One thing I knew from the start

Circa 2013.

That’s when I started cultivating things here on the Internet. If we want to be honest, I actually started in 2012...but it was more online diary vibes and I had no clue what I was doing. Just sharing my experiences while living in the Big Apple. Such a magical time in my life. In the Summer of 2013, Jason and I got married and I moved away from NYC shortly before our wedding day. We had big plans to move back. However, that all changed when I got that first student loan bill in the mail around November...I was crushed about both the loan and not going back. After I was able to pull myself together, I realized that not going back to NYU presented me with an opportunity to start afresh. Fashion was something I was very much interested in and this change of plans was presenting me a chance to dive in head first. I had already started sharing outfits on the blog at this point and was enjoying the process. I decided that I would amp things up and use this blog (at the time it was Live Love and READ...how cringy and 23 of me…haha) as a tool to help me discover my place in the fashion industry.

From Fall 2013 | this outfit tho...so Pinterest.

From winter 2014 | this skirt was my jam

Fast forwarding nearly 10 years later, I am working in the industry as both a content creator and wardrobe stylist. Seriously insane in the best way possible. Curating content for my blog taught me some incredible life lessons about what it means to reamin true to our passion, how to advocate for yourself, how to keep momentum when no one else understands what you are doing and most importantly, how to chase a DREAM.

Today | praise for time and fashion growth

Like all businesses, the first few years of creating is a season of growing pains. But some of the growing pains in this creative space were even more challenging, as the idea of “being an influencer” was still so brand new. It was basically (and in many ways remains to be) the Wild Wild West. Such a new concept that there was no blueprint. Back in Spring of 2013, as I started observing the landscape and looking at the women who were killing it at the time, I knew I was missing something. I had the ability to create, style and inspire, but I was missing the savvy to make this more than a hobby. I continued creating, but began looking for resources that could help me take this thing to the next level. In my research, I discovered Lacey Faeh. A fellow content creator and digital media consultant. At the time, she was offering consultations for influencer marketing. While we could barely afford the service (newly wed finance merging and reality), I told Jason that this was worth the investment. After all, in order to be successful, YOU MUST BE WILLING TO INVEST IN YOURSELF. This is a lesson I learned at a young age. Along with my small shopping allowance each month, I hired Lacey for a few months to help me assess my positioning in the landscape. She equipped me with tools, insight and foresight on how to keep advancing in this space. A lot of my success is directly correlated with her expertise and how she helped me to further cultivate what made me unique.

I find myself thinking back to this often. I am frequently asked by many where do I start in this space of influencing, which is a question I can most definitely sympathize with, because I was there many years ago, which brings us to today and something I am super excited to share with you…THE HOOK UP!

Alongside a trusted friend, mentor and client, Whitney Abraham, we began having conversations about the need for a blueprint for aspiring influencers and small businesses alike. You see, Whitney is a marketing professional and dang GOOD AT IT. Our conversations led to journaling. From journaling to creating an e-course we’ve entitled The Hook Up. Throughout this course we have fused together our expertise to give you resources and insights on how to navigate paid partnerships…something I so wish I had during my early years. But I am convinced, we often experience seasons so that we might be able to encourage and edify others…and I believe The Hook Up is exactly that.

Here’s a quick preview of the course:

Learn more about the hook up

Today, Whitney and I are going live with one of my dearest friends, Caralyn Mirand Koch. Carolyn is a model turned full time content creator who is truly the best. We’ll be chatting at 11 AM EST to get a look into her start as an influencer. I know she will have some stories to tell for sure : )

And oh yes, because I am in the business of sharing, I would love to gift THE HOOK UP to one of YOU. Yes, you read that right. Use the banner below to navigate to a photo of me and Whitney. Like and drop a comment on what you are hoping to learn through this e-course!

hook up giveaway | like and comment

See you live today at 11 AM EST. And remember, in order to see what’s next, we often have to be willing to invest in ourselves. I am a testimony of that...its worth it. You are worth it.