Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Gentry.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jessica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Through the suggestion of my best friend constantly encouraging me to start a fashion blog, I started my blog four years ago. Since I consider myself more of a private person and would not have started it on my own, I really owe a lot of the success of my blog to her. The thought of putting myself out there wasn’t really my thing. It took awhile for me to get comfortable sharing little parts of my life here and there, and still remains true to this day!
My love for fashion began when I signed with my first modeling agency during my junior year in high school. For the next 12 years, I was lucky and fortunate enough to make a career out of it. Page Parkes has always been my mother agency, and through them, I’d sign contracts with agencies overseas and began traveling internationally. Fast forward many years later (when blogging became a thing), and the idea of being a fashion blogger seemed a bit unrealistic to me! I, unfortunately, made the mistake of comparing it to my modeling days where you have the client set up the shoot, hair and makeup, styling and all you have to do is show up! Blogging is the complete opposite of that scenario, considering that you have to do every single step, all on your own. In a sense, it has definitely been humbling! I still feel ridiculous taking photos of myself for my blog versus when I’d get booked for a campaign and I’m surrounded by a team.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Blogging definitely has its obstacles, especially considering you’re a one-woman show! Luckily, I had studied photography and had taken a few courses at Houston Center of Photography in the past and was somewhat familiar with a camera. Also, having a Marketing degree has been beneficial in terms of strategizing, pitching to brands and negotiating my worth as a blogger. That said, I definitely grew alongside my blog, considering there was a lot of trial and error. My advice to anyone wanting to start a blog would be to show up to the events, network, be professional, find a mentor, and be consistent. Blogging in a sense has become oversaturated, but there’s always room for something fresh that stands out! Find what makes you unique, set yourself apart and play on it! In the end, you want blogging to be fun. Now that I have two babies, it’s definitely become more challenging to create content and organize shoots in order to meet deadlines. I’m still trying to figure out how to balance it all out!
Please tell us about your work.
When I started blogging, I was still considered a newlywed. Fast forward two babies later and I’m actually at crossroads with what direction I want to take my blog. In the past, I was solely fashion, but if you look at my Instagram now, it’s definitely taken a shift. I incorporate more of what’s going on in my daily life- which is motherhood! That said, lifestyle and motherhood has naturally become the avenue where the majority of my collaborations come from. I just don’t have time right now to focus on fashion content the way I used to with two little ones running around! That said, I’ll always share my fashion and beauty favorites with my followers, but I feel a need to share things that have more meaning to me. I struggled privately with infertility… it was just too hard to talk about during the process. Now that my oldest is almost three years old, I finally feel comfortable sharing my story on how hard I fought to become a mommy. It took two years of continuous fertility treatments to get pregnant. It was the hardest chapter of my life, and if sharing my story helps bring awareness or comfort to one person, then putting myself out there in a way that’s uncomfortable for me will serve its purpose. My goal is to create a platform where women can come together, support each other and be unapologetically authentic.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
I love following Mel Robbins on Instagram! Every morning she does a live Coffee Talk that’s refreshing and gets your mind right for the day! Another favorite is the RISE Podcast by Rachel Hollis. A friend of mine chatted about how instrumental the podcast has been with the growth of her creative business, so I checked it out. Now it’s one of my go-tos when I’m not listening to 5 Little Monkeys or Old MacDonald in the car! I also jumped on the Brené Brown wagon and believe we could all benefit from her recent Netflix special, The Call to Courage. I’m fascinated with self-development and love learning different perspectives outside of my own.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.featherthread.com
- Email: featherthreadblog@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byjessicagentry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byjessicagentry/
Image Credit:
black jumpsuit photo by BanAvenue Photography @banavenuephotog
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
