Today we’d like to introduce you to Mallory Collins.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mallory. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’d like to think it all started on a field trip Exchange City in 5th grade when I was given the position of newspaper manager for a day. From there I became editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper and then ran a college magazine while pursuing a degree in communications at Sam Houston State University. At one point, I contracted with a handful of local businesses in Huntsville to run their social media and marketing. After getting my feet wet, I knew what I wanted to do.
Following graduation, I was able to pick up a basic understanding of graphic design and in doing so started making graphics for my friends’ parties, weddings and showers. For a bachelorette trip, I made a custom itinerary for the group outlining what we had planned, reservations, dress code and the weather forecast. The itinerary proved useful and after designing a few others, I created an Etsy shop.
Over the years, I have shifted into a dream career as a lifestyle director for a master-planned community where I plan events and programs for the residents. It hasn’t always been easy juggling a full-time career with a side hustle but over time I have built up The Freckled Life, a lifestyle blog where I write about tips and tricks for everyday life, things to do in Houston and the joys of event planning. My Etsy store now includes custom logos and itineraries for any occasion. I’ve enhanced surprise family trips, birthdays, company workshops and most recently, a two week East Asia trip complete with welcome and swag bag card for Inspired Events by T.
As my Etsy store slowly takes off, I have started to plant the seeds for my future in the ever-changing blogging world. Finding what it takes to stand out from the crowd can be intimidating but in today’s world of copy cats and comparison chameleons, be a unique unicorn.
Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t always been easy trying to keep up with a blog and projects on top of a career. I have missed deadlines, over-promised and under-delivered and stressed too many times to count. My biggest piece of advice would be to start slow. When you see everyone else posting content daily, it’s easy to want to throw up your website and dive into the fun but you have no idea how long it took them to get to that level. One of my childhood friends runs Local Grub Hou, a Houston foodie Instagram with over 12,000 followers. She gets invited to tastings and food events almost every day but that took close to seven years.
If you’re looking to start something, whatever that something is, take your time and do the research. See what unique aspect you can bring, what are others doing, what is working and what isn’t. Learn how to manage your time, especially in the beginning when you are creating a new routine. Don’t get frustrated and give up because you aren’t moving as fast as you thought you would, greatness takes time. After all, the internet isn’t going anywhere.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Freckled Life by Mallory story. Tell us more about the business.
My lifestyle blogging covers everyday tips for how to live your best life, event planning guides, trip itineraries and things to do in Houston. For so many years, I had friends coming to me and asking what do in the city because I would plan weekend stay-cations and dates. Between my journalism background and passion for people I knew I wanted to do something different with my services. Whether it was through graphic design or blogging, I want to enhance the lives of others. When I’m not blogging or working on a design project, I am busy planning events and programs for a master-planned community, The Groves in Humble. Just this past Saturday my team hosted a Halloween event for over 400 residents. The weekend before we hosted a Harvest Festival Farmer’s Market with over 1,400 people in attendance. As the lifestyle director, my role is to bring the community together through events such as trivia night, s’mores, outdoor movies and winery trips. Scavenger hunts and social media contests are a few ways I help to build community within a community. “Get Outside” is our motto and I take that to the full extent with nature and education at the core.
A few months ago, I attended a career day and under my title, I wrote all of my responsibilities which included event planner, photographer, blogger, and social media influencer. I love that my career is different every day and I am in a position to enhance lives.
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
As a strong natured and sometimes opinionated woman, I have found ways to let my voice be heard in a room full of men. I left a job for less pay and took a step down because I was under-appreciated and no longer happy. I saw the growth opportunity and decided the risk was worth it. Within eight months I received a promotion and became a lifestyle director, one of my long-term career goals. The opportunities are there, you just have to take them. Women are capable of any position but the focus is on loving yourself enough to know that your happiness comes first and you deserve a job that makes you smile every day.
Pricing:
- Logo Packages: Starting at $50.00
- Custom Itineraries: Starting at $50.00
Contact Info:
- Website: thefreckledlife.net
- Email: thefreckledlife.contact@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_freckledlife/
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheFreckledLife
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