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Welcome back y'all! Sorry its been long time no post ,but today I'm back with a super exciting interview with Dorothy from @prepinyourstep! She was so kind to help me out by answering these questions and I hope they give you an even deeper admiration from this amazing lady! be sure to check out her incredible blog and Instagram (linked below) I hope y'all enjoy! 1. What has being a blogger/instagramer taught you?" I think the biggest thing I've learned from having my own blog is the fact that it's not always what it seems. This relates to all of the behind the scenes work that I had no idea existed before beginning to moving the clutter from one side of my room to the other in order to get a post live about updates done to my room. When I began I was honestly shocked to check my analytics and see that people aside from myself and my family had fun my blog and stopped to read it. Years later and I still think about just how cool that is. Sometimes in college especially, I felt like I was living a double life where I had my normal college life and then the blogging side as well. With that, I didn't know the responsibilities that would come on the business side of blogging as well. Communicating with brands, creating contracts, shooting photos, preparing social media posts, and overall managing a personal brand can be a lot at times but it is so worth it. That goes along with the idea that everything isn't how it seems. There have been times where a deadline has crept up on me and I've shot photos for a sponsored post right as the sun is coming up so that it is good to go. Instagram is certainly a highlight reel and most of the time I just wish y'all could see the mess I create when shooting photos or arranging products or myself in a certain way just to get a good shot. All of these moments have brought lots of laugh but remind me of the reality of how this hobby really can be a job at times." 2. What is your favorite thing about blogging?" I think my favorite thing about blogging would have to be the opportunities that has come with it for me to be able to connect with brands I love and share them with the readership I've grown. If you would have told me when I started that I would be working with brands like PB Teen whose catalogue I would sit with at our kitchen counter envisioning my dream bedroom I would've have laughed. I am constantly reminded of the trust these companies have given me to promote their products in a genuine way for my readers to engage with. The friends and readers I've gained over the years from blogging are also one of the absolute best parts. I wish I could sit down and have a cup of coffee with each of them to tell them just how much it means to me that they trust my judgement and check back to see what I post when they do. I love the opportunities I have had to meet readers and find it so fun that they have even gone up to my friends before even when I am not there to let them know that they recognize them from my blog. It is a constant reminder that it really is a small world." 3. What is the biggest tip you can give to new bloggers?''Post what you want to post about not what you think will be popular. So often now people start blogs because they see the people who have made it big after years of hard work. If that growth comes to them quickly that is wonderful but more than likely it will take time and if you're only blogging about what other people are already talking about there is little reason for someone to click on a post they've already seen elsewhere. Stay true to what you're interested in and writing posts will remain exciting and you'll draw in readers who are similar to you!'' 4. What motivated you to start your blog?''It is insane to think that I've been blogging for almost 6 years. My blog pretty much documents my journey through high school, college, and now the real world which is such a funny concept to me. I started my blog junior year of high school when I felt like all I was doing was going from cross country or soccer practice to homework to school without having a way to creatively express myself. Over the years I've realized just how bad I am at not being productive so it really comes as no surprise that I took on something like a blog to tackle that lack of creativity. From there I realized the escape and stress relief it could be and the rest is history.'' 5. Have you seen yourself grow through your blogging and social media journey?''Yes, in ways that I don't even know how to begin to describe. I was almost 17 when I began and now here I am at 22 still feeling like I could be back in my bedroom at home the night Prep In Your Step began. I also feel like I've grown up so much as a person since then. If it weren't for Prep In Your Step I am not sure I'd be as confident of a person and so sure of myself as I am now. Despite most people being overwhelmingly positive towards what I've done there are also people out there that are doubtful and negative. I've learned to have thick skin. I'm not sure if I hadn't taken this risk that I would have taken other risks I did in college and credit my work ethic and ability to be a self starter to this blog! '' Thank you so much for reading! Also another HUGE thanks to Dorothy for helping me! be sure to follow her and check out her blog!
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Hello friends welcome back! Today I have a very exciting post a interview with one of my favorite bloggers! Ashley from @therichmondprepster ,and once again I'm blown away by her genuine and inspiring answers ,and I'm so excited to get to share some of her blogging expertise with y'all! I hope you enjoy getting to know this phenomenal girl just a little bit better! 1. What has being a blogger/instagramer taught you?Before I started blogging and just used Instagram merely as a way to post photos on my personal account, I didn't really see social media or even blogging as an actual tool that could help you reach people all across the globe. After blogging and becoming a social media influencer I truly have found appreciation for all the work that goes into maintaining and producing successful social media accounts, platforms, and blogs. There's so many fine details that go into running a successful business via blog or Instagram and it's also become an amazing way to advertise to crowds you might not have reached or connected with before. 2. What is your favorite thing about blogging?. This is honestly a really hard question because I love so many things about blogging, but I would say my top favorite thing is that blogging has introduced me to so many headstrong, independent, and creative women. Two of my very best girl friends are actually gals I met through blogging and now I've even made plans to make a trip back up to NY to have a girls weekend with a couple of my favorite blogger babes and influencers. It's amazing how something as small as an app or a website can create such a strong knit group of women that you come to consider your very best friends, but that you wouldn't of known had it not been for taking that little leap into the blogosphere. 3. What is the biggest tip you can give to new bloggers?. The most important and/or biggest tip I can give to beginning bloggers is to stay true to yourself. I know how easy it is to get caught up in the "she has this so I should get this to increase my following" or "they just did this blog post so I should do this blog post", but honestly the best thing about having YOUR OWN blog is that it's yours, and that there are thousands of people out there that will enjoy the content you create that is unique to your blog and your interests. But you just have to give them time to come across your platforms! I am definitely guilty of playing follow the leader when it comes to bloggers and influencers that are more popular than I am, but just in recent months I decided to start doing just what Ashley wanted to do and I all of the sudden started noticing that my social media engagement/following and the amount of views on my blog started to sky rocket. 4. What motivated you to start your blog? I really don't have any huge exciting reason behind why I started The Richmond Prepster, except for I decided that I needed a new hobby. I've always been really busy and active and then my Sophomore year of college hit and I honestly was just so bored with my life: work, gym, and classes were all I ever did. So one night I was just like "okay Ashley, you've had this Instagram account for a couple months now, lets just go for it". I really had no idea what I was doing but I knew that I had nothing to lose by attempting to blog so I kind of just went for it. I've always admired people who had a strong sense of style and made a career out of it so I just decided to "go for the gold"! 5. Have you seen yourself grow through your blogging and social media journey?. I truly believe that blogging has not only enhanced my life significantly, but it's also made me a lot more confident and proud of myself. I really started from the bottom and had no clue what I was doing and it gives me great gratification to know that all my hard work has really payed off and resulted in me being presented with some pretty awesome opportunities (Victory Cup Polo, Barrington Gifts, KJP, etc.). Blogging has also really helped to boost my confidence and make me really see (and acknowledge) all the potential I have as an individual. I've always lacked self confidence and although sometimes I still do I can genuinely say that blogging has made my self esteem and how I view myself improve greatly. My social skills have also really taken a turn seeing as in the past I wouldn't even start a conversation with another person just because I felt like the way they were dressed indicated that they were of a higher status than myself, but now I find myself reaching out to companies like Barrington Gifts and Lauren James and I'm really amazed at how much more out-going and willing to put myself out there I am now. Blogging has tons of benefits but I would say that the best ones are that it teaches and demands that you step outside of your comfort zone! Thank You for reading! be sure to follow all my socials and Ashley's Instagram! Welcome back friends! today I have super exciting post for y'all! I interviewed Delaney Hogg from @delaneyhoggyt she was so incredibly sweet to take the time to do this and I know you guys love her just as much as I do and I'm so excited for y'all to read her answers! Be sure to follow her Instagram (it's amazing) and subscribe to her YouTube channel! I will link them both below! 1. What has being a blogger taught you? I have learned so many things through blogging, I've learned all about social media and photography, how to edit photos, what apps to use and what angles are best for photos. I've learned to keep up with the trends and updates that Instagram (primarily) and other social medias have to offer. I've learned how to put together a website, how to collaborate with companies, and a lot about myself. I've learned about public speaking and I truly believe that I have become better at public speaking because of blogging and YouTube. 2. What is your favorite thing about blogging/YouTube? To start, I have at least one photoshoot a week, I am constantly searching through my SD card to see what photos I will actually use, which comes down to a ratio of about 10 photos I actually use out of 200 taken. My absolute favorite thing about this, is when I find that picture I just know is going to be repinned on Pinterest, or featured on a companies page, that my followers are going to love or that's going to get a lot of likes (I don't do it for the likes, but its nice to get a bunch). That 'Ah-Ha' moment of "this is it", finding those hidden treasure pictures in my SD card is my absolute favorite thing! 3. What is the biggest tip you can give to new bloggers/YouTubers? My only regret is that I wish I had started sooner. So I encourage starting, but my next tip for after you've started is to put in the effort to make it great. study other bloggers, read up, watch videos, do your research of what to do and what not to do. There are so many resources out there and its as simple as ever to type in Google "do's and don'ts of Instagram" or "how to start a successful blog". Learn from your favorite bloggers (don't copy), but learn, almost every Blogger or YouTuber, at one point, has posted something about tips they have for starting or growing. 4. What motivated you to start your blog? I always admired so many bloggers (and YouTubers) (including @cmcoving , sarahbelle93x , @belleoftheball45 , and @sarahKJP), I followed all of these people on my personal account, and one day I realized that I followed close to 100 bloggers and fashion gurus on my personal account, so I decided to start an account just to follow fashion accounts, and I unfollowed them on my personal. So I started @imapreppygirl , and one day (August 19, 2014) I decided to start posting random anonymous pictures, just for fun, and here I am now as @delaneyhoggyt , almost three years later , happy as ever , doing this as a job and learning more each day. 5. Have you seen yourself grow through your social media/blogging journey? Absolutely. I have learned so much about myself through this process. My self confidence has grown, it has helped me decide my career path, and I've met the most amazing people. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I hope you enjoyed this post be sure to follow Delaney's Instagram and subscribe to her YouTube channel! Hey y'all Welcome back! today I have a very special post. I interviewed Lucy from DailyDoseofPrep on Instagram about her journey being a fashion blogger. She was so kind to take the time to share a little bit about her experience with me and I am so excited to be able to share her inspiring story with y'all! If you are not already be sure to follow her on Instagram and check out her blog I will link both below! 1. What has being a blogger/instagramer taught you? ''Blogging has taught me so many things, not only about myself but about the business world. It has taught me how to write a business email to a company for one. But it has also taught me how to be confident, the difference between genuine company and someone that's trying to use me for my following and how to take pictures. I have learned how to interact with strangers both on social media and in real life and finally how to be comfortable I my own skin.'' 2. What is your favorite thing about blogging? "'My favorite thing about blogging is the fact that I have the power to inspire someone. Even if it's just one person who maybe tries out a new style or a new DIY because they saw it on Daily Dose of Prep makes blogging worth it to me. The whole point of writing DDoP was to give young ladies a place to come and feel confident. A place to make them feel beautiful, confident and happy.'' 3. What is the biggest tip you can give to new bloggers? ''Success doesn't come overnight and that's one thing every blogger starting out should keep in mind. You have to stay patient and keep working hard- nothing comes just from waiting though. With the waiting needs to be a lot of drafting, photography, and brainstorming. I have four main things to keep in mind though for all bloggers though and that would be patience, great photo quality, interaction with readers/ followers, and finally just radiating kindness. People all over the world can read this, be the amazing and beautiful self you are on the outside but also in the inside as well!'' 4. What motivated you to start your blog? ''I started Daily Dose of Prep my junior year of high school because I was in and out of the hospital for horrible stomach complications. I was going to the hospital once or twice a week for tests and procedures like endoscopies, colonoscopies, and gallbladder tests. I literally had no clue what was wrong with me. This sickness made me miss a lot of school and I lost so much weight I was down to 92 pounds within the first month of being ill. I wasn't allowed to play tennis because I was so weak. I needed something to take my mind off of things that wasn't the hospital or makeup work at school so I started writing and then publicly launched the blog in July of 2015. it was the best decision I have ever made!'' 5. Have you seen yourself grow through your blogging and social media journey? ''I have seen so much growth in myself these past 19 months. I have learned how to love my body and be confident in my appearance. I have learned how to recognize and appreciate my flaws. I have also seen myself become a kinder person. I was never mean but after receiving emails from scared 5th graders who are entering middle school and reading messages from a mom thanking me for being a good role model to her daughter it has made me see the power of kindness and how important it is that everyone adopt some. Social media is a scary place, especially for girls going through middle and high school. If I can create a beam of positivity in a sometimes not so positive world, I'm honored to possibly do that for someone. After all, I once was an awkward 13 year old who needed that too.''
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