** Sorry if there are any typos/random capitalizations, we’re having some weird formatting issues right now!
1. What were your professions before blogging (and mom-ing) full time?
Brooke: Mine had nothing to do with fashion – I was a consultant recruiter. I loved my job, the company I worked for, and miss the people I worked on a daily basis with! If you’re in college, and don’t know what you want to do yet, I would highly recommend recruiting – there are so many opportunities, and especially once you get a few years under your belt, the job offers will be flying in! I still get a few emails per week regarding job opportunities. Another bonus is that it’s a pretty young industry & you’ll most likely make friends with a lot of your co-workers. Meggan: I was a men’s stylist at Trunk Club. It was such an amazing company to work for and a rewarding job. Have your boyfriend/brother/hubby or whoever check it out – it’s such a cool concept!
2. What are your tips for those starting out in the blog world?
1. Choose something you are passionate about (not what you think other people “want” to read about). It will show, and the more genuine you are, the better aligned audience you will have.
2. Be consistent. You can not write one blog post/week and expect to get a consistent following. This is especially important when you are first starting your blog. We blog a minimum of 5 days/week.
3. Develop a social media following – we started our Instagram profile while working with a graphic designer on our blog, so by the time our blog was ready to launch we had a small following to “announce” it to.
3. Clean, crisp & the original images. This is very important, especially for your social media. Our biggest tip: USE NATURAL LIGHT whenever you can. 4. Set goals & work towards them. We are always setting new goals for our blog, and determining our path to reach those goals. *Be sure to write them down!
5. Invest in a professional to help you design your blog. It should be organized, clean, and easy to navigate – you want to make a good first impression.
6. Do not worry what other people say – you can not please everyone.
3. What’s a day in the “blogging life” like? While we are blogging, we are also full time “momming” daily, so every day is different depending on what we are working on/what is our schedule for the day, but a typical (blogging) day includes: reading and answering emails, reviewing contracts, sourcing ideas for blog posts, writing a post for that specific day to post or preparing for the next day, uploading & editing photos, and keeping our social media accounts updated & interacting with our followers/answering questions, etc. Other pieces that go into the blog that are not “everyday” tasks are: shooting outfits, attending events, press previews, conference calls, and interviews. A blog is what you make it – you can blog weekly, monthly, or 30 times/month. One big misconception about “blogging as a job” is that it’s easy. While it’s definitely fun and something we are passionate about, it takes a lot more time that people think.
4. What’s your go-to intimate apparel?
Brooke: I wear Hanky Panky undies and bras. I don’t need a lot of support in my bras (let’s be honest, some days I don’t even wear one), so these are perfect. I also have a couple of these bras that I looooove from Target, they are so comfortable and have slight padding. I’ve heard great things about Cosabella , and am going to give a few of their bras to try. Anyone else have any favorites I need to check out? Meggan: Nursing bras and Kyle’s boxers – LOL! It’s a big day if I put on a regular bra..any other momma’s feel me on this? However I do love Hanky Panky like Brooke! There’s a cute intimate apparel shop on Armitage and Halstead that I’ve been wanting to stop in!
5. Favorite quick & healthy dinners? We make a lot of dinners from Skinny Taste – they are easy and delicious! Our favorites are the slow cooker chicken tacos, BBQ chicken salad, quinoa fiesta enchilada bake (great for leftovers!), and one-pot chicken fajita pasta. If feeling lazy – our go-to is baking chicken or salmon, roasted veggies, and a side salad. Clean, simple, healthy! We try to eat organic/natural foods and ingredients as much as possible. If I (Meggan) make tacos, I make my own seasoning – the packaged stuff is full of sodium and preservatives! Here are a few of my (Brooke) favorite (easy + quick) chicken recipes using the Crock-Pot.
Happy Friday! PS – Nordstrom just marked down TONS of great pieces at 40% off! Our favorites: