I don't know if it's good or bad that it has already been four years of Mimosas & Lipstick. I say that because it reminds me how far out of college I am (LOL!). I graduated from LSU and moved back to the suburbs of Chicago and didn't really know where to go from there.
I had an internship in college with Jay Ducote and saw the back end of running a website and I really enjoyed the work. I enjoyed being able to learn and grow and find my voice. My dad encouraged me to start a food blog but I didn't think that anyone cared about what I had to say. He kept encouraging me and I kept dismissing myself. Who would want to take my advice?
Eventually, I started my first big girl job and I felt stunted. It wasn't really what I thought working in marketing would be and I felt really drained. I was wearing cute outfits but no one cared and I was like wait... should I start a fashion blog? I had followed people like Lauren Sims, Dani Austin, and Courtney Shields for a few years and loved their content. I loved how casual they shared with their following, styling their outfits seemed fun, and it would give me a creative outlet.
From there I researched. I looked into web design, blogging tip articles, reached out to people who I knew were bloggers that I admired like Karli Willis, and from there - Mimosas and Lipstick was born. I look back on that period of my life and I wish I hadn't been so hard on myself. I would freak out if my photo didn't get 100 likes in 3 minutes, if I didn't get the perfect photo on the first try, and pressured myself to network with people I didn't really have a lot in common with. But in a way, I'm also happy that I went through that because it got me to where I am today.
Looking at this year in review, it progressed my life in so many ways I could've never imagined this time last year. I started my TikTok and now have over 7,500 followers, 352,000 likes, and has allowed me to show more of my silly goofy side. I got connected to an amazing cat rescue called the Catcade and adopted Dolly after fostering her. I was able to open up about my struggles with dating, which made me feel less alone and led to more honest conversations.
I grew more confident as a businesswoman and negotiated for my worth. I had to file taxes for 2021 because your support led me to work with some dream brands! Heck, I just grew in confidence period. Body positivity, confidence in my dating life, and knowing my worth.
In the next year, I hope to keep going and growing! I want to help us connect with each other more, feel less alone, and try new things! Here's to continuously learning and evolving.
