Last week, I opened up about why I blog and the history of Hot Dress Hot Mess. I want to continue on that theme and tell you a little about what my life actually looks like…no it’s not all fashion and I definitely don’t look like this everyday. Today, I’m going to remove the filters and break down my real life compared to what what you see on my blog.
40% : Full Time Job
40 hours of my week are spent at Redfin, a real estate brokerage and technology company headquartered in Seattle. I started in late January on the marketing department at Redfin doing SEO. Before that, I worked for Microsoft managing tech conferences and hackathons in Taiwan, Europe, and China. Sometimes I feel like I’m living two lives…my “9-5” life that revolves around technology and my personal life that revolves around fashion blogging. Honestly, I kinda like it…keeps things interesting.
20% : Spending Time with Friends and my Boyfriend
Nothing makes me happier than spending time with my friends and my boyfriend. My girlfriends and I go out to trendy cafes where we Instagram our lattes and spend an equal amount of time laying around in sweats shoving our faces with ice cream. My boyfriend, Scott, and I are two of the weirdest people when we are together and usually end up laughing at dog videos, overindulging on Mexican food, and taking lots of naps. Scott and my friends are some of my greatest supporters and always keep me laughing and motivated when my “hot mess” side takes over.
15% Blogging, researching, and engaging on social media
The part of blogging that most people don’t see is hours of writing, improving my website, managing multiple social media accounts, and researching blogging tips. The people who know me best see this a lot and it’s far from glamorous. They see my slumped over my phone editing photos, disengaged during movie night because I can’t think to sit through a movie without working on my blog, and pausing conversations because I have to post to Instagram at approximately 9:20 pm every night (I swear this is prime time). This is what blogging is really like and I have to hand it to the people close to me who continue to support me even when I make them take OOTD pictures.
15%: Career Pursuits
My career has always been a priority for me. I can’t explain why, but ever since I was young I’ve dreamed of building businesses, directing meetings, and wearing fancy business suits. Yeah I didn’t know children thought like that either – haha! Part of building a career is staying active outside of work. During the week, I attend career building workshops, listen to podcasts, attend networking events, and drink coffee with a lot of people smarter than I am;)
5% : Wondering WTF I’m doing
A solid 5% of my week is dedicated to me wondering what the f I’m actually doing with my life. Maybe it’s because I’m 24…but I’m still trying to figure life out. I constantly question myself, why I blog, if I’m on the right career path, if my eyebrows are even, how I’m not legitimately bald with all the hair I lose in the shower – you know you’ve thought it too. I’ve found as long as I don’t do it too much, questioning myself and why I am doing what I’m doing keeps me seeking purpose and never just going with the flow.
3% : Taking Photos
I have to make the point that taking photos for my blog and Instagram probably only takes up an hour of my week. My audience sees my photos as the forefront of my blog but it is really it’s one of the smallest components of being a fashion blogger.
2% : Randomness
An amazing 2% of my week goes toward all the miscellaneous, random things I do. These include: dancing to Beyonce, taking pictures of my roommate’s chow chow, Netflix binging (currently watching The People vs. OJ), talking to my mom on the phone, and trying to fix my bedhead.
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This is a great breakdown of what it’s really like to be a blogger! I’m a SAHM so I’m in comfy clothes and my hair is messy most of the time, so it actually takes a lot of time and effort for me take blog photos! lol