Earlier this week, we talked about what career coaching is, and busted some of the most common myths associated with career coaching. If you know about career coaching but are not sure about it 100%, this post is for you. If you think you know career coaching, click on the link above to see if what you know is 100% true!

Now that we have adjusted our understanding of what a career coach is and what career coaching can do for you, let’s talk about how you know it’s time to hire a career coach:

5 Signs You Need A Career Coach:

1. You have a specific goal but you’re not sure how to accomplish it

2. You see recurring themes or patterns of problems in your career or work life but you don’t know why they’re happening or how to resolve it

3. You know you have the potential to accomplish more but you’re currently not realizing that potential

4. You want/need someone to validate the path you have built and hold you accountable for accomplishing your goals

5. You feel stuck, lost, uninspired by what you do for work and want to change that

I’ve been writing on Cubicle Chic for 2.5 years, I consider myself somewhat of a career development enthusiast. Naturally, I had to see for myself and actually experience what it’s like to work with a career coach. Meike Hennon at Shinebright kindly offered a 1:1, 60-minute session with me to go over career coaching is done and how she helps her clients. During the session, we explored and discovered what my strengths are and the session was an eye-opening experience. (I finally understood why I always feel the need to document things and hold onto information like it’s going to change my world…)

Here are a couple of things that I’ve learned about myself from this consultation session with Meike at Shinebright:

• According to my personality profile, my strengths are (in this order) Input, Context, Activator, Strategic, and Individualization. This practically means I have exactly the right mix of personality & traits to be a blogger. This explains why I keep coming back to blogging. Something I thought was just a hobby has turned into a habit over the last 3 years!
• I need to recognize when my strengths are working against me. In other words, if I become aware of my strengths and how to activate them and when, then I can play my strengths to the maximum. It would also mean that I will recognize when my strength act against me. For example, people that have the “CONTEXT” strength are usually obsessed information (useful or random), historical data, and WHY things are the way they are. But they also tend to focus on these interest of theirs when they have conversations with people, despite the fact that others may not be interested in what they are obsessed with. I notice I sometimes have the tendency to do this. But I also know when to shut up and talk about what others want to talk about…when I see their gaze starting to wander and look away.

Other Success Stories

I also asked Meike to share a few of her clients’ success stories. Here are two professionals with different gender, age, background but both found success through Meike’s help as a career coach.  Meike has kindly provided the following two examples from her coaching experience of how career coaching leads to successful outcomes:

Client A. Age: 26, female, Sarah (not her real name)

• Strengths: communication, strategic, relator, input, and empathy
• Job Change: Transitioned from digital marketing in a big firm to work on a small communications team for corporate execs.

Sarah came to me with a lot of anxiety and hated her job. We dug into her strengths and realized her input and communication strengths had brought her a lot of success in crafting messaging and had resulted in success in her marketing role, but she was unhappy due to her strengths relator and empathy in the toxic and competitive work environment. These aspects of her identity were not being “fed” in her work environment and as an empath, she was suffering and feeling overwhelmed by the toxicity.

Within 2 weeks of our working together, Sarah quit her job and we began exploring career possibilities while still developing her understanding of her strengths. We also discussed how to grow her network in an authentic way that was a reflection of her strengths and how she operated naturally.

During this time, Sarah was told of a job opening on a small team that crafted the executive messaging to large corporations. It seemed like an awesome opportunity and she found it through growing her network based on her strengths. We strategized for her to show up and be her best in the interview process. It worked, Sarah got the job. The small team environment was a good fit for someone with empathy and relator as strengths, and the communications aspect of the work fed her other strengths. It was a great fit and tapped into her entire set of strengths.

Client B. Age – 47, male, James (not his real name)

• Strengths: ideation, WOO, arranger, futuristic and strategic
• Job Change: Laid off from VP of Marketing at a big tech firm and became CEO

James came to work with me after leaving an executive role at a big software company he had worked at for 20 years. During his job change, he was given a career coach as part of his severance package but the coach was very old school. My client knew if he followed the advice of that coach he would end up with the same job he had left. He found me via the WEWORK network, which is where I have my office. James was searching to rediscover his true self in order to find a career that aligned with the deepest aspects of his identity, one in which he could flourish on every level.

We dove into his strengths and James blossomed during the development phase. He learned aspects of himself that he had not known before and others that he had pushed down in order to climb the corporate ladder. Within this new found knowledge, we determined he was excellent at ideating and curating moving parts, thanks to his strengths ideation and arranger. James also used his Woo talent (winning others over) everywhere he went, making new connections and establishing great connections. It was not long after we determined the type of role as a curator that he was offered and accepted the role of CEO for a technology software company co-founded by two engineers that did not want the stress of being the CEO. James has since found happiness and a level of engagement in his new role that he had previously not thought possible.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank Shinebright for extending me the opportunity of a complimentary 1:1 session to understand their career coaching offerings. I am not compensated for writing and publishing this article. And of course, as always, the opinion expressed in the blog post is 100% my own.

The post 6 Myths about Career Coaching & 5 Signs You Need One [Part 2] appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

If you are an ambitious career woman like myself, or ever googled words like “how to be successful in one’s career” you’ve probably heard of the term Career Coach. Have you ever wondered how exactly does a career coach help everyday people like you and me?  We all have a vague sense that we can use some help here and there in our career. We all know the importance of having mentors who will help us navigate our career but how is a career coach different? And how exactly does a career coach help one progress in their career? Here’s a brief description from Shinebright, a boutique career coaching company, about what career coaches do:

• Identify and develop your talents into powerful strengths
• Explore the type of roles that will tap into your natural motivations and energize you
• Determine which work environments are the best fit for you and will allow you to flourish
• Choose a career path that will lead to increased engagement, fulfillment, and success

To fully understand this mythical group known as career coaches, I have a 2-part series on Cubicle Chic this week. First, let’s bust some of the most common myths about career coaching. Then, in the next post, we will talk about the 5 signs that indicate you actually need a career coach.

Most fundamentally, career coaches lead you through a process that helps you get stronger in your understanding of self that allows you to move forward in your career in a powerful, informed way. Maybe you knew that maybe you didn’t. Chances are, you had some preconceived notions about what career coaching is about. Some may be myths, some may actually be true – let’s address them all.

6 Myths about Career Coaching:

I’ll hire one when I need one.

This is perhaps the biggest and most commonly-heard myth about career coaching. Most people seek out professional help only when they are already in crisis. The truth is, career coaching is often most effective when it’s applied at a point of thriving rather than a point of struggle. But this is how the human mind works – we tend to only think about improving and problem-solving when there is a problem already. When thinking about hiring a career coach, imagine having someone whose only job is to help you improve, do better and become better, keeping you accountable for your progress and making sure you are moving along the right path to meet your goal.

It’s for executives or people in management. 

The best analogy I have for debunking this myth is equating this thinking to the following.
This is the same as when you are poor, you think saving is reserved for the rich. It’s also the same as when you are overweight, and you think CrossFit is only for people that are already in shape. The truth is, a career coach helps you understand yourself, set the right goals, then accomplish them using the right, personalized method. The majority of the work is done by you with the support of the coach. So, if executive professionals and those in management can put in the time and effort into improving their careers, so can you.

It’s going to cost me an arm and a leg.

Traditionally, career coaching has been offered to those that have already “done well” in their careers. So, the traditional clientele in career coaching tends to fall into a certain (high) income bracket and therefore can afford fees that may seem intimidating to the rest of us in Corporate America. This isn’t the case anymore in 2018. There are so many flavors of career coaching offered by various groups and individuals. You can hire a coach from boutique career coaching companies like Shinebright, or find the coach that meets your needs through a network of coaches such as Marlow, or find individuals who own their coaching businesses like Emily Liou at Cultivitae (a good friend of mine!) These various coaching options also come at various prices, so choose according to your budget and what you need. Coaches usually understand that if you are in crisis mode (for example if you just got laid off or somehow lost your job), so depending on their business model or service offering packages, they can offer you only the services you need and none of the nice-to-haves.  Or, sometimes they may even let you make payments on a payment plan.

I’ll just read books & listen to podcasts.

If this is your thinking, I commend you and I can 100% relate. I am a proud reader and hoarder of information. I take pride in knowing things that most people don’t know…and derive pleasure from learning. So, for me to admit that I NEED HELP in my career is incredibly difficult. Heck, I have a blog where I write about my career. I should know what I’m doing. Right? The sad truth is: not always. We all have blind spots, biases, and habits (esp. the bad ones). And we don’t know what we don’t know. A career coach is supposed to help you understand yourself and your environment with a new pair of lenses. These lenses will give you different perspectives so you can see alternative outcomes or solutions that you otherwise wouldn’t see.

The career coach is going to solve all my problems for me.

If you are a self-help book fan, you might have this myth of hiring a career coach. You might think they have the key to a missing piece of your puzzle. You might think they have a magic formula. You might think they have all the answers for you, all you have to do is to make a payment and unlock the answers. While some coaches to advertise and market their services as such, I’d wager it’s mostly marketing language and promotional verbiage. No one has a magic bullet or secret formula… if they did, they wouldn’t be a career coach, LOL. What they have instead, is experiences working with other career professionals, insight into the human psyche and organizational behavior, patience in guiding you, supporting you on your personalized career journey and expertise in teaching.

I’m not sure if I need it.

It’s easier to argue that everyone needs a career coach at some point in their career (which I do believe to be true) than to pinpoint exactly when you will actually need one. The truth is that a career coach helps you see beyond your existing accomplishments and align you with your talent and potential. A good career coach guides you toward your goal and helps you achieve them. So when you need a career coach depends on all of the key points I mentioned above – what your talents are, what your untapped potential is, what your career goals are, and how you can achieve them. A good coach will help you 1) figure out all of the above and 2) help motivate you to accomplish your newly defined goals and 3) stay on track to reach your potential. This is why I say one should see a career coach when they are actually thriving in their careers. When you don’t have to dig yourself out of a hole, you can focus on building yourself upwards!

If you are still unsure whether or not you need a career coach right now, I’ve pinpointed some signs that may indicate you do. Stay tuned for the next post later this week if you’re curious about whether you need a career coach right now!

The post 6 Myths about Career Coaching & 5 Signs You Need One [Part 1] appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

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Horrible Bosses Are Everywhere

In the corporate world, there is one person that has the power to make your work experience a living paradise or living hell. This person is your manager or ze boss (cue weird foreign accent) as I’d like to say.  We’ve probably all heard horror stories involving a sadistic, lazy, incompetent and all the while demanding boss that ruined someone’s life at work, or their life period. We don’t nearly hear enough stories about the great bosses.  In fact, between 13-36% of American workers report that they have a dysfunctional (abusive, inept, malicious, etc) manager.  Honestly, I can probably write a book based on my own experiences and all my friends and families’ stories combined. But that wouldn’t be news to anyone, would it? The truth is, it’s easy to be a bad manager and very difficult to be a great boss. I sometimes think that perhaps by default, if we don’t try hard, we are all bad managers. After all, we all have what it takes to be a little self-centered, or insecure, or lazy, or just not giving a shit sometimes, amirite?

Top: Equipment Embroidered Stripe Blouse // Handbag: Palla A-Bag

Great Bosses Are Rarely Talked About

This is what brings me to today’s post – let’s talk about the qualities that actually make a great boss! In my 10 years of corporate career, I’ve had my share of bad as well as great bosses. But almost every single one of my manager has qualities that I respected and appreciated. I reflected on my experience working with all these managers  (and perhaps wondered what they wished I’d known but they wouldn’t tell me…) and came up with 10 signs that indicate you actually have a great boss at work.

How many of these great boss qualities does your current manager have?

Top: Equipment Embroidered Stripe Blouse // Handbag: Palla A-Bag

Disclaimer: I use the pronoun SHE because I like the way it sounds. In my career, I’ve had exactly 6 male and 6 female bosses so far but the ones that have impacted me most deeply happen to be female. That’s also why I am using the pronoun She. Some of these characteristics actually belonged to my male bosses.

1. She asks you for your opinion in your area of expertise and values your expertise

It’s an incredibly empowering thing when your manager defers to you in areas of your expertise.  This great boss of mine always managed to do this to give me opportunities to shine and to have the chance to make an impact instead of telling me what to do.

2. She expects a lot from you and trusts in your ability to complete things

It’s not that she is simply laisser-faire and doesn’t like to interfere with your day-to-day. A great boss actually expects a lot from you. She knows that you will put 100% into everything you do and that you will deliver on time. A great boss doesn’t need to constantly check in with you, ask if you’re making progress, or monitor how you’re doing things. She simply trusts you to deliver when the results are due.

3. She protects her people from outside criticism but delivers it individually and tactically when needed

This is an important character in a manager if she wants a loyal team with members that trust her. She shields her team from others who have directly negative feedback or criticism to her team’s performance. But this protectiveness doesn’t’ mean she would never deliver criticism. A great boss will still let you know where you need to improve, but her feedback is delivered tactfully, purposefully, and with context.

4. She respects her employee’s time

This is a big one for me, personally. A great boss is a good time manager and respects everyone’s time around her. She shows up to meetings on time, doesn’t set up excessively long meetings, and always has an agenda for her meetings. She also shields her team from outside projects that are time-sucks or with unclear/indefinite timelines.

5. You look forward to your 1:1 meetings

As an extension of sign #5 – a great boss makes sure your 1:1 meetings are productive and your time together is well utilized. This means when you have questions, she has solutions or at least suggestions. This means she is an insightful and intentional person and that she respects your time.

Top: Equipment Embroidered Stripe Blouse // Handbag: Palla A-Bag

6. She makes it a point to always talk about your development & goals and how you are progressing toward them

If there is one quality that all of the great bosses have, it’s this one. At the end of the day, managers manage people, and people need the motivation to keep performing, improving, and evolving. A great boss works with her employees to craft ways to be motivated, i.e. set up development goals. Even when you’re not 100% clear on what your career goals are, a great boss would guide your thinking and help you find your goals.

7. She creates an environment such that the team can thrive in

A great boss creates a strong team. She knows how to provide social glue and bring people together. She brings people closer, not farther apart.

8. She always makes time for you and is there when you need her within a reasonable timeframe (this requires them to be a good time manager herself)

A great boss doesn’t push your meetings off indefinitely or tell you “I don’t have time” without hearing you first. A great boss is there for her employee in times of need whether be it a meeting or a simple phone call. This, however, requires that she is a good manager of her own time, to begin with.

9. She supports your career moves even if it means you move away from her team

This isn’t about being selfless, or caring and empathetic about others’ goals. A great boss knows that her ultimate job is to develop a person as a whole, and not just to develop a member of her team. Any person’s development, if it goes well, will surely extend beyond what her team’s function requires of any person on her team. If she sees this, she will be supportive and happy for you when you one day tell her that you have to pursue bigger or different goals or simply goals that don’t fall within her team.

Top: Equipment Embroidered Stripe Blouse // Handbag: Palla A-Bag

10. She asks for a 30-60-90 day plan at the beginning of a new job

When you are starting a new job, the impact of a great boss is immeasurable. She has the power to set you up to have a thriving future at this new company. An average manager appreciates a 30-60-90 day plan, but a great manager asks for one. Either way, you should always be prepared to do one, but know that if your manager asks for one, it’s likely that she will turn into a great boss.

Does reading this list make you appreciate your current boss more? Did you just realize you have a pretty decent boss yourself? Tell me more below in the comments section!

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

P.S. If you’re wondering why this bag looks so familiar, it’s because you saw it in my last post... except it was the pink side showing. This is a reversible, genuine leather bag! Palla Handbag is the company that makes this bag and has generously agreed to give me a unique discount code for Cubicle Chic readers “@cubicle_chic” – use it to get 15% off if you wind up purchasing one of the Palla bags.

Handbag: Palla A-Bag use my 15% off code “Cubicle_chic” (P.S. They’re also available on Amazon!)

The post 10 Signs That You Actually Have a Great Boss appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

I haven’t done a book review in a while. The last one was in May 2017 when I read Build Your Dream Network by J. Kelly Hoey. Since then, I’ve read many other books. But when I read Entrepreneurial You by Dorie Clark in November, it struck an unusual nerve that I just had to share with you guys.

What Entrepreneurship Means to Me

I have a confession to make. I never ever thought entrepreneurship was for me. It’s strange. Maybe it’s my upbringing, my culture, my familiar influence… I never gravitated toward the idea of owning my own business or being my own boss. In my young adult years, I thought I was going to become a scientist, medical professional, or a regular 9-5er. I guess I turned out to be a 9-5er, just not so regular! Ha. I always say my marketing career found me, I didn’t find it. I guess in the same way, entrepreneurship found me, and I didn’t even realize that until recently.

Why I Started Reading Entrepreneurial You and Couldn’t Put It Down

But this is not entirely why I am recommending this book on entrepreneurship today.  I’m recommending this book because I realized outside of being your own boss and being financially independent, becoming an entrepreneur makes you acquire many other life skills. These life skills are highly transferable even when you are still working in the corporate world. So, whether your plan is to climb the corporate ladder or start your own business one day, there are incredible things to learn from this book to maximize your career.

Who Should Read Entrepreneurial You

This book is written by marketing and brand guru Dorie Clark (fyi she writes for Harvard Business Review). She’s got a series of book written for people that are either aspiring entrepreneurs or others who are already in the trenches with their entrepreneurial endeavor. Her other books Reinventing You and Stand Out are also on my bookshelf. I intend to read them before the end of 2017.

Three books written by Dorie Clark: (from the left) Stand Out, Entrepreneurial You, and Reinventing You

Here is who the book is intended for:

• ALL BLOGGERS – especially micro-influencers and aspiring bloggers who are just starting out
• Business owners – if you have an on-going business, check your business plan against Dorie’s recommendation to see if you’re on track; if you’re about to take on the challenge of starting a new business, this is the perfect timing to read Entrepreneurial You.
• Everyone who wants to turn your side-hustle into a full-time gig – this is probably a group of people combining the two categories above. If you aspire to become a full-time blogger, a full-time Etsy shop owner, a full-time Poshmark business owner, you should read Entrepreneurial You.

So why should you read Entrepreneurial You? I’ve made it really simple for you:

Thinking about quitting your corporate job to pursue a side hustle full time?

Here’s a roadmap for you to start earning a sustainable income. The point is to do it before you leave your financial safety net. There are many ways to experiment and build an income stream before plunging into the freelancer/entrepreneurial world.

Struggling to maintain a profit with your blog/small business?

This book provides a detailed tactical plan to develop multiple income streams so your business isn’t dependent on the success one individual thing. This is a good reference to check if you are doing the right things in your business.

Feeling anxious about your corporate career and want to explore building some career insurance?

Maybe you’re an HR expert and have a ton of interview/resume expertise to share. Maybe you’re a marketing guru that has very marketable skills as a consultant. Maybe you’re a graphic designer with working experience in large companies that small business owners would covet. The professional norm of a 30-year career with the same company is no longer. In fact, 41% of millennials when surveyed, say that they will stay at their current jobs for 2 years or less (Job Application Center). What would you do if one day your 9-5 job disappeared? This book is a great resource to help you build an insurance plan for a side hustle.

Conclusion

I never wanted my profession to define my life and my legacy. That’s why I devote a lot of my time developing hobbies, and trying out new interest. I believe the path to true career bliss involves both financial independence and a satisfying trade that you find joy in doing. What are YOU doing to maximize your potential?

Giveaway ending Wednesday 12/6/2017 7 pm PST

Leave a comment with your name under the post and tell me how your life would benefit from this book. I will pick a winner on the night of 12/6 and ship a copy of Entrepreneurial You to you within the week! Only US residents are eligible.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I was given a free press copy of Entrepreneurial You to review.

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post Maximize Your Career Potential || Entrepreneurial You by Dorie Clark [Book Review & Book giveaway] appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Instagram algorithm, huh? Is that edible?

If you’re an influencer and you’re reading this, chances are that the Instagram Algorithm is like a set of curse words for you now. If you’re NOT an influencer and you have no idea what I’m talking about, well, depending on how you look at it, it’s something that the almighty Facebook (who owns Instagram) decided to implement in the early part of 2017. It involved a set of changes in the way users experience Instagram, that has shaken many influencers’ popularity (aka impression, likes, and comments) on the app. It’s been described as a controversial move on Instagram’s part that has been met with widespread outcry.

The change in the Instagram algorithm redefined the influencer industry

It’s been more than 6 months since the insidious Instagram algorithm kicked in and it’s already changed the influencer industry by leaps and bounds. It’s weeded out many influencers that simply couldn’t deal and decided to give up. It fueled the growth of an ancillary part of the influencer market – alleged experts and businesses offering solutions to “beat the Instagram algorithm”, many charging exorbitant fees for their service (this topic REALLY gets my blood pressure going because there’s a lot of preying upon the innocent happening; more on that later). It’s slightly leveled the playing field between the OG influencers that have incumbent status vs. the new entrants/micro-influencer. Heck, because of the Instagram algorithm change, micro-influencers make up a significant portion of the influencer industry now. I should probably be grateful.

Oh, yes. It got me moping, too

I won’t deny it. The Instagram algorithm change definitely impacted me and my social media presence. It bothered me, too. Like, a lot. I resorted to some desperate measures like many other influencers did – joining more comment pods than I could handle, paying to boost my posts, begged friends and family to spare some love on some of my content. But nothing offered a permeant solution and nothing was sustainable to keep doing. At one point, I felt like my Instagram account was a corpse that refused to react to any resuscitation efforts.

I tried to defy the gods of Instagram algorithm

I spent countless hours researching the subject. I clicked on numerous click-baity Pinterest posts. I’ve followed and subscribed to more “expert’” newsletter than you can imagine. I am a marketer by training, I can smell marketing bullshit from a mile away. Yet I continued to succumb to these so-called experts dangling the shining object of “beating Instagram algorithm” in front of me. I even paid $99 on an Instagram hashtag course. They’re hashtags for goodness’ sake. The class turned out to be totally bogus and offered nothing I couldn’t find from a 10 minute Google search. I demanded a refund and thankfully received it in full. Each and every interaction with these self-proclaiming experts left me more frustrated than before.

The Instagram algorithm couldn’t stop Cubicle Chic – Why?

For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while now, you know I started a new full-time job back in June. Since then, my blogging productivity along with my Instagram posting frequency has plummeted to a new low. Since June, my average posting rate on Instagram has dropped to once every 3-4 days. And yet, miraculously, my account following continued to grow. At 4,100 followers, my Instagram is still in its infancy in the influencer marketing. The sliver of hope comes from the fact that it grew from 3,800 to 4,100 in the last few months during my lowest period of productivity. Why??

1. I’m crystal clear on my “raison d’être”

“Raison d’être” is one of my favorite French words because, well, for one, the letters together just look really pretty, don’t they?  The phrase means “reason for being” and is something that all influencer needs to have before they put any effort into building anything. For me, Cubicle Chic is a portal for me to help people. Every time I get a reader email me and ask me about a career move, an office situation, or a change in environment, I get a boost of energy and happiness. This is why Cubicle Chic exists. So, if Instagram is not where I will find new folks to connect with, so be it. There is still Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin’, to name a few, where people can find me and my blog. I believe in the value I provide through Cubicle Chic, therefore I’m confident that people will continue to tune in.

2. I have a network of like-minded individuals to count on and learn new things with.

I have my Instagram posse – a group of amazing bloggers & Instagrammers who I call friends and regularly consult with all things blogging.

• Jenny @ www.stuffilove.com/ || Jenny and I share the same blogging audience – professional women’s workwear & fashion. And we both have been going through some home renovation so we are always talking about home decor with each other!
• Elle @ www.thegrayasparagus.com/ || Elle and I bonded over Poshmark years ago. She became a trusted source of Poshmark expertise, and I developed Cubicle Chic. We are both cat ladies and bookworms.
• Amy @ www.theluxilook.com/ || Amy and I both have our day job in Corporate America and share the passion for reading new books and writing soul-searching, self-reflective, and insightful posts about life!

I also have my career & personal development minded bloggers who I talk to with business goals, my own career challenges, or I just need sanity-check on my career moves:

• Emily @ www.cultivitae.com/  || She is basically my life coach & best business brainstorming friend! She offers career coaching service on her website and is just an amazing human being. Oh, she JUST re-designed and launched her new website (we share the same web designer, Jaclyn.) Go check it out!
• Chanele @ www.Dowelldresswell.com || Chanele blogs about building a strong brand and how that’s related to growing your career. She has impeccable style and is an expert in wearing different bright colors in career work wardrobe.

3. Just like in life, I refused to let one setback define me.

As an influencer, having your Instagram likes per post shrank by 50% is a devastating thing for those of us that are trying to build something online. It may be hard to understand if you’re not an influencer, but let’s just accept it for now.

Yet, much like the way that we can’t change the climate we live in, what family we’re born into, or the way we look, the Instagram algorithm change is one of these things that are simply beyond our control. I just choose to accept it as fact and move on to worry about other things I CAN control. I continue to read about the new developments in social media (like Snapchat is launching a new interface and Twitter is allowing for 280 characters in a tweet now!). I continue to develop Cubicle Chic’s editorial calendar. I have decided to learn my way out of this seeming lack of growth because of Instagram. I have faith that I will still get to build something for myself despite it!

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post Why I Have No Fear of the Instagram Algorithm Change appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Ah, health insurance and open enrollment… something all of us have to live with yet none of us look forward to dealing with.  For those of us who work in Corporate America and buy health insurance through our employer, late October and early November is usually when “Open Enrollment” rolls around. When it does, we all collectively sigh a little bit in our heads. Leave a comment that says “UGH YES” if that’s you! Yes, a year has passed and yes, we have to spend time again scrolling through documents and make life and death decisions …just feels so pesky!

But fear not! I’ve taken my own experience and hours of research and come up with a list of 6 questions to help you navigate this process! To make things more interesting, I’ve got an infographic, a cheat sheet for glossaries, and a simple Youtube video, among other things. I posted 6 questions for you to think about in order to prepare for Open Enrollment… are you ready??

Do you know what aspect of your life Open Enrollment impacts?

Open enrollment is a period when you make selections to choose the best benefits that will help you and your family. Part of this benefits package is health insurance, which is arguably the most important part of your benefits package.

But there are other things that are part of your benefits package that you may want to look into tweaking during open enrollment – life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, child care reimbursement, FSA/HSA, etc. Know the different aspects of open enrollment and which part of your life these benefits impact!

Do you understand all the terms and vocabularies regarding health insurance?

Sometimes, they might as well be speaking a different language. I know for myself in most of my 20’s, I probably didn’t understand half of the nomenclature related to health insurance. Co-pay, deductible, HSA, PPO, HMO… they all escaped me. Just like learning a language, practice and experience make new words stick. So keep a useful glossary like this handy and available during open enrollment.

Also, here is an amazing video that explains some of the common healthcare insurance terms in absolute simplicity:

Do you have big life events coming up?

Depending on your age, gender, employment status, general health state, there are many ways to pick your health insurance coverage. But in general, there are a few life events that would dramatically change what kind of health insurance you would require:

Are you planning a wedding next year? You might want to consider your health insurance plan against your future spouse’s. One might be better than the other, so you might want to consider adding him/her onto your plan!

• Are you getting married next year & your future spouse might need your insurance?

If you are getting married, your spouse may benefit from your healthcare insurance if, for some reason, she or he doesn’t have their own insurance or has a less favorable plan than yours. You might want to consider what the premium will be for another person. It’s usually more expensive than your own premium. Getting married is one of the “qualified life events” that allows you to add more people to your health insurance plan, but it doesn’t allow you to change the plan itself. So if your future spouse has different medical needs than you, this is the time to consider that!

• Are you planning on having a baby biologically or via adoption?

If you are, find out about two things – do you have a specific OB/GYN you want, and research on what kind of medical expenses you need to expect (standard pregnancy & delivery related type of expenses as well as genetic testing if you are a bit older and fall into the high-risk group). Based on your answer, there is a list pregnancy related things you should find out from your insurance company to figure out how to best choose a plan.

• Do you plan on having major medical procedures done next year?

If you are, you might want to increase your FSA or HSA contribution, so you have more pre-tax cash hanging around to pay for your planned medical procedure. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,r oughly half of all collection accounts on credit reports are due to medical debt. To the extent that you can prepare, plan for these medical procedures ahead of time!

Does your employer offer a webinar/seminar or benefits fair to go over the details of your options?

If you’re getting health benefits from your employer, around this time (late October & early November) is when they usually host an event where all your employee benefits are explained to you. This is when you go with all your questions ready so you can get one-on-one, individually based answers. Studies have shown that two-thirds of millennials wish they spent more time during open enrollment to look at their selections (see more statistics at the bottom of this post!). Don’t miss your one chance to ask questions and get the answer immediately!

Do you understand the relationship between your lifestyle and your medical needs?

Besides how often you fall sick and how dependent you are on seeing a doctor, there are many other factors in your lifestyle that may change your health insurance plan selection. For example, do you have acne problem and therefore need to see a dermatologist very often? Are you a rock climbing enthusiast and go out into nature to do outdoor climbs a lot, therefore need a plan that will cover your needs in case you get injured? Another factor is your relationship with your physician, whether be it specialty physician or family doctor… do you feel like you have to see this one particular doctor in order to have your medical needs met? If so, you might want to consider choosing a plan in which the doctor is an in-network physician.

Being in California, one of the most interesting things I learned from a study done by Dignity Health is that most Californians don’t choose their insurance plan based on whether their preferred doctors are in the network or not (see infographic at the bottom of the page).  This is just something for you to consider.

What are FSA/HSA and how do I know which one I need?

These are some of the most confusing parts of Open Enrollment, as I found in my own experience. FSA and HSA are similar that they both allow you to contribute to an account tax-free so you can spend the money on “qualified medical expenses” such as copay and other prescription costs.

How they are different though and whether you should choose one or the other, takes more time to understand. Basically, HSA is only for people that are on high deductible health plans or HDHP. And if you’re not on that, FSA is the option for you. Here is a more in-depth comparison of the two savings plan if you are interested to dig deeper.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The post Dreading Open Enrollment? Breeze Through It With These 6 Questions appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Maggy London Jackie Midi Dress, Size 4, $118

How has the new gig been, you ask? I’m not going to sugarcoat it… It’s been hard coming back to the 9-5 routine after a 4-month hiatus. Don’t get me wrong, the new social media role is engaging, challenging, and making me learn new things almost daily. It’s everything I could’ve hoped for in this new job. But during my time off earlier this year, I’ve gotten a taste of the flexibility freelancing offers and the cubicle life just isn’t the same anymore. The commute, the traffic, the meetings, and the lack of personal time sometimes make me feel stuck in the corporate life. I catch myself wishing there were more hours in the day so I can dedicate more time to blogging, exercising, gardening, and just living…

However, this is the life I’ve intentionally chosen to embrace again and without it, I couldn’t possibly write a blog called Cubicle Chic, could I?

So, to continually find energy, motivation, and intentions in my day-to-day and not feel stuck in the corporate life, I’ve developed a series of healthy habits, or, should I say, rituals. Here are 6 things you could do everyday to prevent feeling stuck in the corporate life:

1. Reframe the problem of “feeling stuck”

First, start shifting your frame of mind when it comes to feeling stuck in the corporate life. This is a new concept I’ve learned from a book I am reading now called Designing Your Life, How to Build a Well Lived, Joyful Life. In the book, the authors Bill Burnett & Dave Evans talk about the issue of fixating on “gravity problems”. The example they gave is people feeling stuck on things that they have no power to change – the building they work out of, their manager’s temperament, their salary (to an extent), etc. Instead, if we accept things like we accept gravity, we can shift our focus onto other things that we CAN improve.

Another thing the authors recommend people do is to keep a Good Time Journal (download their free worksheet and try it yourself). By doing so, you are consciously monitoring what activities engage you and put you in the zone, and what activities drain your energy. If you can intentionally manage your day knowing how to fuel your energy tank with the right kind of activities, and organize your day around things that engage you, you can avoid that numb, frazzled, and exhausted feeling that we all feel too often past 5PM.

2. Meditate with the Headspace app

It’s 2017 and even corporations are embracing meditation as a productivity hack. Some even consider it a team sport. But truthfully, I’ve tried to get into meditation and failed countless times. But it doesn’t stop me from trying to acquire the habit of doing it, only because I’ve gotten a glimpse of the kind of ZEN your mind could enjoy if you learn to put your mind at ease voluntarily. With meditation, you can calm the thoughts that haunt your mind, and focus on the things that you want it to focus on.

The ever-so-popular app Headspace makes the practice of meditation so much more manageable and accessible. In one of the first sessions, Andy Puddicombe talks about being “present” in an unpleasant activity. Take sitting in traffic for example. What this means is, instead of wishing I was somewhere else and NOT in traffic, I choose to be present when I AM stuck in traffic. Whether I choose to spend the time in quietness, listen to my favorite podcasts/tunes, or talk to a friend on the phone, I don’t resist the fact that I am in traffic. And I just accept it and stay present in it.

A lot of times, it’s the act of resisting your condition that amplifies the unpleasantness of it.

If we learn the art of accepting a less-than-perfect condition, stay in control, and choose how we want to feel, then we can dictate how uncomfortable or comfortable we are.

Maggy London Jackie Midi Dress, Size 4, $118

3. Start your day by doing something you love

This is a proven method a lot of entrepreneurs and business leaders do to increase their productivity.

Imagine if you had one extra hour every day to do what you love to do and something you always wished you had more time to do. Be it exercising, reading, walking your dog, watching your favorite TV show, tending to your garden, drawing, or painting, or cleaning. Now set your alarm clock one hour earlier, and voila, you have your magical, extra hour in the day!

Of course, if you want to maintain the same level of sleep, you would need to go to bed one hour early. The practice here is to make sure you get to do what you love doing every day within the first hour of the day.

Since you already dedicated an hour to what you love doing, you won’t go on with your day thinking about what you wish you were doing… because you already did it!

Maggy London Jackie Midi Dress, Size 4, $118

4. Develop a ritual that lifts you up

For me, this is watering my plants in the office and checking on them every day. Seeing how they are doing every day makes me look forward to the start of the day more. For others, it could be brewing a pot of the exotic coffee you got last month, or brewing your favorite tea at the moment, or bringing in donuts one day of the week to share with your coworkers, or tearing off one page of the funny cat daily calendar … you get the point.

Find these little moments that give you a small dosage of joyfulness that makes you look forward to being in the office.

After all, a ton of research points toward the fact that it’s the small things that make us happy.

Maggy London Jackie Midi Dress, Size 4, $118

5. Remind yourself why you work

It’s okay if your primary motivation to work is to make money. It’s a lot of people’s number 1 reason. Just know that #4 on this list doesn’t work that well for you if money is why you work.

I’ve had the luxury of taking a substantial (4 months) break from working. What I discovered during the 4 months was that I have options. I can choose not to work. I can choose who I want to work for. I can choose what I want to do. So, when I came back to work, I had a strong conviction that marketing is what I want to do as a profession. I knew that my motivation is fueled by always learning new things, teaching people how to improve, and seeing positive results from marketing activities.

Whenever I question why I decided to spend 8 hours at work and 2 hours in traffic every day, which trust me, I do… I remind myself that it was my decision to come back to work and this is exactly where I want to be.

Maggie London Jackie Midi Dress, Size 4, $118

6. Remember your friends (contact old friends or make new friends)

Friends make work more fun, period. So many articles have been written and research was done to show the importance of developing strong friendships at work. Here’s a quick list by Business Insider of things you can do with coworkers to make the office environment more enjoyable with friends.

Also, finding time to craft a well-thought-out email to tell an old friend you miss them, and that you miss the good ole times is also a good way to bring in a sense of camaraderie or community into your immediate surrounding.

And also because this:

Maggy London Jackie Midi Dress, Size 4, $118

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post 6 Ways To Stop Feeling Stuck in the Corporate Life Right Now appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Top: Ann Taylor
Jeans: Eujeanco
Sunnies: Karen Walker

Long time no see, friend! I’ve been mostly MIA on Cubicle Chic this month. It’s because we had moved towards the end of June but mostly, it’s because I started a new job. It’s been an extremely busy first month filled with learning the ropes, getting to know the company and the team, and all that good stuff.  If you follow me on Instagram, you’d know I haven’t stopped griping about how this job has taken over my life. Cubicle Chic, as my side hustle, has taken the back seat. Ironically, this side hustle was the very reason I was able to land this new job in the first place. With 2 years of blogging under my belt, I’ve officially ventured into the social media space in a professional capacity!! How did I do it, you ask?

Top: Ann Taylor
Sunnies: Karen Walker

Career Foundation of Marketing in Biotech

I built the foundation of my marketing career in the first 6 years of my professional life. Coming out of school, it made sense that I landed a job in marketing in the biotech industry as I had a degree in biology and another one in psychology. In those years, I learned the foundation of marketing principles and learned the operational logistics of marketing campaigns. I worked under and with professionals from all aspects of marketing like communications, analytics, product marketing, digital marketing, event management, and eCommerce. Somewhere along the 6 years, I became a confident marketer and an expert at navigating the biotech business landscape. I knew I was doing something right as I was highly sought after as a job candidate having gotten 8 job offers in those 6 years.

iPhone 7 case: Ideals of Sweden

The Birth of Cubicle Chic

Two years ago in July I decided to publish my first ever post on Cubicle Chic. When people ask me why I started a blog, I try to recall what I was thinking when I was figuring out how to build a blog. “I knew something was missing in my career”…..well, that’s what all entrepreneurs say, right? For me, I didn’t necessarily think anything was missing. I was simply bored. I had mastered most aspects of my job and things got to a bit of a lull. What I knew was that I love to write and tell stories, and I always wanted a resource for corporate work fashion and career advice all in one place. Additionally, in my work experience, I had learned to craft emails subject lines that get clicked, write web content with SEO in mind, how Google PPC works and the list goes on. I desperately wanted to test out this knowledge outside of work.  So finally rounded up all the resources (blogging platform, photographer, outfits, and well, time to write which I had plenty at the time) and started Cubicle Chic in July 2015.

Top: Ann Taylor
Jeans: Eujeanco
Sunnies: Karen Walker
Sandals: Topshop Notorious Sandals

How I Went From Marketing to Social Media

Fast forward to 2 years later, I was again at a crossroad. I could continue on the same path of biotech marketing, which was probably going to be the easier and more obvious direction. Alternatively, I could go down a different path, leveraging the 2 years I spent blogging, creating regular content, growing my social media presence, and cultivating the Cubicle Chic brand. In my heart, I wanted to explore a new career path in social media and put all the new skills I learned to test. So when an opportunity presented itself, and I embraced it with arms wide open. Looking back, here are 5 principles I stuck to that helped evolve a side hustle into a change in career path:

1. Treat your side hustle with the same respect and professionalism as with your job

They say dress for the job you want, not the one you have. The message here is that if you elevate your thinking, reality conforms. Similarly, treat the side hustle as if it’s your full-time job and your livelihood depended on it. I’ve always approached my blog as a business, even though I have only recently started to earn some income from it (definitely not profitable yet). A business needs a clear and concise mission statement, a business goal, and a way to scale. So, I made sure Cubicle Chic has all of that. A business’s value is determined by measurable results and impact…and along the way, I made sure I am keeping track of Cubicle Chic’s growth and development so I can present Cubicle Chic with facts in its impact when I need to.

2. Learn the art of positioning

This is one of the most basic principles of marketing. Know the strengths of a service/product the exact unmet needs/pain points it’s meant to address, and find the audience that has these pain points and needs, and deliver the marketing message relentlessly. The key words here are strengths, pain points, and relentlessly. As I grew Cubicle Chic, I was very conscious of what strengths or skills I was developing; writing, content analytics, a little bit of graphic design, just to name a few. I was also conscious of what kind of market value these skills instilled in me. I positioned these strengths and skill relentlessly when the time was right, and got a potential employer interested enough to give me an offer.

3. Scale your operation by setting goals

As a blogger, my eyes are always on the prize that’s coming next. If I hit the 3,000 unique visitor mark, I ask myself “how many more months until I hit 5,000?”  If I got a dream collaboration request, I ask myself “how do I turn it into a long-term relationship?” So by setting new goals every time I hit a milestone, I created a growth-oriented operation for Cubicle Chic. Along the same lines, I also allow myself to dream big. It doesn’t mean I start daydreaming about becoming a celebrity blogger while I binge on Game of Thrones and eat chips (That’s reserved for only Friday nights.) But I allow myself to see the possibility of explosive success and have this possibility baked into my vision. When I elevate my outlook on Cubicle Chic like this, inspiration and motivation ensue. And hopefully, one day, reality conforms.

4. Understand whether your hobby has a place in your professional network

One of my biggest dilemma for the first 18 months of the 2 years of Cubicle Chic’s existence, was whether or not to share this hobby with my professional network i.e. LinkedIn. Some close friends and co-workers knew about it, but it wasn’t part of my professional identity. I was Jessica the marketing gal, not Jessica the blogger. Not yet at least. I had a lot of encouragement to “take it public” but never felt completely at ease about the idea.

The first time I contemplated fusing Cubicle Chic into my professional brand was when The Financial Diet published my article on finding motivation during a long job search.  That was the kind of validation I needed in order to go “public” with my blog. In hindsight, I am glad I waited despite encouragement from friends and professional contacts. You only have one shot at your first impression when meeting someone, and it’s the same thing with your blog. I’d much rather people find out about Cubicle Chic as a mature and well-established blog than a half baked experiment that was in its infancy. Don’t mix up your side hustle with your professional network before they are ready for each other.

Top: Ann Taylor
Sunnies: Karen Walker
Watch: Daniel Wellington

5. Always. Be. Learning.

This is more of a life motto than a principle to stick with. It’s just a fact, so accept it. No growth comes from being stagnant or a dull and unstimulated mind. As a blogger, I learned how to improve my writing, how to better my photography and modeling. I spent countless hours studying how SEO works, how to write a better title for a blog post, how to get my Facebook posts to rank higher. Yes, I also sweated about my Instagram follower base like most other influencers. But because I know my educated mind as a blogger will carry me through the muddied and troubled water, issues like this don’t keep me up at night. My point is that knowledge gives you an edge over others, and combined with a proven track record, is a recipe for how you’re going to win in the end.  By the way, if you’re a blogger, you need to listen to these two podcasts: Marketing School by Neil Patel and Eric Siu, and The Influencer Podcast by Julie Solomon.

So… I woke up super early on this Friday morning to finish and polish up this post. I’m going hit publish now and go get ready for work. The hustle continues and Happy Friday!!

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post How My Side Hustle Changed My Career Path appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Disclaimer: I have partnered with Beta Brand to show you a few different office friendly workwear pieces that I was given. I have been a long time fan of Beta Brand (for about 2 years) and I am incredibly excited to work with them! Use my code JESSICA15 to get 15% off your order!!

The issue with being told you “look so young” in a professional setting isn’t the judgment cast upon your appearance, the assumption that it’s based on, or even the underlying ageism. It’s about what this statement invites and implies in and of itself. Allow me to explain.

Top: Beta Brand Peplum Top in Blue Linen, size small
Pencil skirt: Ann Taylor Tweed Skirt in size 6

Being Taiwanese American, I’m used to be told I look younger for my age. For the record, I am 32 years old, and most people I meet for the first time think I’m in my mid 20’s.  So, there’s literally the way my face looks, and I get it. I take it as a compliment when people tell me I look younger than my age.

But it’s a different story when I’m at work.

There are certain risks involved in being thought of as “the young one”. It means you may be perceived to be inexperienced, unreliable, unpredictable. It could also translate to passed up promotions, missed opportunities, or just lack of attention or resources given to you

I am very conscious of what I do that could potentially fuel the “young” image I apparently have. But there is an important distinction that needs to be made: you can have a “young” appearance, but you can’t have a “young” reputation. You can get away with looking more youthful in your appearance, but you can’t be perceived to be juvenile or immature.

Top: Beta Brand Peplum Top in Blue Linen, size small
Pencil skirt: Ann Taylor Tweed Skirt in size 6
Watch: Jord Watch Cora, Koa & Rose Gold

So, what can one do to avoid being perceived juvenile or immature? It’s body language, the vocabulary you choose, your reaction to things, and so many more. But at the very minimum, dress the part. Picking the right clothes, makeup, and footwear is the quickest way to look professional and avoid looking “too young.” Here are some tried-and-true rules to live by:

1) Balance the looseness and tightness in items of clothing

Clothing that is too baggy or too tight tends to be too casual or flat out inappropriate. Casualness combined with other factors that indicate you are “too young”, is detrimental to your professional image. Avoid baggy pants, baggy (“boyfriend”) shirts. Tight clothing also needs to be handled with care when it comes to creating your ensemble. If they show the lines of your undergarment, of create a cleavage or show anything your grandmother wouldn’t approve of, it’s too tight for the office.

Top: Beta Brand Peplum Top in Blue Linen, size small

 

2) Stick with neutrals; unless you know how to navigate colors like a pro

Black, gray, white, and beige ALWAYS work. And most of the time they work well with each other too. 60% of my work wardrobe is black and white, and the rest are either blush-pink, gray, or beige. I have a few fun and more statement pieces that I will mix into my ensemble sometimes but most of the time I stick with neutrals.

Working with a lot of colors is more difficult but not impossible. It’s reserved for the master dressers (like Chanele McFarlane on Do Well Dress Well) when you know it fits your brand and what is flattering and appropriate.

Pencil skirt: Ann Taylor Tweed Skirt in size 6

 

3) Be mindful of your accessories

I’ll be very specific here. When I first started working about 5-6 years ago, I loved wearing bows. Think the beginning of ModCloth and Lulu’s…I could not get enough of bows (on me)! I thought the look fell along the lines of prim and proper and that I could get away with it. In hindsight, it was probably too cutesy to wear a bow on your hair, bag, shoes, however small it is. There’s just something very school girl-y about bows. Avoid them at all costs.

The point is this: it’s okay to have personality and show it in your outfits but don’t let your accessories define your professional brand.

Top: Beta Brand Peplum Top in Blue Linen, size small
Necklace: BaubleBar gold initial necklace

 

4) Professional & quality shoes only

I think those of us in California are probably the serial offenders for this one. The “west coast casual” is a common dress code that you will see in a lot of offices. I, for one, always try to sneak in sandals days at work and always on the look for comfortable but professional looking sandals.

However, even with west coast casual, there’s still a line not to be crossed. The sandals I would wear to the office tend to have heels, and they have to look quality. Most of the time, Banana Republic, and Ann Taylor sandals are pretty safe.

Oh, and no flip-flops. That’s a no-brainer.

Lastly, sneakers. They probably used to be a big no-no for corporate offices, but with some of the leather sneakers they’re making these days, you can sometimes get away with a sneaker outfit in the corporate office setting.

 

5) Use a grown-up and low profile bag

When I first started working, I had this overall bag that was in this crazy zebra print. One of these days I’ll dig it out of my closet and show you guys a picture of it. It was roomy, easy to carry, fit the monstrosity of a laptop I had, and it was comfortable to wear. I LOVED that bag. But in hindsight, it was a disastrous bag to take to the office especially when I had just started. It signaled that I was not prepared for or familiar with the kind of environment I was getting into. In the grand scheme of things, it was forgivable because I WAS new and I did quickly change out my bag.

Top: Beta Brand Peplum Top in Blue Linen, size small
Pencil skirt: Ann Taylor Tweed Skirt in size 6
Watch: Jord Watch Cora, Koa & Rose Gold

 

Closing questions:

What are some of the young professional faux pas you’ve seen in the office? What did you use to wear that makes you cringe when you think about it now? Comment below and since I shared all my embarrassing stories, it’s only fair that you do! LOL.

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post How to Deal With Looking Too Young in the Office appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

I started blogging in 2015. I’d never positioned my blog as a straight up fashion blog because it’s so much more than that. But I knew fresh and consistent fashion-related content was how I could most rapidly get people’s attention. In the beginning, I told myself I would go through my closet and style things that I already had, and only buy things from resale websites like Poshmark, i.e. things heavily discounted and sometimes pre-owned. Over time, I started going overboard with the shopping especially when the holiday seasons came around. You know how it goes… every corner you turn you see a cute “corporate holiday party dress. Slowly but surely, I progressed to buying things whenever there was a topic that could use a brand-new outfit. Over the first year of creating Cubicle Chic, I blazed through what I had in the bank and started piling up credit card debt. And it just kept going.

What was worse was my existing shopping condition. As many metropolitan professional women earning a decent income could relate (and as Cubicle Chic’s top banner may suggest), I have a weakness for luxury goods. There’s always been a tender spot in my heart for name brand stuff in that I can’t explain. Now, I can’t say that tendency is a thing of the past. What I can say though, is that I no longer impulse-buy “nice stuff” – designer bags/shoes/things that I don’t have a planned budget/saved up cash for. Currently, I do live somewhat of a reformed life, financially speaking.

How is this life reformed, you ask? Well, I have no debt (other than our mortgage) and I live with a budget that I share with my husband now, and every month I know exactly how much I’m supposed to spend in each category. I still go over in some categories occasionally but it’s done with control and comfort. This current financial stability is the result of a slow, arduous, and long transformation that took place from early 2015 to the present. During this time, I had moved in with my boyfriend (husband now), got engaged, planned a wedding, got married, and bought a house. This transformation was guided by my husband’s help in shaping my financial foundation and the teachings of a real personal finance guru, Dave Ramsey. As painful as it was, it was the only reason we managed to cash-flow the wedding and secure a good down payment for the purchase of a new house.

So, in my financially uneducated and uninformed days, starting a fashion blog really took a toll. A year into it, I had no savings to show for the hard work at my full-time job or my blog. My credit card debt fluctuated between a monthly balance of $2000-$5000. The worse part was that I didn’t even know I was on the verge of being broke.

All of this isn’t to say that having a fashion blog WILL ruin you financially. But blogging is not for the ignorant and the uninformed, which I totally was 2 years ago.

Here are 9 things about starting and having a fashion blog that pushed me further down the financial drain:

1. Keeping up with new trends

Keeping up with the Jones’ is real when every other person on Instagram is the Jones’. That new pair of Adidas sneakers, the new Celine bag, a new one-piece swimsuit, or a beach straw-bag.  Instagram fuels our shopping addiction, which is why companies paid $31 billion in the on Instagram ads in 2016 and continue to do so.  To avoid buying things I don’t need/won’t use for my blog, I now stick to a master editorial calendar. Because of it, I already know what I’m writing this month, next month, and the following month. If I catch myself wanting to buy something for blog content, I try to see how it’s going to fit into my editorial calendar. If it doesn’t fit, I don’t buy.

2. Paying for expensive photography

This is another topic that I can probably write a book on: how to find the right photographer for your blog. Creating visually pleasing aesthetics for a blog is so, so, so critical. Some people have photographer inclinations/skills/boyfriends/husbands which make this easier. For others, finding someone who understands your vision, is flexible with your schedule, and offers the right price is HARD TO FIND. I started out paying between $200-$400 for one photography session which consisted of about 90-120 minutes and 2-3 different outfits. That was definitely more than the industry standard for fashion blog photography. I was very happy with the result, but the cost was unsustainable and I quickly realized that. Over time, I met and worked with many other photographers and became more educated about pricing. At the same time, I learned to model better and learned what looked good for photos. To date, I’ve worked with almost 10 photographers. I have finally found my one and only photographer who I work with regularly now. She charges me a very reasonable price, is flexible with our shooting schedule and provides me just the right creative input to help me improve my overall aesthetics. I wish someone had taught me this before I started so I would’ve been more judicious about my blogging expense.

3. Creating an archive of outfits

I feel that as a blogger I need to showcase a suite of outfits that tailor to different events and functions. Like right now, I still feel like I need that power suit to round out my working professional wardrobe collection. I probably will get a power suit at some point when it makes sense for a post I’m writing or an event I’m attending, but not right now. The heart of this problem lies in the lack of organization and visibility of the stuff I already have. This Spring, I gave my closet an overhaul, i.e. throwing out stuff I didn’t wear anymore and getting re-acquainted with stuff I had but wasn’t wearing enough. That exercise allowed me to physically see that I already have an archive of good outfits.

4. Getting brands to notice me

Someone once told me the best way to approach a brand to collaborate is to show that you are already their user/fan. What brands are you already a fan of? So, I’ve internalized this philosophy and started telling myself “It’s okay to buy because I am trying out for myself before I can work with the brand.” This is a very dangerous path because I can literally justify anything I want to buy this way. Again, I’ve learned now to default to my editorial calendar to see if there’s even a reason to try the product. If it’s not aligned with my editorial calendar, I don’t buy.

5. Attending events

Almost two years into my blogging career, I’ve signed up for an event 5 times (PoshFest twice, The Collective once, Simply Stylish twice). The tickets on average cost about $90-$300 for each event. Going to events quickly turns into a money suck because I’d have to get my outfit ready, and for the first few events I was also trying to sort out my business card situation which cost money too. This year, I am only attending one event (Simply Stylist in July). I plan on being very responsible in how much I invest in the outfit for the event. The only other event that I will try to attend in the future is Create and Cultivate. It’s even more expensive (think $350+) but I know I will save up and pay cash for it.

6. Paying for online classes

If you’re reading online about how to improve your finances, chances are, you are a regular for online courses. I’ve taken online classes for business writing, blogging techniques, photography tips and tricks, SEO know-how, and the list goes on. It’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling like taking classes will be the answer to everything. Nowadays I try to find classes that are under $20. I also try to finish a class before I sign up for new ones. Psychologically speaking, paying for a class feels like progress. But I know that true progress doesn’t happen until I’ve implemented what I learn and see the impact.

7. The blogger discounts

If I had a dime every time a brand/company, instead of agreeing to collaborate with me, wants to give me a discount… Don’t get me wrong, I still appreciate their generosity. And given point #4 above, I used to give in more often than I should’ve. The truth is, if I have no need for the sponsor’s products and it doesn’t make sense for my editorial calendar, I shouldn’t buy it no matter how steep the discount is.

8. Paying for advertisement or loop giveaways

Aside from being desperate for more traffic as a new blogger, as a digital marketing professional, I told myself I needed to experiment with Google Adwords and Facebook ads, just to be able to say that I know how they work. In Christmas of 2015, I started a small Google Adwords campaign to promote the three outfits I created for Holiday Parties. Because of lack of experience at the time, the campaign cost me $250 before I found out about it. It got me maybe about 1000 clicks in total, but no one became a recurring reader. I quickly learned my lesson and never did it again.

There is also loop giveaways that Instagram influencers like to do. If you haven’t heard of it, this is what an Instagram Loop Giveaway. To date, I’ve joined 2 loop giveaways as an influencer. They were each about $30 for me to participate, and they earned me about 200-300 followers each time. This is really just a more glamorous and legitimate way of “buying followers”. I have not done one since then because the followers you get from loop giveaways drop you like it’s hot. It’s hard not to take the crazy amount of unfollowing that occurs at the end of the giveaway. I’ve learned to stay away.

9. Thinking fresh new purchase = fresh content

This is a real struggle for any content creator. When you are in a creative rut and can’t think of anything to talk about, it’s easy to believe that buying something new will provide inspiration for new content. Again, my counter mechanism is always to default to my editorial calendar. I also plan about 2-3 months ahead for content, so I have time to reach out to brands and pitch my topics to them.

Conclusion

Fashion blogging has increasingly become a legitimate profession. But behind the pretty pictures and written content is a lot of hard work and investment. I’m grateful for the learning experiences running my own blog has given me. But I also want to caution those of you out there that are considering starting a blog… Be prepared and ready for the expenses and don’t make the mistakes I made!

The post 9 Ways Fashion Blogging Ruined My Finances appeared first on Cubicle Chic.