Boss Girl Bloggers – Member Spotlight – Chic Cheap Lifestyles

I thought about starting this blog for years. Lauren Conrad’s launch of her lifestyle brand was actually my inspiration probably 5 or 6 years ago! But at that point, I didn’t have the confidence nor the drive to follow through with blogging so it just wasn’t the right time for me. I have followed fashion bloggers for years – admired their style, their gorgeous aesthetic, designer purses, beautiful vacations. I never thought about the affordability of it all. For the everyday girl, it wasn’t an attainable lifestyle. I wanted my readers to know that you can look good on a shoestring budget; you can take a dream vacation without breaking the bank & it’s totally possible to outfit a new wardrobe from a thrift store!

My biggest struggle has been literally getting over myself. I lacked so much confidence in what I was doing which led to me not caring about my blog as much as I should have. I  would write a post and then take two months off – nobody was seeing it anyways, right?. I never told ANYBODY (even my own best friends!) that I was trying to start a blog. I also had no idea where to look for resources, photo tips, blogging tips, etc. & I knew no one who was doing what I was doing – so I had 0 opportunities to network.

Finding a Community: Like I had mentioned before, I had no idea what I was doing in the blogging world. But one simple Instagram post changed all of that. I posted an #ootd picture on my Instagram, and Style Social Pittsburgh (a local blogger group) reached out to me and liked my photo. I suddenly realized there was a community of like-minded creatives in my area – and I could connect with them! I began to quickly gain confidence in what I was doing. I connected with local girls in the area (some have turned into GREAT friendships). I found facebook groups (HELLO Boss Girl Bloggers!) where I could literally learn EVERYTHING I needed to know about creating a blog, using social media, etc. I now have a solid group of boss babes that I can bounce ideas off of. There is a support system out there and that gave me more confidence than I could have ever imagined. I now hand out my business card or show my Instagram confidently, proud of my side hustle. But without a network of girls behind me, it never would have happened. I recently saw a quote that I absolutely loved – “real queens fix each other’s crowns” and that is what I feel about surrounding yourself with other boss babes.