The Friday Five
In my Instagram stories on Monday I asked you to send me questions for a new series that I have decided to call: The Friday Five! Here are 5 of the questions you guys sent me! I’ll be asking for more on Monday, so stay tuned and send me what you got!
Favorite local places to shop in KC
…There are so many good ones!
-I love Coco & Lady Bye in Brookside - both just a few blocks from my house and probably too dangerously close!
-Scoobie- located inside the Garment District downtown, but also in Overland Park inside the Trendz Market
-The Kindred Shops - a collection of boutiques located inside of Oak Park Mall. Lots and lots of cute stuff in there! They also have a vintage section!
- Other local shops: I love Made in KC Marketplace on the Plaza, always fun to peruse in there! Plus they have local food vendors inside like Ice Cream Bae, crepes made my Aixois, and bubble tea.
- SkinKC for their selection of amazing of natural lotions, scrubs, moisturizers, and other beauty products.
-Unbakery - one of my favorite places to get some work done and sip on a chai tea latte
When did you first start blogging and do you have another job
I FIRST started in 2014 - took a few years break due to the difficulty I had getting photos taken of me (Brandon and I didn't live together yet, and we lived in Boston - with no cars and that meant me biking to meet him just to shoot a few photos) I started back up again in early 2017, and have been blogging pretty much consistently ever since! I wrote a full post about my "blogging story" - you can read it HERE!)
I don't have another job, although I do work on a few income-producing endeavors to help pay the bills. I build and manage websites for businesses (just one client currently), I also shoot photography with Brandon every now and then- families, engagements, etc. and the rest of my income comes from blogging: sponsored content, commissions/and selling my mobile presets (and working on an E-book now also too!)
What do you eat in a typical day
I get this question so often, and I feel bad because its A) really not that exciting, and B) I definitely eat healthy overall, but eat a lot of things you would consider to be very UN-healthy. I can honestly say that I am now currently in the best shape of my life and I attribute that to my workouts at Health House (I have a post on what Health House is, and tips for Newbies HERE!) AND a healthy relationship with food. I am a big believer in balance and the good definitely outweighs the bad when you look at my diet. (but I DO eat the “bad stuff” when I feel like it!) I wrote a blog post answering all the typical food/ nutrition questions I receive on a regular basis! Find it HERE!
Biggest advice for someone who wants to transition into career blogging
Two things I will say here!
1) I was working a full time job, and blogging on the side for about a year before I jumped off to this adventure of self employment. For the last 3 months of working full time, I was REALLY thinking hard about what that would look like to be on my own without the comfort of a steady corporate paycheck. I was no where near making enough money blogging to justify quitting my job, but I was almost certain that with the passion I have for this blogging/creative space - I could eventually make enough money, I just needed the time to devote to it. WELL, it just so happened that my company at the time were going through several heavy rounds of layoffs - and I ended up being one of the victims. It was a huge blessing in disguise because I don't think I would have made the leap myself- if I wasn't pushed off first! The layoff secured me a great cushion of time where I would still get paid through severance while I was figuring out what I would do on my own. So long story short - I think it takes a huge leap (or push!) of faith, and a certainty in YOUR mind that whatever this side job/ passion you have - you can succeed. Confidence and belief in yourself is huge.
2) I am not totally transitioned into full time blogging, since I do have a few unrelated projects on the side, but I am getting closer and closer. What I will say is what really helped me feel confident to strike out on my own was knowing that I have a couple of skillsets that are valuable and I could use to make money in the meantime. I love to take photos and I knew I could use my "portfolio" of content I had created over the years from my blog to take photos for others and get paid for it. I also have become very comfortable with Squarespace (my blogging platform) and use that skill to help others build websites they need for their business. Lean on your skillsets and get creative! If you do blog and have a good devoted following - what are you good at that they look up to you for? Can you write an ebook or sell a course on it? How else can you get creative to utilize your strengths and turn it into an income.
Best makeup tip or trick
For me - I am just a quick & easy makeup person. If I can't do it in 5 minutes, I probably won't do it! Hands down, my favorite "makeup trick" are my eyelash extensions. (I see Auni at Salon One19 if you are local!) If I DO feel like putting on makeup it probably takes me 3 minutes for foundation, bronzer or blush and some highlighting powder (a couple days a week I don't even bother now that I have my eyelashes!) People always ask if its worth the investment, and I always say YES! 100%!
Happy Friday, see you next week!