14 Years Of Blogging, And 14 Thoughts On The Journey

Plus, a very special blog annniversary promotion just for you!

Hey Indigoer!

This week marks 14 (!!) years of blogging. I can’t believe I’m celebrating 14 whole years of doing this unconventional job. It started on my couch one night because I wanted to get into journalism or fashion. Seeing how this little idea grew to what it is today is wild. A full-blown business that pays my bills, brings me immense joy and has given me a wonderful community of Indigoers (hey, that’s you!).

I have so many thoughts on being a blogger, influencer, content creator, all of the above, and today I’m sharing a few of them with you. What started as My Style Vita (a name I loathed the second I came up with it) as a hobby and pastime, has truly morphed into something I never could’ve imagined.

And to celebrate my 14th blogging anniversary, I’m running a Substack special for a limited time. Get 40% off an annual subscription for LIFE. Subscribe or upgrade to paid below. This promotion will end on April 30th.

PS if you are viewing this in the Substack app on your phone, the offer is not available in the app. Click here to get to the mobile offer.

14 Years Of Blogging, And 14 Thoughts On The Journey

My Garnet Hill Partnership in Santa Barbara Will Always Be The Bar

Anytime someone asks me what my favorite partnership was, it is always hands down the Garnet Hill partnership I did in Santa Barbara. While Garnet Hill is not entirely aligned with my personal style, the concept of this partnership was 100% aligned with my brand. And honestly, it’s what I dream of doing with this business.

We spent 3 days at a beautiful home in Montecito creating helpful content from fashion to lifestyle. How to make your home feel more cozy, ways to tie a scarf, how to use a throw blanket 5 different ways that feel interesting and more. We not only shot beautiful photos, but videos too. It was a true production with lighting, professionals, makeup, stylist. It was a dream.

I Never Had Imposter Syndrome

Maybe blame it on my parents telling me I could do whatever I want when I grow up, to having supportive friends and family who tell me all the time how proud they are of me, but Imposter Syndrome doesn’t exist here. I know I deserve what I have, and fuck, I think I deserve more. I think more women should think this way. Why do we work hard, do good things, support one another, to not think we deserve the best and the most?

I think this may be why I’m also still single… again, maybe another post for that.

However, the thing I do find myself saying and feeling a lot is “what am I doing with my life?”. I audibly say this out loud on a weekly basis. I think it's because this job feels so surreal. It started on my couch depressed about a relationship and a shitty job with a dream of working on something I love. And I’m here, but it also feels not real at the same time.

There’s also feelings of extreme gratefulness that this is what I get to do and that always makes me say “what am I doing with my life”? It’s both a positive feeling and sometimes a negative one. It’s a bit hard to articulate. I think part of it is that I do question if I should’ve gone the more traditional career route with 401K and health insurance. Would I have been happy? Probably not. But as I near 40, these thoughts are starting to get a bit louder.

Those feelings of impostor syndrome have creeped in with The Blog Societies and more because the industry has shifted so much. Plus, the business model has changed and I’m no longer doing it with someone, which I think makes me question everything.

But overall, Imposter Syndrome doesn’t really live here, and I wish more women in this field could say the same. We deserve what we work hard for and we belong here.

The Thrill Of Someone Sending Me A Personal Message Never Wanes

There is no better feeling than someone sending me a message or email to let me know that something they saw here at an indigo day, affected them. Sure, it may just be that they found the best jeans they’ve ever worn, but sometimes it’s that they finally booked their first solo trip, or visited Europe for the first time. My goal every day is to inspire you to live a life that is unapologetic, where you feel more put together. And when I hear that you’ve done just that, I smile so big on the other end of the screen. Every single time. It has yet to get old.

I’ve Become More True To My Personal Style

When I look back at the outfits I would put together here at an indigo day, it truly was wild. Back in the 2010s, I felt like I was dressing up FOR the blog. I had a shoot day where I’d shoot 6 or so outfits, and they would always be something very dressy. A few outfits below that quickly come to mind. Outfits I wore just to photograph because the pieces were new and gifted to me, or they were hot and trendy at the moment. But at the end of the day, they usually weren’t something I was wearing in my day to day.

This isn’t true of all my content from back then. I used to shoot my outfit posts on my lunch break at my 9-5 job. So I think there was this desire to create a range of outfits since my day job was very casual. Jeans were allowed and apparently really short shorts? I don’t know how I got away with that.

Whereas today I aim to truly photograph the outfits I really do wear or plan to wear. I find myself pulling myself back every so often to make sure I don’t go overboard. But I’ve never felt more aligned with what’s on my feed and blog than I do right now.

Breaks Are Essential

There are days that I wake up and just don’t feel like working. I work a lot on the weekends, late nights on the couch, and on almost every vacation I’ve taken. Because I WANT to. I love doing this. But there are days that I just don’t feel like I want to write, or be at my desk, and I let myself do that. I think working for yourself can be so tricky and finding the balance to take a rest day, when you don’t take true weekends, are key to rest and recharging. And no, I never feel guilty about it.

But I Also Have A Hard Time Putting Aside The Work

I almost always find myself being inspired when I’m on vacation. There’s something so satisfying to me about being in a foreign city, sitting at a coffee shop and doing my work. It’s inspiring, it brings out the creative juices, and it just feels a lot less like work no matter what. I’m grateful for those opportunities, but I also think people probably think I’m insane that I’m excited to be going to a new city and will be working at a cafe instead of exploring the entire time. To me, the immersion into the lifestyle of a different city really fills up my cup.

I Actually Do Miss The Old Days Of Blogging

There was something really innocent about taking photos with my point and shoot camera on a tripod behind my office building and writing a whopping 3 sentences about my outfit and it getting comments and validation from strangers on the internet.

Times sure have changed. And while I know my content has vastly improved and I’m earning a full blown income now, I do miss those simpler days.

I Wish I Had Jumped On TikTok Sooner

Not gonna lie, I wish I had doubled down on TikTok in 2020 when it was all the rage with Gen Z and Millennials were confused as hell. I feel like it was a missed opportunity and the virality of the platform is no longer what it once was. While I know when the ban was coming around the first time, I was glad I didn’t build my entire business on there, but I actually became envious of those who really made it on the app. It has a totally different algorithm, vibe and earning opportunity. And honestly, I love it so much more as a consumer than Instagram any day. PS follow me on TikTok if you’re on the app!

I Still Love Doing This

While there are things I 100% text my blog besties about that I CAN NOT STAND, overall, I still love doing this. There will always be frustrations, especially as this hobby turned into a real job with responsibilities, accounts payable, contracts and so on. But overall, I love this. I love it so, so much.

My Blog Circle Became My Closest Friends

I used to think that having blog friends just meant that we would only be friends because of blogging. But after doing this for 14 years, I have attended friends’ weddings, traveled the world with some and made memories along the way outside of work. I truly believe that some of the people I met through this industry will be people in my life forever. And for that, I am so grateful for.

I’ve Become More Aware Of How I Align With Brands

10 years ago, I think I was just excited to get paid to do this job. But now I am more aware of the brands I partner with and even share organically. I think this is something that naturally happens as you age anyway. And Millennials are notorious for wanting to align with the brands they consume.

I’m Type A, But Also Have No Idea What I’m Posting Tomorrow

Some creators have their posts scheduled weeks out, while me, who still considers myself Type A, has no idea what I’ll share tomorrow. It varies with how far ahead I may schedule. But some days, it’s by the seat of my pants, and some weeks, it’s more organized and scheduled. I don’t think this will ever change after 14 years.

I Dream Of Having A Creative Director

If there were one role I would hire for my business if I could, it would be a creative director. Someone to help me come up with ideas for content and also execute them. I love the collaboration I get to do with friends sometimes and it always makes me wish I had someone to do that full-time with. But at this time, it’s just me, myself and I running this show. And sometimes you just can’t get out of your own way to reinvent and or try new things.

I Still Don’t Know What The Future Looks Like

Whether you asked me 2 years ago, 5 years ago or 10 years ago, I never would’ve guessed where this all would go. What the future would hold and how the industry would change. And if I’d even be a part of it. I still feel that way 14 years in. I have no clue what next year will bring. It’s both exhilarating but also terrifying to work in a world like that. I just hope you, Indigoers, join me along the way as we navigate our personal style, making our lives feel a little more put together, while living an unapologetic life.

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Thank you so much for being a part of my little world on the internet. It truly means so much to me that you’re here reading, liking, commenting, you name it. Keep the comments and DMs coming because they truly bring me joy every single day.

xx Jessica