Reflections, Vision and What’s Next
At the end of last year, and beginning of this year I had zero desire to set goals. I had little motivation. I just felt meh. And I couldn’t shake that nagging feeling, no matter what I did, it wasn’t enough. I felt like I couldn’t be a good mom, a good friend, a good partner, a good business owner. And I was consumed by self-doubt and completely uninspired.
I took a solid two weeks of off social media (mainly Instagram) over the holidays and it was EYE OPENING. The first few days I felt sick at the number of times I reached for my phone so I could check it. I ended up deleting the app off of my home screen permanently so I now have to type it in to find it, which made me very aware of how many times I go to check it. Being off of IG also made me realize how shitty it was making me feel. So much of the self-doubt and negative self talk was coming from being on Instagram. How could I let an app make me feel so bad about myself? I always vowed I would never let it do that. The lines between my life and work became so blurred, it was easy to fall into the comparison trap when my actual livelihood was tied to my success on an app. Side note: if you have not seen The Social Dilemma I recommend it.
I’ve always made a point not to put all my eggs in one basket.
I started a blog first, not an Instagram account. I’ve invested so much time, energy, and money into this blog, and it is still what brings me joy. While a lot of brands pushed for more partnerships on Instagram, I followed suit, putting so much focus on trying to grow and cultivate a community. And it is an amazing community of women there I don’t want to lose sight of that. But every time I went into the app my heart sank a little. How would I be harassed or insulted in my DMs today? And if not that, what would I see to make me feel like I would never measure up. I tied my self-worth to the following I had on Instagram and every time it went down I felt like a total failure.
My Vision
When I think about the vision for my business, it really has not wavered. I set out to create a community where women can feel heard. A place to encourage women to own their power. I believe that you can come here for a capsule wardrobe and to discuss navigating your career, motherhood, relationships, etc. We can be a sounding board for one another, a support group, a resource. We collectively have the power to create a more equitable and just future for future generations. And we can talk about the magic of the rhinestone headband, and at the same time address systemic racism, climate change and reproductive rights. I think about the maternity leave stories you shared all the time. There is power in sharing those experiences, and in reading them it made me realize there is an opportunity to do even more. Sharing the stories is one piece of the puzzle, but what can we do to create change so the next generation is better off?
What’s Next?
When I feel like I am losing my way, I always go back to one thing I know I can trust, my intuition. Only I can decide where I take my business. I believe fostering a strong community of women happens here. I’m shifting my priorities and going back to what I feel I do best. I can’t chase every trend on social media nor will I pretend to be someone I’m not. I have so much to share and so many things I want to discuss. But I can’t do it all. I want to spend the time I am working in the right space, and to me, that is here on this blog. It doesn’t mean I’m walking away from Instagram. It’s still a big part of my business, and I need to work on that too, but I’d rather use it on my own terms, in a healthier way, and take my business in the direction I want it to go. Is that scary? Yes. And yet, two years ago 90% of my paid partnerships came from fashion brands. After some soul searching I decided to completely change how I approached fashion, and as a result my content. Last year, I had a total of 6 partnerships with fashion brands, and my business still did fine. I deleted Twitter a year ago and never looked back. I rarely ever use Facebook. Change is not always easy, but it is possible.
What can you expect from me?
A lot more content on here, and a better and more exclusive weekly newsletter (you can sign up HERE to get daily or weekly emails). I am also on Pinterest, a lot, lol. As for Instagram, I’m still figuring out how I want to use it. I plan to create more style videos because those are fun to make. But I’m really excited to focus more on doing what I love, and that’s writing this blog and fostering the community here. I have something else in the works I will announce in the near future. And I am almost done writing my goals for 2021. I’ll share those soon.
I would really love to know what’s on your mind right now? What do you want to talk about here this year? What are your priorities? And what are you searching for that I can help with (big or small)? Let me know in the comments and please know how much I value each and every one of you. I appreciate you. I am grateful for you. With so much love, Jess
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