Through my YouTube channel (@KarinaCastro) and my e-commerce clothing brand, PETUNIA, I hope to inspire others to live authentically. For me, that authenticity has taken shape through artistic creation—whether it’s in fashion, styling, beauty, design, travel, filmmaking, or cooking. My love for these things drives me to bring my ideas to life and share them with the world.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would start with a beach trip to Laguna Beach or Malibu, where I would suggest a tanning session (using SPF of course), açai bowls on the beach and a fun drive on PCH. Another day I would recommend, a nice hike to Eaton Canyon trail, or a stop at the Silverlake Flea Market (I think they are open Friday – Sunday).

To eat I would suggest a delicious meal at some of my favorites like IN-N-OUT (can’t miss), Boiling Crab, Prince Street Pizza, Langer’s Deli, Korean BBQ in Korea Town, or Bavel in DTLA (which is more upscale but so worth it in my opinion). Definitely a boba stop at 7Leaves (the green Thai tea is my current fav) and for a nighttime drink I would recommend, Death & Co Bar in Arts District. For entertainment I would recommend a comedy night at the Laugh Factory on Sunset, and a trip to San Diego (La Jolla and Old Town are musts) to sight see and eat delicious Mexican food (The Taco Stand).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shoutout my mom & dad and my boyfriend for being my biggest fans and always supporting me no matter what! It means the world to me.

Website: https://www.petunia.store/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinasmodernlife/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClpw2RRHqaGL3De6BhqIxOA