2 Year Blogiversary for witty n pretty!

Happy Monday friends! I hope you’re reading this with coffee in hand and a fabulous pair of shoes on your feet! Today, I wanted to share something special with you all because your support and comments mean the world to me. This month marks two years since I started blogging! Isn’t it crazy how quickly time passes? It feels like yesterday that I started.

The next two years of blogging I hope are much more successful than the first two. When I began, I knew nothing and made so many mistakes like working with brands who weren’t giving me anything in return or highlighting my text in bright pink! Mistakes are how we learn though, I certainly had to learn the hard way quite often. Between exhausting myself with writing content and comparing myself to other bloggers, I burned out fast. Blogging isn’t a get rich quick scheme, it takes hard work. Reevaluating why I started a blog in the first place, I realized that I loved being creative and writing. That’s still what motivates me today. Hopefully, somewhere down the road I actually make a little spending money or at least to cover the costs of maintaining a website. For now, I’ll keep working hard and sharing what I know with new bloggers. No one held my hand through this process and I certainly wasn’t handed a wad of cash to make my dreams come true. Real #girlbosses have to work for their success and that’s what I’m doing!

Because I believe that knowledge should be shared, I want to share with you a few things I’ve learned in my blogging journey. Not so much technical tips (you don’t want those from me!) but tips to guide you in your own journey and so you can achieve your dreams!

Never be afraid to ask questions. If you see a blogger doing something, ask them how they’re doing it! The worst they can do is not respond. Which brings me to another point, fashion bloggers who have a moderate to large following in my experience have been reluctant to share information or ideas. Obviously, no one wants competition. However, answering a simple question won’t bring down your empire.

Remember why you started. Most blogs fail within 3 months. The writer just gives up and shuts down shop. Chances are, they thought they’d be making money within a few months and since they weren’t, they gave up. Don’t start a blog just to make money, start one because you love it. My dad always told me to do what I loved and the money would come.

Formula for success isn’t a formula. There’s no ‘one way’ to be successful. It isn’t predicted mathematically, it happens because you work hard, go after what you want, and never give up. I asked several bloggers what led to their success, and they all said “chase your dreams.” At first I thought this was a cop-out, now I realize that most of them really meant it.

Leave a comment with your blogging tips for new bloggers!

-LIZ

How to Spot a Scam

Happy Friday, y’all! Earlier this week I got an interesting email from a particularly famous brand asking me if I would be interested in doing a collaboration with them. As a blogger, I’m always on the look out for brand partnerships. However, I exercise caution for a very good reason. Once I expressed interest in the collaboration, the brand representative that had contacted me fired back an email outlining the project and what it entailed. Just by the description I knew that it was nothing more than free publicity for the brand. Here’s how I knew:

1. Key Phrases: The buzzwords that companies love to use to indirectly say that you will get nothing out of this “collaboration.” One of the most common is that they need you to help “spread the word” or give “tips to your readership” about what they can do with said product.
2. Lack of Marketing Budget: The first thing I ask is what the budget is for the project. When there isn’t one, they really can’t tell you anything else beyond “well we don’t have one, we simply wanted to generate some buzz about…” Boom. Sorry, but you won’t be “generating buzz” on my blog. That’s when you know this is for their benefit and not yours. Move on.
3. They Immediately Provide Links: While this isn’t always a bad thing, it can be a red flag. How do they already have links that will credit you with whatever referrals you give them? Oh wait- you don’t get credit for referrals. The brand is literally giving you a link to lead your followers a way from your blog and to the product. It would be one thing if you actually made a commission off of it, but in this case you won’t be.
4. Flattering Words: The brand rep called me a “guru” in the particular product category she was marketing. I had written a few things on topics similar but in no way was I a “guru.” Flattery will get you nowhere darling. Unless you plan on paying me, then it will get you somewhere!

I wrote this post specifically for the newbie bloggers out there. When I first started, I participated in a few of these “collaborations” and got nothing out of it. Many promised that the best posts would be shared on their social media pages. That never happened. Don’t fall prey to these scams. Instead, keep your head up and know that your blog is worth more than free publicity.

-Liz (follow me on Bloglovin’!)

 

Landing the Second Interview

Hello Friday, it’s so nice to see you again! This week has been full of snow and other chilly things that have made making plans a little difficult. My flight home was cancelled due to the winter storm the Washington, DC region will be experiencing tonight. I’m actually thankful because the last thing I want my mom to have to do is drive in icy conditions to pick me up from the airport.

Since I’m going through a new phase of job hunting, I thought I’d share some of my “snag a job” tips. By no means am I an expert on getting a job, but I have been a job hunter and interviewee quite a few times. What I’ve learned has helped me understand people better and acknowledge important unwritten rules no one tells you about. Follow my lead!

Tips for the Big Interview

• Watch out for scams: The number of “scam jobs” I’ve seen posted on every career site is incredible. If the title of the posting includes the words “entry level” or “training provided,” be very cautious. It might be legit but read the posting further for more clues on if the job is what it appears to be. For example, if you come across a title like “Entry level event planners wanted, no experience required” I can almost promise you that those “events” you’ll be planning are actually trade shows at Sam’s Club or Costco. Get your hair net and apron ready!
• Landing the second interview: Getting an over-the-phone interview is hard enough, but getting an in-person interview is even harder! Prepare what you are going to say ahead of time. Have your resume ready because you will have to walk the employer through your experiences. If you stutter through this, it sounds like you aren’t prepared and that won’t land you another interview.
• The in-person interview: Wahoo! You made it to this step, don’t screw it up by looking unprofessional. My mom went to an interview at our local library for a desk clerk position and the woman being interviewed ahead of her was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. This is possibly the worst outfit you could wear! Let me break down a business professional look:
  • Crisp blouse (white or cream are my favorites for a clean first impression)
  • Fitted skirt (slightly above the knee is appropriate; patterns should be kept minimal but a striped skirt in muted tones are nice)
  • Smart shoe (no heels you can’t walk in or anything strappy, nude kitten heel is best)
  • Classic jewelry (a watch and pearl earrings is professional and says a lot about you; large hoop earrings or clanking bracelets also says a lot about you in a negative way)
• Don’t look up- When you’re speaking to someone face-to-face, avoid looking up in the air when they ask you a question. You appear to be pulling answers out of the sky. Look down with your eyes and you appear contemplative.

Please leave your interviewing and job hunting tips in a comment below! Best of luck for everyone in the middle of job hunting!

Road Trip Basics

 

Good morning loves! I write this as I sit in a hotel room in the middle of Kansas City after a long road trip. My boyfriend had to relocate for a new job and I decided to tag along with him for the trip. We left San Antonio on Sunday and stopped overnight in Dallas. He drove and I just complained about the copious amounts of country music he was playing.

I’ve been on quite a few road trips in my lifetime and there’s a few travel tips that I’ve taken to heart, such as the wonderful things drinking soda instead of water on the trip will do to your body. Hint: it’s the farthest thing from wonderful! I’m going to share with you my simple road trip basics for a better, happier trip.

1. Comfy sweatshirt- A good, cozy hoodie or sweatshirt is perfect for curling up in your seat while you listen to whatever the person who’s riding shotgun is playing.
2. Quality earbuds- If you don’t like the music, play your own. Make sure you bring your “good” earbuds so they don’t quit on you in the middle of your trip.
3. Trivia game- When I was growing up, we used to play little games in the car to pass the time. Sometimes my dad would give us trivia questions and it kept us entertained. Find a set of trivia cards at a truck stop of order some online.
4. Healthy snack- Your body will thank you later when you don’t feel bloated because of the chips you ate. Trail mix is always my go to snack!
5. Slip on shoes- How many times do you think you’ll make a rest stop during a road trip? Quite a few times! Wear easy on and off shoes for quick stops.
6. Facial wipes- When you’re in a car for over 10 hours you just feel gross. If a shower isn’t in your near future, feel cleaner with some facial wipes. You can buy them in travel sizes to fit in your purse.
7. Dry shampoo- Similar to the facial wipes, if you aren’t taking a shower soon and your hair is greasy, this stuff will be a beauty miracle! I prefer Batiste dry shampoo and you can buy it at TJ Maxx for a good price.
8. Disposable toothbrush- That gross feeling you get in your mouth if you haven’t brushed your teeth in awhile can be solved with the Colgate Wisp disposable toothbrush. They come in packs of two and have a little bit of toothpaste on the brush.

Leave a comment with your best road trip tips below!

How to Know if an Interview is Going Well

Happy Monday! I love this beautiful time of the year. Everything smells like peppermint and gingerbread, sleigh bells literally ring, and the deals at my favorite stores are aplenty! How can you not like this time of year? Despite the difficulties everyone has with job hunting, the general merriment of the season keeps me smiling.

Since I have so much experience interviewing for jobs, I figured I’d share a few tips on how to know if an interview is going well. There are several things I look for when I’m talking with a hiring manager and all of them have provided me with good insight into the company and the position.

Gauging an Interview

1. Laugh- Has the interviewer laughed or smiled at all? Even if it’s just over something simple like the crazy weather the area has had, a smile or laugh indicates that they are comfortable with you.
2. Confidence- Do you feel and sound confident? I’ve walked into interviews where I was on top of my game and felt amazing and then I’ve had a few that made me crawl back into my shell.
3. Compatibility- Are you and the interviewer compatible? You’ll be able to tell almost immediately and that will have a lot to do with how the interview goes.
4. Interest- Do they want to talk about things besides your resume? For example, has the interviewer asked about your personal interests? Last week, I was asked what I like to do for fun. That’s a good sign. They want to know who you are as a person, not just who you are as a professional.
5. Follow up- Did they communicate to you what happens next or simply say “we’ll be in touch?” In my experience, if they’re talking to you about the next steps before you’ve even left, they’re interested!

Please leave a comment if you’ve observed similar things or have other tips on things to look for!