Nouria recently lost a sponsorship with a watch company because they felt she wasn’t “enough of an influencer.” “They wanted me to do a rafting press trip and that just didn’t work for me,” she says. “I have very little time, and I need to use that time to improve my skills and work on expeditions.” Though she realizes that her commitment causes her to miss out on financial opportunities, she says it’s worth it. “I refuse to have an agent and I often turn down sponsorship opportunities if it doesn’t work for me,” says Nouria. “I make less money that way, but I don’t need to make a stupid social media post holding a product.” 

“In the end, sticking to who you are isn’t about saying no to people,” she says. “If you’re just being open with them, they realize that it’s best for the both of you to not be partners. I think they appreciate that.”