Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Bastedo.
Emily, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After graduating from college and starting my full time job, I felt like there was a creative-side of me that was unfulfilled. While sitting in a hotel room (while traveling for work), I decided that I wanted to start a little blog to help capture my travels and express my creative side. A couple of months into posting, I began to find my voice (both IRL and on the blog) and knew that I wanted to share curvy fashion because I was having a hard time finding women who looked like me online.
I wanted to share with (young) women that they could wear anything they felt comfortable in and there were brands that sold clothes which were stylish and made in our size. This was something I desperately craved in middle and high school; heck, even in my adult life, I still hope to see more of this.
It’s been almost five years since I published my first post and I am continually learning about new aspects to blogging and I strive to continue to motivate my readers/followers that they can “follow their dreams and feel beautiful while doing it!”
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Haha… yes and no. There’s a lot of aspects of blogging that have been difficult, but early on, I had to make a decision that I think has ultimately shaped my whole journey and, looking back with rose-colored glasses, it has been a smooth road with lots of curves.
Let me explain… given that, I often work 60+ hour weeks and am traveling Monday to Thursday, finding time is my biggest struggle as a blogger. At this point in my life, my full time career has to be the priority both financially and to be able to achieve personal goals I set for myself. Two (2) years ago, I was posting all the time and was keeping up with my editorial calendar, but with my full time job, I was driving myself to exhaustion – I was trying to do everything and there was just not enough time in the day to take care of myself and all of my responsibilities. After a particularly trying week, I decided enough was enough; I had to start living for me. As much as I loved my blog, I had to re-prioritize for my own sanity. Ultimately, I made the decision that I could not do it all. I started outsourcing some of my blog tasks (i.e., photography and editing, social media management, etc.). It was an expense, but it allowed me to do both my full time job and my blog without sacrificing my health.
For anyone starting out today, I would say two things to remember through your journey:
1) Your blog is your own – Don’t compare yourself to others. It is so easy to play the comparison game, but you will build an authentic and engaging following by just being yourself and building your brand your way. At the end of the day, this is your area to be who you are – don’t let someone else’s middle impact the beginning of your journey.
2) Sometimes you can’t do it all – find out what is important to you and pursue it. And ASK FOR HELP! If you are being transparent about your struggles, people will relate and will understand why you didn’t post every day on Instagram or why you were MIA for a couple of weeks. We’ve all been there.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Something Gold, Something Blue – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My blog and social media focus on fashion for the curvy/plus size woman who wants to look chic, no matter what her size. I often describe my style as Southern + Preppy, which just means lots of color, bold prints (cough… cough… lots of gingham), and statement jewelry. My posts include office attire for the woman working in a corporate office, casual weekend looks, special event style (a.k.a. weddings), and travel tips.
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Growing up being overweight was tough, especially when it came to fashion. I think one of the hardest parts was not being able to go shopping in the same stores as my friends or even wear similar clothes to them. It often leads me to feel bad about my body and I tried to hide it.
These experiences are the driving force keeping me motivated, through the hard times, to write my blog and share my story with other curvy young ladies because, ultimately, we are all beautiful for who we are and how we dress is just one way of expressing ourselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.somethinggoldsomethingblue.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://www.somethinggoldsomethingblue.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SomethingGoldSomethingBlue
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/EmilySGSB
- Other: http://www.instagram.com/EmilySGSB
Image Credit:
@LAPhotographyTX
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.
