Some of the top fashion bloggers lives speak for themselves - they are constantly traveling, attending events, working on campaigns and living quite an extraordinary life. But what about those at the other end of the spectrum, the lesser known but still successful bloggers who make a living sharing their day to day with their followers. I don't claim to be ultra successful as a blogger but I have been able to turn blogging into a job and I enjoy it so much I would do it regardless! Luckily too, blogging goes hand in hand with my main gig which as a stylist, so I manage to blend the two together in a way that works for me.
A day in my life is very varied and that is the way I like it. While no two days are the same, this is generally how things play out...
5:30am - wake up (my son is my alarm)
5:45am - While my son eats breakfast and watches TV I find I can get a lot done before he is fully awake and the chaos begins so I use this time to check my emails, write and plan out articles for different brand projects, come up with my own blog post ideas and log onto DAAMN! App to begin styling clients online. I also try to plan out my gram and edit photo's, play with my feed in PREVIEW and scroll other people's feeds. This hour and a half in the morning is my most creative so I often use it to write, edit and compile all of my creative ideas together.
7:30am - get dressed for the day, usually in gym clothes for the first part of the day. I have recently met a few mums at school drop off who ask me what I do and when I say "stylist" I see them look at me sideways, haha all they know of me is gym clothes at all times, I probably look like a PT (without the epic abs).
8:45am - school drop off.
9:15am - I head straight to the gym every morning where I usually do a quick warm up, some HIIT & then lift weights. Being pregnant right now I am only doing light cardio and light weights but I can't wait to get back into my old routine, I miss sweating and destroying myself at the gym, it keeps me sane.
10:30am - Get a coffee, come home to my desk and plan out my to-do list for the day. I do a quick check of my accounts, invoicing, P&L's and monthly budget planning. I am a total numbers geek and love a good spreadsheet. I learned pretty early on to track everything when it comes to business and running a blog is no different.
11:30am - I try to catch up on all my brand collaborations and communications around this time every day - sticking to posting expectations and time lines is super important as a blogger. I never want to disappoint a brand and often try to go above and beyond delivering more than expected, whether than means creating a blog post when all that was expected was content on my social channels, or providing extra imagery for a brand to use as they please, or booking client styling appointments, editing outfits and trialing/photographing products.
1:00pm - Lunch break (I very, very rarely take photo's or Instagram my social life, food life or the places I go. I am very aware that I choose to live quite a public life in doing what I do but the majority of my friends live completely different lives and I don't expect them to take photo's of me, be in photo's with me or have our day to day happenings splashed all over my feed or stories. The same applies to my partner who is not a social media kinda man and I wholeheartedly respect that. He doesn't mind a photo here and there but when I am with him I try to be completely present and the world of blogging, Instagram and social media don't get much of a look in. It wasn't always this way, I was known to beg him to jump into Insta Hubby role but I decided I didn't want to do that to him and one thing I love most about him is how low key, humble and down to earth he is so I keep things separate and it works best for us!) I am a very open person, often too open, but I also respect and enjoy the private side to my life and the people in my life who want this also, so you will rarely see cafe pics, nightlife pics, family pics, friend pics or anything in between. I share what I hope is inspiration and information on style, beauty, home and mum life content and that is it.
2:00pm - Edit & Shoot photo's. I like the afternoon light best and try to get most of my photo's shot after 2pm. This is often just me with my tripod and iphone but sometimes I use my SLR camera or enlist the help of a photographer. I also make a post office run most days because no matter how many times I try and get my gifted products or deliveries left on my door step, so often they don't and it drives me crazy! I should get a PO Box but...on the list hah!
3:00pm - School pick up
3:30pm - finish up on any tasks I haven't done, check emails again, check my Google analytics and other online tools I use.
4:30 - shut down all my work, take my son skate boarding, clean the house, walk the dog, washing...I get weirdly productive in the afternoon and don't sit still until after dinner, it drives my household crazy
5:30 - start cooking dinner
7:00 - get my son ready for bed. This used to be "go to an event" but since becoming pregnant I have barely been, seen or done anything social hah, that is a big deal for this social butterfly! I have absolutely loved taking a rest from the never ending event wheel, spending time at home and enjoying precious family time over the last 9 months. I can't wait to get back out there but I've found myself drawn to all things home and I have embraced this quieter lifestyle completely. It's been good for me. I highly recommend the JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out) Life!
8:30 - log off DAAMN! app. I am available on here pretty much all day every day to style users. I enjoy it so much that I try to be available most of the time, I love the rest of the team and am so grateful to work in this capacity because it enables me to style people from all over the world at the touch of a button.
9:00pm - go to bed. Yes I know this sounds ridiculously early but my man is in construction and this is his norm and now I am heavily pregnant I can't seem to stay awake after this anyways! I love waking up with the sunrise and early bed times make this possible.
So there you go, my life isn't wildly exciting but it is mine, it is creative and it fulfills me completely. I never thought starting out in this industry would lead me to where I am, I never thought I could make an income from sharing things I love with other people outside of the typical role of "stylist". I started a few different blogs years and years ago before it was much of a thing and I had no clue what I was doing but I found it fun and I experimented with the platform and idea but without much seriousness. When I started The Style Side blog in conjunction with my personal styling business it just felt right, it made sense and I pursued it with everything I had.
Blogging takes a lot of work, self promotion, discipline, a thick skin and the confidence to handle rejection time and time again, whether that be from a brand or someone who judges you for putting yourself out there publicly. Despite all of that, I absolutely love what I do - the people I have connected with throughout my blogging journey, the women who have shared their stories with me or been inspired by me as I have by them, the network I have built and the genuine satisfaction I get when a small business thanks me for working with them, all of it means the world to me. The best part, I still love blogging just as much, if not more, than I did when I first started 3 years ago and for this woman, who loves to change direction as quickly as she changes outfits, that says a lot!