Work Nonstop: Google by Day, Blogger by Night
- Lea Chen
- Nov 19, 2017
- 3 min read
Who: leave a little sparkle
What: fashion & lifestyle blogger currently residing in San Francisco
[In her eyes]
Most surreal moment blogging so far?
Is it cheesy to say that it’s surreal that more than a year later I’m still blogging and my readers are still following along? I always come back to the fact that I created leave a little sparkle right after graduating from college. I thought it was the perfect time to start a blog because it was summer, and I expected to have loads of free time before starting my full time job. As a result, I fully expected that after moving away from NYC to California and starting my job at Google that blogging would be a thing of the past. I thought it to be impossible to find time to shoot and post as a full time employee, and I quite literally didn’t know any creatives in the Bay Area. I feel so lucky to have found such a warm and welcoming creative community-photographers, bloggers, designers, etc. So to me, that fact that I’m 17 months in the blogging game is surreal, but I’m super grateful and very excited for the road ahead.
How do you balance blogging while also working full time?
Oh man! It’s not easy, I won’t lie. Sometimes, when my 7:30 AM alarm goes off on Saturday mornings (because I almost always shoot on weekend mornings), I think to myself “Why am I doing this?” It would be so much easier to just stay in bed. And then, every single time I leave a shoot, I feel this rush, and I think “That’s why!”
But I digress. To answer your question, it’s all about time management and organization. Monday through Friday 9-5 I work, so I have get creative about how I choose to spend the remaining time outside of that window. So, like I said, I often shoot weekend mornings. Depending on the photographer, I’ll get the photos back between 3-7 days, and by that time I’ll have already fleshed out what I want to write. I pick a day that I want to publish according to a content calendar that I create based on my schedule (events I’ll want to write about, travel, special occasions, etc.) while keeping in mind that the night before I publish I’ll have to put in at least an hour to the post.
One last thing - I really live by my new planner- the erin condren life planner (not sponsored). It helps me keep track of deadlines, when to follow up with people, when posts should go live, etc. I don’t know why I ever thought that after college I could love without a planner or how I went one year without one.
Underrated piece of advice people should consider more?
I’ve gotten some great advice over the course of my blogging journey. At first, it was that I just needed to jump in and start my blog. In the beginning, it was so easy to think of the reasons why I should wait one more week before going live- there was always something to work on and I’m kind of a perfectionist. But I finally did it! And then after you start you realize that starting was the easiest part (haha). Continuously creating content is even harder- finding inspiration, coordinating schedules with photographers, working around travel, etc. But for something you love, you’ll do it. I love creating content and telling these stories, but if the day comes that I no longer enjoy it, then it’ll be time for me to find a new project. Afterall, I created this space because I thought it would be fun.
What decade of fashion is your personal favorite? Why? Call me sentimental but the 90’s. I was looking back on some old photos, and my mom really hooked us up-denim overalls, high waisted jeans, white sneakers, turtlenecks. I wish I knew how fly we were; I love it all. And now, I’m on the hunt for a the classic Tommy Hilfiger t-shirt (I already have one from Calvin Klein and I love it-thanks Le Tote), a button front denim skirt, and a vintage Gucci belt if anyone’s wondering? ;)
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Story captured by blvd eye while documenting the style of street.
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