It’s been 7 months since I last opened my WordPress editor. Let’s just let that sink in a little bit……

Before this hiatus, I blogged almost non-stop for 4 years. What a strange seven months it’s been, with me not having produced a single article. Today, it’s with a heavy heart that I share this with you guys, my dear readers…

I’ve had nothing to say.

Did you think I was gonna say I’m shutting the blog down?  Oh, no. Never. I worked too hard all those years for Cubicle Chic to suffer the death of unknown causes. Sure, being a full-time Mom takes up all the time and energy I can muster. Sure, I set out to become a full-time blogger 2 years ago and have come short in every way imaginable. Sure, I’ve had a major case of an identity crisis because of owning a blog name Cubicle Chic and having no cubicle to call mine. But here’s the thing…

Even when I had nothing to say, I still have this burning desire to write. To create. To produce. To leave something behind. Call me crazy.

All of this got me thinking about something tangential yet sobering. People say social media is for the superficial and that it’s all about showing off. It’s easy to categorize it all as egotistical Millenials putting up a glamorous front by curating every envy-worthy detail of their life and neatly packing them into the 9 squares accompanied by carefully researched hashtags. It’s not a wrong statement to make and most of us are guilty of it at least at some points. But I think it taps into something deeper and more primal.

A poet writes, a sculptor creates, a photographer captures what he/she sees in the world and a writer writes. When it’s a singular, recognizable, and “respectable” skill (the kind that takes time and effort to develop), the output of it is deemed artistic and productive.  The problem with creating anything on social media when you are a layman is that it seems like it takes no effort. It’s easy because Facebook has made it easy for you to showcase photos, writings, art or anything that you want to share with the world. And after the post becomes public, you receive “likes”. The Godforsaken likes. Likes that ruin everything. Likes that taint the purest of intentions. Likes that mask the desire to create and make it look like you’re groveling for attention.

But it’s not that simple. At least not for me. There is joy in the act of creating something. Choosing the right word to convey my thoughts. Putting phrases together that sound beautiful. Obsessing over the order of sentences for more clarity. This is why I write.

Which brings me to the future of Cubicle Chic.

I still want to add value and be of service to my readers. But going forward, I’m going to write things that I have personal interests in. Books that inspire me. Ideas that invigorate me. People and stories that bring me to tears. I want to write about things that uplift me, and hopefully, through my writing, I can uplift you, too.

In the meantime, I’d like to share a few things that have been enriching my soul lately.

Four Things That Brought Me to Tears Last Month

It’s a collection of a book, a Facebook clip, a TV series, and a movie. If you enjoy things that make you think while shedding a few tears, click on each of the thumbnails below or just bookmark them. You don’t regret it, I promise.

1. Call Me American; 2. Ray Chen – The Swan; 3. Modern Love; 4. Last Christmas

Stay tuned for more. Thank you for reading!

The post A New Season In Life (Update After a 7 Month Hiatus) appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Since leaving my corporate job in February to focus on my blog, I’ve been congratulated many times and told that I am brave. Many more times, people are simply curious about “how I did it”. The short answer is that I prepared, planned, and sacrificed in order to make it happen. I suppose to those who ask “how did you do it” in hope of gaining insight into how they can do it, too, this isn’t the most appealing answer. Because it’s not a shortcut.

Not Everything In Life Is Hackable

We live in a society that’s obsessed with hacks, engineered efficiency, hidden secrets and recipes to success. But life isn’t always hackable. I could’ve given this post a click-baity subject line such as “10 Things to Do In Order to Quit Your Job & Be a Full-Time Blogger” and I bet that would get the post at least 10x more views. But that would be deceiving. I can’t possibly promise you that you can do the same that I did, following the steps I took. Because I don’t know if you’re willing to give up the things I gave up. What I can do, though, is to share the things that I had to sacrifice and give up in order to live the life I do right now. That’s right – not what I did, but what I couldn’t do anymore, in order to live this blogging full-time life.

So, the list below is to strip away the glamorous surface of “full-time blogger” and reveal the struggles one has to come to terms with to live this #lifegoal. Here are 7 things that I had to give up in order to become a full-time blogger.

*Disclaimer*: 1) This list is heavily personal finance-related. If you are not interested in learning about my personal finance habits, you’d probably want to skip this post. 2) I don’t want to downplay the fact that my husband still works and brings in a decent income and how that is the main financial force that sustains our life together right now. But I also don’t want people to assume that I continue to shop, eat, live just the same way as I did before when I had a full time-salaried job. I don’t. These changes are what this post is about. 3)I have a fledgling blogging business. There are way more established bloggers out there that don’t have to live the way I live. But in order for me to get there, this is how my life ought to be now in terms of my personal expenses.

7 Things I Gave Up For The Full-Time Blogging Life

1. My Shopping Budget

Ever since our wedding in March 2017, the purchase of our first home in May the same year, and moving in, furnishing the house… etc., I’ve been operating with a $200 per month shopping budget. When I was preparing for my eventual exit from the corporate world to work on my blog full time, I knew it had to change. I couldn’t justify spending anything at all on clothes, accessories, shoes when I still don’t make enough to cover the basics. So, my current shopping budget is a whopping ZERO dollars a month. Now, one exception I give myself to this rule is that if I make anything from my Poshmark account, then I get to spend that money on whatever I want.

2. A New Car

Not a brand new car, no. Just an additional car to the household. You see, since my car-crash in March 2017 (just 2 short weeks after our wedding), we’ve stashed away the insurance money for a time when we’d have to buy a new car. For now, I’ve been driving my college car: a trusted 2004 Honda Accord with 180K miles on. My husband works from home, so he doesn’t need a car for daily commute. So, when I was driving down to Del Mar every day for work (a 25 miles trip), I drove his car. We use the Honda Accord for local trips to the grocery stores and restaurants. Do I want a more reliable and newer car? Sure, I do. Do I absolutely need one? Not so much. And now with me focusing on growing my blogging business and my income still in its infancy, I definitely don’t need to be buying any car any time soon.

3. Gym/Yoga Studio Membership

I loved doing hot yoga, or just regular yoga. I also love trying out new classes like barre, spin (which I have yet to try) or aerial yoga. But they’re too costly for someone who’s not making enough money. And if asked myself, do I have other alternatives when it comes to working out? Heck yea – there are plenty of options out there like YouTube videos (I used to work out to Cassy Ho’s videos all the time) or doing squats, lunges, planks in my living room. Sure, it’s less motivating and way less exciting. But is that a reason to splurge on expensive yoga or even gym membership now? I’ve made a conscious choice to say no.

4. The Ability to Randomly Drop $50 On A Dinner

Of all the things I’ve outlined in this post, this is by far the most painful. This is the most open, exposed, and public type of change that I’ve had to make. It involves having conversations with friends that I can no longer participate in our outings where we randomly pick a restaurant that happens to be $$$ and shell out $50 on dinner. It’s just out of the question. Now, if we plan ahead and pick a reasonably expensive restaurant ahead of time, then I can try to make it happen by altering other aspects of my living expenses. But it doesn’t always work. It sucks.

5. Daily Work Routines And Structure

Now we are charging into the more intangible area of the things I’ve had to give up. This was one of the most surprising elements that caught me completely off-guard. My days no longer are defined by a clear beginning and a clear end. I can no longer count on meetings to plan my time and they used to govern my working days. I am the only person responsible for making progress, for defining progress and for setting goals… it was overwhelming in the beginning. It also made me miss the corporate world incredibly much.

6. My Prized Identity as a Working Woman

Whether you are a mom, an athlete, a gardening enthusiast, or a cat lover… there are things in life that we do, and love doing, that is part of who we are. It’s one of those things that you list on your Instagram profile that you want everyone to know about you. For me, having a well-paying job in the corporate world and living that 9-5 life was one of these things. It’s who I am. Or who I used to be for a long time. This is how I know this exit isn’t permanent – it’s merely a temporary break. It’s meant to allow myself the opportunity to foray into entrepreneurship and give this little thing I’ve built over 3 years the chance to flourish. But I miss saying that I’m in biotech/marketing and say that with complete confidence. It’s probably just the lack of practice, but when people ask me what I do (especially at 10:30 Am in the grocery store on a Monday) and whether I am a student, I stutter a little bit when I say “I’m a blogger”. I’m still practicing owning this fact. #thestruggleisreal

7. The Peace Of Mind That Even If I Stop Working For A Few Days Or Even A Few Weeks, I’d Still Have Income

The beauty of paid vacations… and as clichés would have it, I never realized it until I lost it. March and April were difficult months for me for more reasons than one. I couldn’t write. Some days I could barely get out of bed. My working productivity dropped to rock bottom. Consequently, my income was affected. Had I been working at a corporate job, I would’ve probably been able to just take days off here and there and still have a full day’s salary while I rested at home. Whoever came up with the paid vacation policy in the modern workforce is a genius and we should all thank that person.

Conclusion

With all of that said, I hope I was able to paint a clearer picture for you about what it’s taken me to begin this blogging life. I didn’t just stumble onto this #lifegoal, and it certainly doesn’t come without a price. While this isn’t the circumstances that I’d naturally prefer to live with, it has afforded me the opportunity to live my dreams. So, above all, I am grateful.

All photography by Natalia Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post 7 Things I Gave Up For The Full-Time Blogging Life appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Outfit Details: c/o Mint Julep Doing Something Right Vest (size medium) & c/o Mint Julep You Call The Shots Pants (size medium)

Where do I begin? After 8 years of working as a Corporate America employee, I recently transitioned out of the only world I knew. I am working for myself, officially! It’s been almost two months and I sometimes still have to pinch myself that I am actually living that full-time blogger life! So far, the full time blogging life has been liberating, rewarding, and refreshing but it’s not without challenges. This life is everything that I’ve imagined, yet still, nothing like I thought it was going to be.

In today’s post, I will share some of the behind the scenes stuff of what’s been happening in Cubicle Chic HQ. And of course, the less-than-glamorous details of the life of a newbie full-time blogger.

So, what is it REALLY like?

Honestly, it was initially a bit overwhelming to realize how much freedom I have. What’s the most difficult to deal with is the fact that meetings no longer run my day. I realized the rigidity and the formality of the corporate world that I thought was restrictive, actually provided structure and routine for my work days. The lack of it in my life now threw me off initially– I thought I could just go about my breakfast and morning coffee routine, then go straight into writing mode every single day. WRONG. I wandered around the house, contemplated if I should vacuum the carpet, read the 17 books laying around waiting for me to finish, or play with the cats for just 15 minutes. I’d inevitably end up doing whatever was on the path of the least resistance. Lo and behold, it was to play with the cats for 30 minutes (it was never JUST 15 minutes…) Every thought about getting more coffee, juicing for myself, grabbing a clementine for a snack, turned into a detour of something else, and I’d lose track of time. By the time I remembered the task I was supposed to be on, 2 hours had gone by.

To be 100% honest, I am still trying to find a routine that works for me. As of right now, I am still kind of winging it every day. On top of the new schedule and related discipline that I need to develop, I have also been dealing with a bit of a health issue. More on that later, but it definitely has not been easy. If you know of any productivity advice for freelancers, please let me know!!

Outfit Details: c/o Mint Julep Doing Something Right Vest (size medium) & c/o Mint Julep You Call The Shots Pants (size medium)

If you could wave a magic wand and change something about the blogging life now, what would it be?

A fixed schedule.
The Will Power to do it all.
Some more funds to make spending on my business feel less of a pain.
People that understand what I’m going through. Someone who’s been through this that can share with me what it is that lies in my path ahead.

Are you thinking about hiring a business coach?

Someone recently asked me during a conversation about my blog and business “if I had mentor or a business coach” and I was a bit dumbfounded. Obviously, my answer was no but as I was answering “No.” I realized how silly that is. Why have I not thought about getting a business coach or mentor? On this path of so many unknowns, why did I think I could, or that I should go at it alone? The woman that I chatted with promised to send me a few contacts so I could seek out some expertise. I also started to chat with others in hope of finding someone I can look to as a mentor… but neither front has proved fruitful so far. But I have not given up! If you know a good business coach or blogging coach you’d like to recommend!

That’s a lot of things that haven’t gone your way. What are some silver linings?

I am practicing re-framing more, and this is one example. When things don’t go my way, I re-frame my thinking my counting my blessings. And good gracious, I am SO. BLESSED.

First of all, amongst all of the slacking and procrastination, I did manage to read a lot of books. Books on positive psychology, books about Native Americans, books written by Virginia Woolf and Oscar Wilde (I’m on this 19th century classic English literature hunt) and read more Real Simple and The Atlantic magazines than what are sitting in my living room available. Intellectually, my tank is feeling very full.

We were also able to go on our honeymoon in February to Hokkaido and Maui which was an absolute BLAST. It was a much-delayed honeymoon since our wedding in March 2017, so we made sure we were unplugged, fully present in the moment when we were away. We enjoyed every bit of the trip with memories that would last a lifetime!

Outfit Details: c/o  Mint Julep Doing Something Right Vest (size medium) & c/o Mint Julep You Call The Shots Pants (size medium)

We Took A Getaway Trip to Paso Robles In Mid-March

This was the first weekend-getaway that we took with me being a freelancer. And because my weekends are no longer breaks when I stop working it was important that we stay at a business-friendly hotel. The Springhill Suites hotel in Paso Robles was everything a work-from-home freelancer could hope for – fair pricing, business-friendly hotel facilities, friendly and super responsive staff. The rooms we stayed in was very spacious and demarcated into a living space and a working space. I love that about hotels – even when you’re traveling you have a sense of work/life balance!

It was a simple but refreshing trip. At the Springhill Suites in Atascadero, I felt like I was treated like a queen! The complimentary breakfast next was basic but nutritious and fulfilling and that was all we needed for the weekend. Thank you so much for the treat, Springhill Suites!!

Conclusion

Finishing this blog post actually made me feel like I am catching up with my inner SUPER SUCCESSFUL blogger. I vow to bring you more valuable posts more frequently in the upcoming months. Don’t be a stranger.. drop by and say hi when you visit Cubicle Chic! <3

Disclaimer: I was provided a 2-day free-of-cost stay at this Springhill Suites facility in exchange of my honest review. Because of the rain that weekend, we ended up staying for one day which was a shame. I wish I’d spent more time at this beautiful facility!

The post The Freelancing Life as a Full Time Blogger & My First Weekend Getaway appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Happy 2018! How’s your new year going so far? Are you hitting the gym, reading a lot, knocking stuff off of your to-do list every day, like I wish I was but definitely am not? LOL. In the first week of 2018, I hit a productivity lull. Maybe December was too productive for me (I wrote 8 blog posts, EIGHT!!). Or, maybe the holiday eating and slothing around finally took a toll on the creative part of my brain and it went into a food coma… But today, I’m here with a new giveaway, a 2018 planner review, and to talk about things that I’m going to do differently on this blog in 2018. Because Cubicle Chic is constantly evolving and so am I. Oh, and because Albert Einstein said this:

One of the biggest themes in 2018 on Cubicle Chic is: how can I better serve you?

Host More Giveaways

The few giveaway I did toward the end of 2017 allowed me to get to know more of my readers and really got the chance to give back & thank you for caring about the content I create on Cubicle Chic. I plan on doing more of this in the future. Today’s post is definitely one of them! Scroll to the bottom of the post to find out how to win one of the 3 planners!

Offer Free Career Counseling Service

I launched a free service on Cubicle Chic last month called What Would Cubicle Chic Do. This is your chance to ask me any question career related – career rut, job search stagnation, inter-personal conflicts/issues at work… anything! Click on the tab below (it’s also hosted on the home page of this blog) and you can expect a personal answer from me within 2-3 days!

Post at Least 6 Times a Month

This is my promise to you, but also a challenge to me. I promise will not just create more content, but create more content that is useful, relevant, interesting and insightful.

Share More Raw, Behind the Scene Content

As a blogger, one of the dilemmas I always have is… am I creating an illusion of false reality for my readers and followers? On the one hand, I know for a fact that no one wants to see me in PJ’s with bed hair going about my morning routine. But at the same time, if I’m wearing a full face of makeup when I do a “just got out of bed” post, that’s creating a reality that doesn’t exist, and I’m not willing to go there. So, in the spirit of being raw, here’s a funny photo from a recent shoot that was a total blooper. LOL.

Now, onto the 2018 planner review!

I found three 2018 planners from Amazon all under $20. I picked them based on popularity in reviews, aesthetics, and size. I don’t believe in the huge & bulky planners and think mobility is a very important factor in selecting a planner. So without further ado, here’s my 2018 planner review of 3 planners all under $20:

 01.13.2018 Update: The winners have been selected. Please see the contest widget below to see if you are one of the 3 winners! I will contact you one by one to claim your prize. Thank you for entering!!

Orange Circle Studio 2018 Do It All Planner $17.99

Pros:

• The aesthetic design of this planner is SO pretty.
• The front cover doubles as a little pocket and the back cover has 3 slots as card holders!
• Comes with stickers for decoration and personalization

Cons:

• The bulkiest of the three
• The interior pages are not as colorful as the exterior

Day Designer for Blue Sky 2018 Weekly & Monthly Planner, $14.99

Pros:

• The aesthetic design of this planner is ON POINT inside and out!
• The most compact one of the three
• It feels very sturdy and durable

Cons

• No pockets or folders to contain loose paper/documents
• Doesn’t offer any customization option

Bloom Daily Planner 2018 Calendar $15.95

Pros:

• Guys… marble for life, right?
• Front and back cover both double as pockets

Cons:

• The design of the writing pages is a little bland
• The front and back covers are made of paper. Good quality paper. But the paper material may not sustain wear and tear as well as the plastic ones.

Now, I am giving all three planners away in this post!

Read the instruction below on how to enter… the giveaway ends at the end of the day on Friday 1/12/18.

2018 Planner Giveaway

The post What I’m Doing Differently This Year || 2018 Planner Review appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Yellowcake Shop 15% discount code: CHICYC

Top: Yellowcake Peter Pan Collar Tunic

To be perfectly honest, on most days I feel like I just can’t do it both. Not the way each job deserves to be managed, anyway. I’ve made it work for over 2 years now, advancing a corporate career and growing a blog. But something’s different this time around. In today’s post, I’ll give a little update on how things have been since I took on the new social media manager job and how I’ve still managed to keep blogging.

The New Job

Ever since picking up a new full-time job in June, I’ve reverted from freelancing/blogging full-time back to the 9-5 (more like 7-6 in reality) life of a corporate employee. In case you didn’t know, this is the life I knew for 7 years and I am a veteran at it. The commute, the meetings, the onboarding process as a new employee, getting to know people and building new relationships… I’ve been there and done all that.

Top: Yellowcake Peter Pan Collar Tunic ; Yellowcake Shop 15% discount code: CHICYC

Coming Back to Work This Time

Yet still, coming back to work was SO HARD this time. Much harder than I’d anticipated. I couldn’t shake off the doubts I had about why I came back to work. I couldn’t ignore my anxieties about only publishing one post a month (my record in the last 2 months). I couldn’t stop feeling the guilt of not being able to tend to more chores around the house and leaving them mostly to my husband. And truthfully, I couldn’t help but reminisce the days when I did things all according to my own schedule.

Top: Yellowcake Peter Pan Collar Tunic ; Yellowcake Shop 15% discount code: CHICYC

The New Job – Why I Love It

Despite all the inner demons, I’m going into the 4^th month of this social media manager role at the new company. I started to realize I actually really like this job. There are a few things that are quite rare about this company and this job that keeps me fully engaged:

• Highly visible, impactful and clearly-defined projects that I’ve been spearheading.
• A really, really, really friendly and supportive environment – everyone is SO friendly and SO nice. I never knew this is possible in Corporate America. I think somehow I had the belief that t being overtly nice is detrimental to one’s own success in the corporate world. Oh, how wrong was I!
• I have an intern that I supervise now! It’s such a game-changing experience. It has given me next level insight and self-reflection that I could never imagine before. More on this later!

What Keeps Me Going

Social psychologist Dan Pink has famously coined the trifecta that makes up motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. When you have all three, you will not lack the motivation to do something that you choose to do. For both my blog and my job, I have the autonomy in the ways I do things, the necessary mastery to do a good job, and the purpose of why I’m doing it. Hence, I am doing everything I can to keep up with both of them!

Top: Yellowcake Peter Pan Collar Tunic; Yellowcake Shop 15% discount code: CHICYC

The Blogging

Strong motivation has everything to do with how I fit blogging into my life on top of the 9-5 hours. It’s what keeps me going. With all that said, what I struggle with the most right now are two things: 1) Finding the time to sit down and write 2) keep up with social media. Here are the things that I do that allows me to blog on top of having a full-time job and still keep my sanity:

1. Fully utilize my commute. Podcasts and audiobooks used to be my thing during the commute. But when I have an article to write, I try to play classical music on 50-minute drive home. Dvorak and Sibelius are my current faves. I’ve learned this kind of music is very conducive to organizing my thoughts and ideas.
2. Plan ahead. Then, plan ahead more. I thought I knew what I was doing when I did photo shoots in bulk, planned my Facebook posts ahead of time, and had about 2-3 topics laid out ahead of time at all times. But now, in addition to all of the above, I am planning my Instagram posts, and work on content weeks ahead of time.
3. Accept that work doesn’t stop when I leave the office. After hours spent at work with my brain fully engaged and operating at peak capacity, I drive home, eat dinner, and crank up my brain capacity again for blogging. It’s my routine now. I have accepted it.
4. Adjust to a slower pace with my blogging process. At my peak, I was publishing 5 posts a month. Now I am just grateful to publish one. Now, I am not satisfied with this cadence and am working on ramping up. But for now, I try to have peace with what I can do.
5. Be even more selective in brands I work with. Working with brands is an essential part to a thriving blog. As a blogger, working with brands comes with many perks. One of the perks is that I get to try different products and brands. And if I like them, they serve as good foundation for me to build content. But since I know I have a limited capacity to write, I have to limit the number of companies/products I work with.
6. Give up on perfection. Even when I was never that much a perfectionist to begin with. Compared to before, I have less time to do all of the things I wanted to do. My instagram feed is not perfect anymore. My tweets are not interactive/engaging anymore. I may not have a Facebook post scheduled everyday anymore. But for a while, my objective will be to just keep the flow of content going… and not strife for perfection!

So that’s a wrap. Happy October and the season of Fall is upon us. Everyone’s favorite season is just around the corner!

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

Disclaimer: I received thisYellowcake Peter Pan Collar Tunic for free to provide a review and was compensated for this collaboration. As usual, I only publish review on products that I TRULY love and all opinion is neutral, mine, and only mine!

The post How I Actually Juggle Blogging and a Full-Time Job // Life & Job Update appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Watch: Marc Bale

To say that running Cubicle Chic is a passion of mine would be an understatement. I have many passions in life: my cats, listening to podcasts, reading, snowboarding, yoga, collecting anything related to the Volkswagen flowerpower bus, learning to surf… the list goes on. But those things I do to experience the thrill, or to escape from reality, or simply to have fun.

Blogging, as it turns out, is something entirely different.

Watch: Marc Bale

For the record, it did start as a hobby. I knew I enjoyed writing and “dressing right” for work. So, naturally, I decided to marry the two and throw in a few photoshoots, a bit of web design, and a lot for social media figuring-out-how – Cubicle Chic was born. On the other hand, this endeavor was also an experiment. I was unknowingly trying to figure out the feasibility of a side hustle. It’s an on-going experiment even to this day! And regardless of how it started, one post turned into 10, one sponsorship led to another, and I just kept at it. Two years and almost 100 posts later, I am still here, painstakingly writing away.

Creating and writing for Cubicle Chic has taught me many, many things. It even helped me land a full-time job. It’s shaped my identity and allowed me to look at myself in new and unexpected lenses. It gave me possibilities that I didn’t know existed before. It changed me for the better in so many ways. But it also forced me to be creative when I was stuck, be relentless in my pitching efforts, learn from my mistakes and failures, and ignore the voice of people out there that are trying to bring my down.  In this post, I want to share with you the many lessons that creating and maintaining a blog has taught me.

1. A passion is nothing without persistence and cultivation.

A passion, at its core, is something that gives you fun and bliss! And if that’s all you expect from your passion, then that is all it needs to be. But if you want to your passion to be more than just “something fun you do”, you have to commit to it. Learn new skills because of it. Sacrifice your free time for it. Take harsh criticism for it so you improve. Keep at it even when it stops feeling “fun”. To make a hobby more than a hobby, you gotta show progress towards it and become better at it over time.

2. Success requires some level of luck. But luck can be created.

Success is a topic I’ve discussed earlier this year, especially around how to define it. They say opportunities come to those who are prepared. It’s true. But to be noticed in hundreds of job applicants, to meet your future business partner at an event, or to be tapped by a brand to work together… all these things require an element of luck.

How lucky you get though, depends on how hard you are willing to work for it. While you can’t control the outcome of a job application, you can control how many jobs you apply for. You can’t wish a great business partner into existence, but you can show up at all the right networking events you can find. You can’t force a brand to work with you, but you can create amazing content consistently to attract ones worthy of your and your readers’ time.

3. “They can do that because they have money” is a thought that kills.

If you read my other post about the 9 ways fashion blogging ruined my finances, you’d know that there are a lot of things an aspiring blogger can spend money on that FEELs like progress. Naturally, people that have more disposable income (or more willing to stack up credit card debt) would seem to have a short-cut to blogging success. Similarly, in life, people that have more wealth, resources, connections, may seem to have an easier time getting ahead – education, place of work, material possessions, knowledge even.

But never underestimate the efforts behind the success people may have. They may have been waking up at ungodly hours every day for years, or they may have taken great risks in their business endeavor, maybe they have worked tirelessly on perfecting their writing… whatever it is, don’t associate success with what people are endowed with. Because that kind of thinking sends a demotivating message. If you accept people’s success as the result of their natural endowment, you won’t be motivated to work hard to get to that level of success.

Think of people as an accumulation of their hard work, and not whatever status, level of wealth, even race they may have.

4. Learn how to channel jealousy & envy.

The digital world is a mini reflection of the real world and designed for flaunting. Keeping up with the Joneses is at a whole new level now. What’s even harder is when you have goals you REALLY want to reach and you see people crossing your finish line left and right (that promotion you want, a car you want to buy, that elusive 10K followerbase on Instagram, or a dream sponsor to work with…you name it. Sometimes that envy and jealous can pull the rug out from under you and crush your soul.

One of the best advice I’ve gotten lately from “the blogger for bloggers” Brittany Grace at Not Another Blonde is when in doubt, stay in your lane and put on blinders and ignore everyone else – just do what you do best and keep doing it. This is the only way that will lead to your own success one day, and not minding how others are doing. I’ve applied this thinking whenever I feel like I am falling behind or that my peers are doing better than I do. I come back to the reason why I started blogging – I love to write and I am building a business for myself. I ignore how everyone else is doing and just keep writing!

5. Leave no room for haters and people who build their following based on negativity.

The more I made myself and my blog available, the more I open myself up for speculation. Anyone who’s seen my profile can say anything they ever want about me, about what I stand for, and about who I am. I experienced first-hand some vicious cyberbullying lately that really opened my mind up to how terrible human beings can be toward others when given the anonymity of the digital world. It took some self-directed pep talk but I brushed it off my shoulders.  And I realize if I don’t change my mentality about haters, it will happen again and it will ruin my day again. I am determined not to let haters have a single second of satisfaction from hurting me. They will not. To all the haters and cyberbullies, go have your fun somewhere else.

Disclaimer: I received this Marc Bale watch for free to review from an Australian company ThePeachBox. I took no compensation in the collaboration.

Photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse.

The post 5 Life Lessons I Learned From 2 Years of Blogging 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.

We are officially under 1 month away from the big day! Having just gone through a bit of a crisis (more on that later) in my career, I am so ready to finish the last mile of my wedding planning process on a high note and in 3 weeks, walk down the aisle and marry my best friend!

In the next coming weeks, I have a hair appointment, final dress fitting, video shoot to finish up, and an appointment to apply for a marriage license. But I wanted to share some REAL insight and advice on what I’ve learned in the last 11 months with you today. If you’re a bride to be, listen closely.. and if you’ve been there and done that, read on and laugh with (at) me!!

By the way, these photos are actually part of my Engagement Shoot, taken by the amazing Jen Fellows from Acqua Photos. We decided to capture something real and AUTHENTIC of what’s actually going on a few months before the wedding – looking at details of the wedding and enjoying every moment. Instead of dressing up and trying to act all lovey-dovey (we did that, too, for the record, and I didn’t love the end result), we decided to capture what’s REAL. I can’t tell you how much MORE I love this kind of photo shoot; it tells a story without me having to try at all!

So here are the things I’ve learned in the last 11 months that I wish I knew before I started:

1) Starting earlier is ALWAYS better than starting later

And I don’t just mean the wedding planning process itself, but the bits and pieces of the process. It’s never too late to get that MINTED order in (especially knowing sometimes they mess up!! I had such nightmares dealing with them), start thinking about your guest list, and finalizing your seating charts… These are things that you think you can’t do until later in the process, but start laying them out! You can change your mind later, but at least you won’t be starting from scratch when time is all of a sudden limited. Which, trust me, WILL happen to you!

2) Select the right wedding planner

This is kind of an obvious one on the surface. Depending on what you need, you may be looking for a day-of, month-of, or full-service wedding planner. Some specialize in ethnic weddings, other specialize in design.  I personally interviewed 6 different wedding planners myself within a 2 month period and eventually decided to go with Nicole George Events.

The reason I picked Nicole over all the other ones I interviewed was because she seemed more 1) organized 2) calm and composed 3) stylish when it comes to personal style. Honestly, that’s about how much you can glean from a 30-60 minute meeting with anyone. If you ask me, hiring a wedding planner is such a tricky business because you can’t really “try out” their service. You have 1-2 meetings to determine whether you like them, and after you’ve signed with them there’s pretty much no turning back. I am extremely lucky that Nicole turned out to be everything she was during our initial consultation. She is always prompt and responsive in terms of communication, and understands my vision, and listens more than she talks. The most important thing has been that she provides feedback at the right moment – she understands to complement my vision, and not to overpower it. These are such important traits for people in the service industry, especially wedding related business because everything is so personal.  I love that about Nicole.

So when you’re looking for a wedding planner, I’d say look for people that click with you personally, someone whose demeanor you can work with (they’re not talking too fast, taking 3 days to respond to your email, wearing a lip color that you could never imagine wearing, or proposes ideas that are surprising to you in not-so-positive ways). If you should be judgemental ONCE in your life time, this is the time to exercise judgement.

3) Have a theme, but more importantly, tell your story

With Nicole’s help, we defined the stylistic theme of our wedding very early on. It was blush and midnight blue in terms of color, and the overall style is romantic, soft, and gardenesque. This was all Nicole’s work, so it was easier on my part.

What was more challenging is how to weave the story of how Victor and I met, how we are as a couple, and what binds us together, all into this look and feel. If you’re trying to do the same, I’d recommend

A. Work on your vow first, even if you’re way early in wedding planning. Write down the things you have to say to thank and appreciate your significant other. What comes to mind and what is the glue in your relationship.. what holds you together? Go from there.

B. Think about the touch points on the wedding day – a cocktail napkin probably won’t have as much impact as a sign displayed at the front entrance. Pick and choose the aspects of the wedding day where you want the story to come through. You can’t have EVERYTHING tell your story.. that will be sensory overload for your guests!

C. Much like what I did for our engagement shoot… think about ways to capture you guys in your most natural and authentic state. Having anything that’s less posted and scripted is always better!

4) If you don’t have a vision, tap into Pinterest. But only moderately.

Every wedding planner I interviewed said that they have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest. And it’s true! It’s the best tool there is when it comes to perusing the different options out there, but it isn’t always the easiest to organize and keep track of things.

I personally liked to go to StyleMePretty.com or TheKnot.com to look for aesthetic inspiration. Or I go to a big/established wedding planner or famous photographer’s websites to get ideas. Unless these people have been paying special attention to SEO, not all of their material land on Pinterest.

5) Don’t forget to involve your significant other

Depending on the significant other’s personality, they may or may not be heavily involved in the wedding planning process. I say involve them anyway, but gauge what the “right level” is. It’s very common for the bride to take on most of the responsibilities and make most of the decisions. But it’s BOTH of your big da, so you don’t want him to be surprised about what happens during your wedding, especially financially related items, haha. Yes, be on the same page regarding your budget, and involve him in your decision making process.

All Photography by Jen Fellows at Acqua Photo

The post Wedding Planning || My Engagement Shoot “What It’s Like To Be Planning A Wedding” appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

From me to you

Maybe it’s the new year, maybe it’s the 1.5 years under my belt in the blogging world, or maybe it’s me wanting more out of what I’m doing in my life… regardless, I want to really speak to YOU, yes, my Cubicle Chic reader, whose eyes are crawling these text right now. Thank you for your continued support. I will keep writing, bringing you more useful and relevant information!

My promise in 2017

I hope this blog has been somewhat interesting to you in the past year. I have swayed in different directions out of wanting to venture out, but also out of lack of focus. I have done different sorts of office-related writing, wanting to show you various aspects of my working life, but I’ve also having committed my number 1 blogging faux-pas – talk about outfits for the sake of talking about outfits. This, I promise you, will not be in my blog posts in 2017.

 Dress:  Maison Jules Lace Trim A-Line Dress (also on sale for $54..99 at Macy’s!) Bracelet: Gramerci Design

When I look back on 2016, I’ve really accomplished a lot on Cubicle Chic:

• 8 collaborations (product sponsorships)
• 11 photo shoots with 4 different photographers
• 43 blog posts (wow, really??)
• 2 sponsored event attendance
• 2 speaking engagements
• 2 featured articles
• new logos for Cubicle Chic (thank you Michelle @ EM Branding & PR!)

Even in my own professional life, I’ve accomplished quite a lot. I got a new job, became more strategic in my role and responsibilities. I’m still getting acclimated in my new environment and learning a lot, but I am in an even better place compared to last year this time. I’ve also traveled for work to Germany, Boston twice, San Francisco, and DC, and I am incredibly grateful for all of these opportunities.

And People Matter

I’ve also met a lot of amazing people along the way… Natalie, who has become my go-to photographer (Stylenfuse), Sangyay who has essentially blown up over Instagram (ItsSangTime), Lisa (Everyday Elevated) whose questions make me feel SO worthwhile and always reminds me of why I started this blog in the first place, Jennie (xoyoonicorn), my high school friend who’s taking Casetify to new heights, and many many more people that I’ve met in 2016 that made it that much more special.

 Blazer: Tobi Adriana Boyfriend Blazer (ON SALE For $35, originally $105!) Dress: Maison Jules Lace Trim A-Line Dress (also on sale for $54..99 at Macy’s!) Boots: Marc Fisher Justice Suede Boots (On sale for $79.00!)

My Focus and Direction in 2017

Because of your response and feedback, the one post that turned Cubicle Chic on its head was 7 Pieces of Career Advice I’d Give to My 20-Something Self. This was what gave me the inspiration to write more about my professional journey, the trials and tribulations, and all my lessons learned.  This is a topic I’d be exploring more on, as I adapt and learn in my new role at the new company. I invite you guys to share with me any challenge you encounter, whether be it salary negotiation, interview tips, or of course, how to dress for any business occasions. Let me hear what your everyday challenges are, and I will be your pocket consultant and see if I can offer some help!!

 Dress: Maison Jules Lace Trim A-Line Dress (also on sale for $54..99 at Macy’s!) Boots: Marc Fisher Justice Suede Boots (On sale for $79.00!)

Coming up on Cubicle Chic in 2017

I have exciting stuff coming up in the pipeline. Many interviews with career women who are slaying and loving what they do. I will also be featuring more office appropriate outfits, if not exclusively office appropriate outfits. Lastly, for those of you who know that I am getting married in March, I also have some wedding planning snippets to share with you. So STAY TUNED!

 Dress: Maison Jules Lace Trim A-Line Dress (also on sale for $54..99 at Macy’s!)

This Outfit Though…

Just really quickly.. I can’t tell you how much I love this dress I found off of Macy’s during the holiday shopping frenzy. I already know I’ll be wearing it to work, date nights, birthday parties, or just girls night out! It’s SO comfortable yet super flattering because of its structure. If you don’t know Maison Jules yet, you’re missing out big time! This is not a sponsored post AT ALL (I wish) and I am such a big fan of their pieces. They’re highly affordable and designed JUST for career women like me who need professional but chic options at the same time!

All Photography by Natalie Alvarado @Stylenfuse

The post Looking Back So I Can Look Forward appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

As a Cubicle Chic reader, you’ve probably heard about me talking DailyLook’s regularly (see why I love DailyLook here). Today I want to take you through the process of unboxing a DailyLook Elite Box, including what comes in each box, and how I styled the pieces I decided to keep!

I’m a blazer girl, that bit is obvious. It’s just something that fits so easily into my work day as well as weekend wardrobe.

I’m also a dress girl, but I always look for dresses that cover up my midriff area because I feel the least secure about this area.

So when DailyLook Stylist Hana paired this loose blazer with this cotton dress (among other things) for me, I didn’t immediately think it was ME. But I know these people really know what they’re doing, so I went with the flow.

The Elite Box arrived within a few days in this neatly packaged box, with all the items they picked for me inside.

This has got to be my favorite part of the process, the literal un-boxing of the packages. DailyLook folks really take their time and effort in making sure every box is packed with perfection and care. You open the box and you will see the order confirmation as well as the ship-back labels along with a personal note from your stylist.

When I unwrapped the items and saw this blazer and dress, I was still a bit hesitant.  The colors are gorgeous, and the material is definitely HIGH quality. I know these are really nice products. I just wasn’t sure about the fit and the style

The light bulb moment finally came when I put them on me. This dress fits SO perfectly, loose enough to be flow-y and comfortable, but shapely in the right areas that I don’t feel like I’m wearing a pillowcase. I was INSTANTLY  a fan…. all thanks to Hana!!

If you want to try DailyLook Elite Box today.. you can use this code CUBICLECHIC20 to get 20% off your first Elite Box! Let me know if you do try it though… I’d love to see what items you end up with!!

There are two more promo codes you can use: HOLIDAY10 to get $10 off your styling fee for your first Elite Box, and a holiday deal is MYBOXTREAT which is buy 3 and get the 4th for free! 

Have fun shopping!!!!!

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post I Tried Somethinng I Would’ve Never Reached For In A Store || Unboxing DailyLook Elite Box appeared first on Cubicle Chic.