February 5, 2018

LIFE AND BLOG UPDATE

Hello to all of you!

I wrote a get to know me post back in the summer, see: Break the Ice (Cream), but, as I’m sure some of you missed it and some of you may have only recently began to get to know me through Instagram, I figured it’s about time to write a little life update and roll out a re-intro post!

WHERE TO START? I started this blog back in July with the intention of building on my love for sharing things socially by developing a website to house ALLLL of my ideas, plans, advice, and reviews in a one stop shop where 20-something ladies could visit and find their own forms of inspiration. While it’s been just about half a year now, I feel like I have SO much to learn, but I alsoI feel as though I have started to *begin* finding my jam and curating my own brand even further.

Starting a blog is one thing, but actually committing to running it continuously is a whole other! When I first launched Brains and Bronzed, I prepped a few posts and had some big ideas, but I don’t think I was fully aware of what I was getting myself into. I thought, ok, sharing photos and writing content – two things I had some experience in – how hard could it be? I didn’t realize the vast amounts of planning and prep that went into it. Photo shoots, content research, content development, emails, networking etc. Now i’m not saying it’s that hard, but what is hard, is trying to consistently create good quality content that I can be proud of, while being in school, working full-time and living in the Winnipeg winter where it’s dark when you leave in the morning and dark when you come home (AKA how’s a girl to take any photos?!?!). Trying to run a blog when it’s not your primary income source or your entire life is another piece that can be tough at times, because it really limits the time you can spare to put effort into it. The good news, is that for me, blogging has become a hobby and something that I legitimately enjoy doing when I have free time. It’s become an equivalent of watching Netflix or listening to music. It’s what I do when I have a couple free hours after work or over my weekend morning coffee, and honestly, I LOVE it.

My life is extremely busy, and I love having many different things on the go! The busyness of it is what really allows me to thrive. Because of this, I know that I don’t want my blog to become my entire life, I know that I want a corporate career, and that I want to continue being able to use my blog as a side project for as long as it feels right! Recognizing this makes it easier to come to terms with the fact that if blogging isn’t my career path, I shouldn’t expect to have the same number of followers, the same level of influence, and collaborations of the same vein as those who have committed to blogging as their career choice. Just as we shouldn’t compare our lives to the highlight reel that is other peoples’ Instagrams, I’ve realized I shouldn’t compare my “blog success” to the blog success of other influencers. My life has many different, important aspects to it, and that is what defines me!

So what have I been up to? A lot actually! We’re just about 3 weeks into 2018 and I feel like I have some major plans for this year. I started off the New Year on a family vacation in Banff where I got some major R&R after exams and the holidays. See more on that trip here.

I came home to begin my 4-month term as a Marketing Coordinator for an organization here in Winnipeg, where I’ve been doing a lot of brand management and competitive analysis, as well as social media. As you may have noticed by now, I have a major thing for branding, so it’s right up my alley! I’ll be working full time now until the end of April. Working full time (when it’s not summer break), is actually so different from being in classes full time. When I’m in school, I have so much more spare time, especially when taking all my classes over just two days a week. Waking up everyday and going to work til the late evening is exhausting, especially in the winter, but honestly it’s such a breath of fresh air as opposed to being in school!

Although school never seems to fully end.. I’m actually headed to New York CITYYYYY later this week to present in front of Unilever, a transnational consumer brands company with 2 other lovely ladies from my business school. We got chosen as a top 10 finalist out of 50+ entries so we are so stoked to be headed on this all expenses paid trip! You can bet we extended our flights by a couple days to spend the weekend exploring the big apple… I’ve never been to New York, so I am SO excited to see what life in the big city is all about! And anyone with restaurant recommendations, please send ’em my way.

After NYC, I’ll be back in the Peg for the rest of the winter but once May comes, I’ll be doing a month long study exchange divided between here in Winnipeg and Israel! I am SO looking forward to finally getting a taste of a culture other than that of North America and the few tropical places I’ve visited. If anyone has any insight on Israel, please let a girl know!!! We’ll be staying in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for the majority of the time, and I am sooooo excited! I never thought Israel would be somewhere I would visit, simply as it wouldn’t have ever been top of mind as a travel destination for me, so this trip will truly be once in a lifetime and I can’t wait to spend it with a group of diverse students, many of which I’ve just gotten to know recently through the program.

After May, I’ll then be heading home to take a couple classes before jetting off for my European Adventure later this summer with one of my best friends, Danielle! Our plans are for Netherlands, Greece, Italy, and Croatia so far, but I am soooo looking forward to spending a month completely care free and exploring places totally foreign.

Ok, so that was a lot, and super super broad! But I hope you all are as excited to see what 2018 has in store as I am! I can’t wait to follow along with all of your adventures this year too!