Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Quinn.
Michelle, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
byQuinn is a fashion and lifestyle blog based in Massachusetts. On byQuinn, I strive to motivate my readers to chase what they want in life. I first byQuinn began as a hobby while I was in college. When I first started my blog, I started with strictly fashion and beauty. I loved being able to share with my friends and family fashion and beauty tips and thought I would start to document some of it. I went to college for finance, so I felt as though my creative side was being stifled. After realizing the endless possibilities of having a blog and social media to share on, I was able to feel whole again and began taking blogging more seriously. Now, almost five years into blogging things have changed and I have been able to document so much of it on byQuinn.
byQuinn is my passion but it is just my part time gig. I currently work full time in the toy industry and absolutely love my job! Blogging my just be my part time gig, but I still find time to inspire 40k followers on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. My balance of inspiring words and fashion plus the occasional mom jokes and real life moments help byQuinn stand out. I try to make my posts feel as authentic as possible by connecting with my readers in many ways. I ask for feedback daily and encourage readers to send me messages! I have even become friends with a few of them!
By providing an inside look at my life and telling a story, my posts feel more authentic. Building a connection with my followers is crucial for me! One of my favorite things about byQuinn is that I am able to document my life! I documented our wedding, my pregnancy, and now our home renovation!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Blogging has always had its ups and downs. The landscape of social media in constantly evolving and changing and it is sometimes hard to keep up. You want to be at the top of your game at all moments but you see other people publishing images and you start to compare yourself to them. Comparison on Instagram in its number one fault. It is hard to not get down on yourself when you see someone else’s beautiful images and they seem to have it all! Whenever someone comes to me when they are first starting out I tell them these three things:
1. Don’t compare.
2. Be proud of your work.
3. Be yourself.
These three things might be hard to do and I have certainly not followed my own advice. When I first started, I was not proud of myself. I was spending hours working on something and I wanted to keep it private! I didn’t want co-workers to know about my blog or business and I was afraid to tell my family! As soon as I got over that, I noticed more success in my business. I was received more collaboration opportunities than I ever did before and was proud to tell people about my passion!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about byQuinn.com – what should we know?
Currently, I am creator and editor of my blog byQuinn.com. On byQuinn.com, I share fashion, family, and beauty topics. I currently create, edit, and manage everything on my own with help from a photographer. I am most proud of my connection with my readers. I find that readers come to me to ask tons of questions which makes me proud of the work that I publish. I believe that connection sets me apart from others. When you share something you love and are passionate about it is the quickest and easiest way to gain trust in brands and your readers!
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
Yes, yes, yes, and yes! My number one obsession right now is podcasts. Whenever I am in need of inspiration I head to one of my favorite podcasts. I currently am listening to Goal Digger with Jenna Kutcher and The Influencer Podcast with Julie Solomon. These two podcasts offer tons of insight into the influencer world and give me great tips on staying inspired, new social media trends, and tips for staying connected to your following. If you are in the influencer space I definitely recommend checking both of these out.
A few apps that I love are Planoly, When to Post, Checklist, Day One Journal.
Planoly is an app that helps you to plan your content calendar in advance. They have a feature that auto-posts to Instagram for you which helps when you have a million other things going on!
When to Post gives you a detailed time chart for when the most optimal times to post are. I was introduced to this app after listening to a podcast episode from Goal Digger!
Checklist is a simple checklist. You can put tasks you want to accomplish for the day, grocery lists, or just any sort of list in general. It is nice and colorful which always seems to help me stay motivated.
Day One Journal is an app where you can journal straight from your phone. I like to use this app to take some time out and reflect on my day, make a few goals, and keep track of my son Cameron. If you do not already journal, I certainly recommend starting doing so. It is amazing to see your goals come to life after you have written them down!
Contact Info:
- Website: byquinn.com
- Email: contact@byquinn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellemquinn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bymichellequinn
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bymichellequinn
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/michellemquinn/
Image Credit:
Sasha Dale Photography, Stacey Coleman Photography
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