Hello everyone! Recently, I had the pleasure of partnering with Pandora and POPSUGAR to talk about some of the lessons I’ve learned since I’ve started VivaLuxury and I thought that this would be a great opportunity to share some of them with you. Hope you enjoy!
What you were doing before you started VivaLuxury? Were you a journalist? Were you a photographer? Were you working in fashion?
My background is in IT, and I worked in the field for about a year. I truly enjoyed it, but I felt like I needed a creative outlet. I started the VivaLuxury for that very reason. At first it was just a hobby, but very slowly it became my full time job and an enormous part of my life. I’m excited to see where this journey takes me.
I understand there was a Hollywood designer who motivated you to start the blog. Can you tell us more about why you found her suggestion so encouraging?
She was just an incredibly inspiring woman to me. She started her own business and built it from the ground up herself. She was very determined, dedicated to her craft, and worked extremely hard. She was a true believer that anything is possible, and that was just so inspiring to me. I’d like to think her work ethic was so contagious that it motivated me to start my own business.
What blogs, websites, magazines were you reading at the time? Where were you getting your source of inspiration at the time?
I have always had a subscription to Vogue, I absolutely love looking at the editorials there. Other than that, I draw my inspiration from iconic fashion moments and specifically classic movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
So you started your blog, and were you working as well? Can you tell us what you were doing in addition to blogging?
After graduating university, I worked in IT for about a year and realized that as much as I enjoyed working in my field, fashion really is my true passion and I wanted a job relating to fashion industry. And so I quit my job and came on board as a production coordinator working for a Hollywood shoe designer Elisa Ferari. We ended up becoming very close and designed a shoe collection together which solidified my desire to be in the fashion industry.
When and why did you decide to make the jump to full-time Viva Luxury? Was it a certain number of visitors? Positive reactions on social? Was it because you found out a way to generate a profit from it?
Very slowly VivaLuxury started to take up more and more of my time. It was so subtle at first until I noticed that I am staying up later and later to take care of the blog. At some point it was just not feasible to work my full time job and run the blog so I had to make a choice. It was not an easy one to make, but I’m glad I chose VivaLuxury.
How many hours on average do you spend per day working on it?
Sometimes it feels like I never stop working! I really do dedicate most of my day to work. Even when I’m not physically doing something, my mind really never stops thinking of shoot ideas, outfits, upcoming travels, etc. I believe there is always room for improvement, and that is what I strive for on daily basis.
What’s one thing you wish you knew in terms of self-management? Do you wish someone had told you what it was like to work autonomously?
The problem I struggle with is that I am a workaholic. I love what I do and sometimes I feel like I can’t stop doing it. It’s so important to disconnect and take time for yourself every once in a while. When I worked at my previous job I had more or less set hours which made it easier to separate work from life and create a healthy balance. Working for yourself, however, it’s much harder to do. One thing that is helpful is keeping an organized calendar—it helps you stay on track and make sure you leave time for yourself.
What do you wish you knew about self-confidence? Is there something you wish you knew about the importance of feeling confident in your decision-making skills as a business owner?
I wish I knew how much I’d have to trust myself. When you’re your own boss, all of the decision making comes to you, and a lot of times it is a lot of pressure to deal with. Learning to trust yourself can be a process, but it is very important. I found that it helps to surround yourself with supportive people that you can lean on for advice if you need to.
What’s one thing you wish you knew ahead of time related to work-life balance?
I wish I knew how challenging it would be to have a healthy work-life balance. Working for yourself, you do not have a set schedule, and it is very tough to separate work from home. Often times I get so lost in what I’m doing, I don’t realize it’s past midnight. I have been slowly learning how to take time for myself. Sometimes you just have to put your phone and laptop in the other room and enjoy being with your loved ones without your phone buzzing.