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Three years ago, I started a blog- okay so not exactly a fashion blog, but a fashion Instagram. At the time, I was living Charlotte, North Carolina and working at a law firm as a Marketing Coordinator. After a couple of months of 8am wake up calls (this girl used to love sleeping in) and dressing fancy smancy, I decided it just wasn’t for me. Combine not actually loving what I was doing work-wise, I decided I needed something new. Not ever being into sports, I wasn’t entirely sure what could be my hobby.
After thinking about what I liked, it was so obvious. Create a fashion Instagram. I had always followed other fashion influencers and had what some may call a “shopping problem.” By shopping problem, I mean spending hours a week shopping at Tj Maxx, Nordstrom, or Nordstrom Rack to get a fix… I mean that’s normal right?
I thought with my interest in fashion and background (I graduated Endicott in Beverly, MA with a marketing degree), this is something I could be good at. I started out by messaging my favorite blogger at the time (@loverlygrey) and asking her how she had gotten so many followers and so much engagement, and if she had any tips. She recommended that I start doing the #wearwhatwhere contests. So of course, I did, which propelled me into an Instagram community of woman who had similar interests as me.
outfit details: jean shorts – bag – t-shirt
As I began to post and get more engagement, my pictures began to get re-posted by Nordstrom Rack, TjMaxx, the Paper Store and Steve Madden, and I remember thinking it was so cool. On the flip side, I also realized it was taking a lottttt of time. Not only is it taking pictures but editing them and posting to Instagram. After that, it’s sitting there for what seems like hours trying to formulate the perfect clever Instagram caption that’s the perfect amount of enough information, but not too cheesy. Next comes overthinking it, scrutinizing enough, and finally saying f*** it, and posting. Okay, forgot one thing. The hashtags. This requires research – whether it’s looking at similar accounts to you and seeing what they’re doing or researching articles online.
Four months in, I decided to stop the account. My lease was up, so I had to make the decision of staying in Charlotte, moving to another state, or moving back to Boston. After a difficult couple week of complementation, I decided to move back. With moving, came finding a new job and a new apartment. I spent months searching for an apartment and interviewing for jobs.
Fast forward three years, and so much has changed. I found an apartment I love in Waltham, MA and a job that I also enjoy. If you’re wondering if I’m still working at a law firm, here’s the answer; I spend my days at a small ad agency developing emails, project managing, interacting with clients, CMS editing, social media posting, and so much more.
After being at the agency for two years, I decided that I needed a new hobby. The idea of fashion and lifestyle blog crossed my mind once again. Not only did I think my style improved, but my ability to find deals, and marketing experience also took a huge leap. In 2015, I didn’t know anything about SEM (search engine marketing), or SEO (search engine optimization). I had no idea that you were supposed to make all your photos have the same filters, so your page looks cohesive. I also owned an iPhone 4 (#tbt), so my photos were definitely lacking that portrait mode vibe. I didn’t understand the full concept of affiliate programs, and that a blog is something you can actually make money off of. And Wordpress was definitely a word I had never heard before.
outfit details:sunglasses
Starting a fashion blog was something I wasn’t sure I wanted to do again. But since I had done it before, I thought why couldn’t I do it again?
That’s how my fashion blog Emjacquelyn was started! Thanks for reading!
XO,
Emma
