It’s normal to feel anxious when starting a new job whether you’re entering this wonderful thing called “real life” or simply transitioning into a fresh role. Along with that, there’s a natural discomfort associated with completing a task you’ve been assigned when you’ve only seen it once – there’s that voice in the back of your head asking “Is this right? I can’t remember, should I ask again?”

After going through several roles in a rather short timeframe, I can assure you that the anxiety always exists when you’re new to something. However, I’ve picked up a few useful lessons that have helped me long the way that I’d like to share:

1. Write everything down.

When starting out, you’re just a sponge absorbing as much as you can and there are so many things going on, so much information, so much assumptions that you’re bound to forget. Therefore, just write everything down in a way you’ll understand if you need to refer back to it in a month because it’s guaranteed to come back up. This is the one thing that has never failed me.

2. Just ask.

If you’ve failed to take your notes (or they just don’t make sense as you’re referring back to them), find a resource you can trust or just ask again – it’s better than doing it wrong. Sure, your boss or whomever you’re asking might be annoyed, but now’s not the time to worry about that. However, don’t make it a habit – being on both sides of the fence, I can honestly say that constantly asking the same question gets annoying.

3. Be proactive.

Albeit the fact that you’re uncomfortable, volunteer to take on tasks – it’s the perfect opportunity for exposure to management and other people within the company. People might forget about you because you’re new so proactively ask what kind of help you can offer and create a routine for yourself.

4. Slow down.

I like to think of myself as a quick learner, but one of the most important lessons I learned early on is that slower is better. When I think of all the mistakes I’ve made in the roles I’ve held, the majority of them can be attributed to wanting and trying to work fast that I overlooked important details, ultimately resulting in a mistake. Remember that fast and faulty helps no one.

5. Always have a vision.

Sure, you might not know what you want to do in the next five years or which career path you’ll head down so instead, focus on becoming self-aware. This means that as you’re completing your job duties, think about the activities that you take interest in and the tasks that play up your strengths – where can that take you? Engage with people in different roles and on different levels and see if there’s anything you might have in common with them. Also, ask your manager what they think about you and where they see you being successful (of course you should wait at least a month to have this conversation). These things will help give you a vision of the pursuits you should focus on in order to reach your final destination.

XO,

Susan

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Image Source Credits – Fashion Gone Rogue

The post 5 Things To Do When You Start A New Job appeared first on Zanita.

Ahhh Florence. What a magical city!

It kinda feels like months since I visited but it’s truly only a couple weeks. Maybe it’s because I’ve dived right into life here in Sweden and I’m loving it. Gustav and I have secured an office space, so we’re commuting into the centre of Stockholm, rather than working from our dining table. It’s much healthier for our business and relationship, both professional and personal, to have that separation.

So back to Florence! I had visited to take part in Firenze Forever, which is a press trip with luxury online retailer, Luisa Via Roma. I first attended this same event with Jess (Tuula) about three years ago… which feels like a lifetime. So much has happened between now and then! It was special to me because it represented the time I was finally blogging as my fulltime career. I was so excited to be taking part in this incredible event… and it was the first time I met Andy, Aimee, Wendy and Chiara  whom I’m still great friends with. I stole a few pics from Wendy (Wendy’s Lookbook) to show you that time… Damn I’m so tall!

  It’s been so cool to see how far each of the girls has come in that time – I remember that while were away, Jess was creeping up to 100k on instagram – I couldn’t imagine how so many people could be connected to one person in that way… Now she’s headed for 2 MILLION followers. Isn’t that surreal?? And we’re still doing the same things since those days.

So this trip felt significant for me in that way, to return to a place that represented the beginning of a journey for me. I’m super grateful to have had this crazy ride, I’ve learnt so much about myself since then – really that people are capable of achieving more than we ever expect! So often it’s your own mind that limits you from furthering yourself.
         1…2…3.. jump! Haha. Fashion bloggers are not uncoordinated at all huh?

This trip was doubly special, because I was able to share it with the delightful Amanda Keiser, from Lucky Shops.

We styled our editorial together, selecting complimentary looks. It was a little challenging to find pieces we felt suited our individual aesthetics but still matched – but I was thrilled with the result. Aren’t we cute? Haha!

Hope you like these images snapped in Florence. I’m lucky to share them you! See more at Lucky Shops  – and special thanks to Luisa Via Roma for putting on such a beautiful event.

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Something new and different for us!

Here at zanita.com – we love a cheap find. Here are our 3 ‘tight tuesday’ bargains!

Joseph Chino Trousers, 60 percent off! Only 86 euros (aka $96 USD).

Asos Burgundy Mules! Only 58 euros (aka $76 USD)

Alexander Wang Bag! 50 percent off!  Only 203 euros (aka $ 227 USD)

The post Our Top 3 Weekly Bargains appeared first on Zanita.

Finally it’s time for me to share with you Part 2 of my series with Reiss!

Why bring this up now? Because tomorrow night’s episode of Fashion Bloggers is featuring the shoot! So I wanted to send you all a reminder, I’ve been saving these shots especially for the occasion. I love shooting with gorgeous Sara, she photographs so well – but I also think we make a cute pair – like ying and yang! Gustav snapped all the images of the pair of us – and also those of just myself. He’s getting pretty awesome at it no? Might also have something to do with using a lens worth 10k… which in itself posed some pretty hilarious challenges, especially in our location which was very traffic heavy with people.

If you’re down under, don’t miss Fashion Bloggers on E! 9.30pm on Thursday.

Zanita  trench – skirt – jumper        Sara  jacket – trousers

Above and below, Zanita Trench – skirt – below Sara – Trench

Zanita wears Trench  – Dress

Photography by Zanita and Gustav and in case you missed it, here’s part one of our series with Reiss. 

The post Dress Like A Lady Boss appeared first on Zanita.

Come as you are…

 After working 8 years as a full-time fashion and commercial model, I like to think I understand the industry pretty well. In my day, the agent had all the power – they would decide who was hot and who wasn’t. They could make or break anyone they liked and were the ultimate salespeople when it came to beauty.

Therefore, your agent needed to like you in order for you to really get some work.  I used to call up each day to receive my day’s worth of castings and cheerfully try include details of my life and sense of humour that I hoped would endear me to my agent – it was really the only strategy for job security that I could employ.

The game has changed dramatically in the short few years since I gave it up – really because of something thats very near and dear to my own life still, social media. The movement, helmed by none only than Cara Delevingne, has enabled models to take control of their careers for themselves. Not only that, it’s given them a new vehicle to express themselves, a benefit in having  personality and all things unique.

It was only yesterday I read an article on Elle.com that was flagged to me by my good friend Tiah Eckhardt (another model which a great social following and AMAZING lingerie blog) about how much economic power ‘The Supers’ once had in the industry – and what changed – the shift towards waif’s and the influx of eastern european girls and models from countries with increased poverty. These girls had fewer options – and the clients and bookers were able to take advantage of that fact. What’s exciting now is that we are seeing girls who do have the opportunity to control the direction of their careers again, by arriving with a built in audience who are totally engaged.

So this post! I had always dreamed of shooting a #modeloffduty editorial in studio – the extra fun part of this shoot? We filmed it all for Fashion Bloggers on E!. I had a chance to chat all the girls about how social media was changing their work and additionally, how important it had become to be style conscious.

Models are now using personal style to capture a new audience through the streetstyle scene.

It’s even the case that model profiles on agency websites are now inclusive of social statistics. Such is the case on IMG’s website – and I’m guessing one of the factors that lead our first model pictured, Shelby Hamilton aka @IAMSHELBYHAMILTON to be signed by the agent powerhouse. Clients these days can find a girl who appeals socially to any specific audience and it’s incredibly valuable, especially to emerging brands looking to score a foothold in the digital landscape.

Once the domain of celebrities and digital influencers solely,  models are now making their mark their social media and reclaiming some power and independence in an industry where it was once next to impossible. Go girls!

You can catch my shoot and the discussion I had with each of these beauties on Fashion Bloggers tonight in Australia and NZ, 9.30pm on the E! channel.

Special thanks to IMG for sending me these fabulous girls! Their instagram handles are (in order of appearance)

@IAMSHELBYHAMILTON

 @erinshea__

@crossandbone

  @clairescollins

 @pinghue

@alexacorlett

@taylahroberts1

@natarshaorsman

Photography by Me

Special thanks to Rachel Yabsley for assisting me

The post Digital Babes: Models Using Social Media To Take Control of Their Own Careers appeared first on Zanita.

Sharing the first in series of images snapped by street-style extraordinaire Adam Katz Sinding.

Memories from Sydney Fashion Week, way back in April, I was snapped by Adam as part of a feature for H&M.

I’m having one of those days today where I don’t feel like writing much – it’s almost 30 degrees here in Stockholm and these bright summer days beg to spent outside, in the park, listening to music, with friends… I want to run outside right now.

Still got a few hours of work to do – so I wanna get stuck into it so I can escape! Summer calls!

Hope you’re all cruising into Friday, I’ve included a video of a track that’s getting me in the mood to chill out.

Thanks so much to Adam at Le21eme for the pics.

trench, Karen Walker

bag, Oroton

shoes, Senso

dress, C&M Camilla and Marc

watch, Michael Kors

Get the Look….

The post The Denim Trench appeared first on Zanita.

I shot these pics of my girl Rebecca for her blog whilst we were in NYC a couple months ago.

New York is probably one of my hands-down favourite places to shoot in – because of the buildings, you can always find amazing light bouncing around the place, if you know where to look. In the case of times square, there’s an incredible ambience from all the lit-up billboards and headlights, it’s like the city itself has a glow.

I’m yet to spend a considerable amount of time in New York when it isn’t Fashion Week, meaning, the times I’ve been there all my shoots have been relatively unplanned and on the go. One day I want to do a huge shoot with lots of gowns and models running around the streets.

Until then, these pics of Rebecca comfortably fill the void, she’s so great to photograph!

The best part of this outfit? This is actually a pic of her in her wedding dress. Gorgeous right???

Check out more of Rebecca’s look, including all the outfit credits on HER BLOG.

And don’t forget to check out her shopping posts on her contributor page

Photography by me

The post How To: Dress It Down, Rebecca Laurey Edition appeared first on Zanita.

I had planned on a video post here – but it seems everything has been standing in the way of our ability to share it with you.

Gustav and I had to barrel through our office this morning in desperation, alarm blaring, to fetch our laptops so we could get our days work done. We’ve just moved in – and somehow, though we were told we could have 24 hour access – we weren’t informed that the office would be alarmed on a Sunday. Phone calls all round didn’t help us so now I’m posting from a cafe, where the wifi isn’t good enough to transfer any video.

It is truly a lifesaver though, to have a place to work away from home – especially as we are a couple, it’s very important to our personal relationship to have a definitive separation from work. Gustav is highly motivated and if we we’re working from home, my resolve tends to peter out by the afternoon and I’m sure it can be aggravating for him, when I want to pump music or watch a tv series and he’s still in email mode. As entrepreneurs, even if we could only just afford to hold a space in an office, it’s totally worth the investment. I can get so much more done. More posts all round!

Today is a gorgeous day in Stockholm, so naturally we are going to Ikea. Gustav and I don’t own a car, mostly because our travel schedule makes its seem like a wasted expense – you can’t take a car with you! One of our friends is away for a few weeks and we have their car in the meantime, so liberating! And Mumma needs coat hangers.

Hope you’re all having an awesome week! Yesterday we went on an adventure to Grinda which is a gorgeous island in the Stockholm Archipelago, a nature reserve. You can see more of those adventures on snapchat – follow me at zanitazanita. 

So this outfit! Snapped again by Adam Katz Sinding  of Le21eme around the time of Aussie fashion week, for an article in H&M life. I was a little too tall for the denim overalls but I loved them so much anyway. Such a fun style.

shirt, Romance Was Born

shoes, Senso

bag, Chloe

overalls, ASOS

Get the look…

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The post The Denim Dungaree in Hyde Park appeared first on Zanita.

Heat wave alert! With temperatures rising well above 30 degrees almost everywhere in Europe, it makes sense to wear a bathing suit just in case.

This bright blue number is high on my wishlist for summer. How good would it work, merging in with the sea in Ibiza or Croatia? I though so! While I do love to bare arms and legs, especially when it’s this hot, I always use good protection. Usually 30+, I’d rather be healthy on the long term than have a short term tan. When I was younger, it was almost a contact between me and my younger sisters: who got the best tan? Now, not so much anymore. I do like a healthy glow, but generally that’s all I’m aiming for these days. When a bottle looks as good as the one above, I would already bring it for that reason only. I started wearing bathing suits as top last year, and surely will be continuing doing so this season. Hover over the images to find details and links to the products.

Shop it: Ray Ban sunglasses, Lemaire denim jacket, Orlebar Brown bathing suit, Hampton sun protection,  R13 layered denim shorts, Brooke Gregson earrings, Chloe bag, Converse sneakers.

The post Heat Wave Alert appeared first on Zanita.

Ahhhh Sweden in the summer! It’s truly paradise!

Well maybe it isn’t for everyone, but the landscape where I grew up it so different, it’s arid and wild – I love how everything here is so lush and peaceful.  Anyway, here’s a little video we made of our trip to Grinda. Hope you guys like it! xxx

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The post Video: A Perfect Day On The Swedish Archipelago appeared first on Zanita.

We are so excited to introduce our wildly talented new contributor, Ben Orkin.

Hailing from South Africa, at 16 years old, Ben has already found his calling in food, baking and photography. We are so happy to have the chance to share his very delicious talents with all of you.

Ben will have his first post landing on the site tomorrow – in the meantime – be sure to visit his blog and follow him on instagram to get a sneak peak of what we’re in for. I’m sure you’re gonna love what Ben does as much as we do! He’s got an incredibly bright future ahead of him.

It’s such an inspiration to follow Ben’s work, when people are passionate about their work, you know they can truly reach great heights with their careers.

Welcome to Zanita.com – Ben Orkin!

The post Introducing: Ben Orkin Baker Extraordinaire appeared first on Zanita.

Say hello to Mirte Jansen!

Our girl is originally from The Netherlands but when she finished studies, relocated herself to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Public Relations. She spent a few years as junior assistant working in PR, she loved the Cali lifestyle but found her down to earth sensibilities meant she didn’t quite have the right kind of social assertion required to further her in the career. Sensing she needed a change, she spent the last of her savings hiring a tiny shopfront in Silver Lake. Along with one of her friends, Matilda, the pair sold flowers, juices and make gluten free cupcakes, playing smooth house music for her patrons. Mirte found her calling in this shop! And this is what she wore to work today.

denim romper – See by Chloe

sandals – Valia Gabriel

bag – Sophie Hulme 

hat – Eugenia Kim

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The post Get the Look: Mirte’s Favourite Denim Romper appeared first on Zanita.

Fake it till you make it right?

Here’s are my top tips for looking like a Rockefeller on a shop-girl budget.

1. Add metallic detail – gold is best!

Add touches of gold to your outfit really elevates the look. I love lots of fine gold jewellery and a gold detail watch – I’ve even got gold buttons on my shirt!

2. Work with darker tones.

Darker tones can hide the fine details that can give away the quality of your garments. Asos do fabulous dark trousers and skirts that could easily pass for designer styles.

3. Choose luxurious textures.

Faux suede and leather, fine knitted garments or maybe some faux fur!

Some other tips to save the quality of your existing garments, wash your clothes less (that freezer trick really works!) and take them to a dry cleaner when you have a few dollars spare. For example, this shirt I’m wearing is from River Island – pretty inexpensive and I know it won’t look as great as it does right now after 10 washes in a machine at home. I’ll wear it 3-4 times and then take it to a dry cleaner, it’ll look like new! You could also invest in getting some of your favourite pieces tailored – a little nip and tuck here and there and your favourite blazer could end up looking like Balmain! (almost). Something I’m not super fond of but works like a charm, ironing or steaming your clothes. Along with that – certain fabrics (like raw silk) will crease up the moment you walk out the door, so set your radar against that type. You can usually pick it out when in the change room! Polished is best.

I don’t think you need to invest a packet of money to look a million dollars! You just need to choose the right pieces – and when in doubt, go classic.

lotus necklace, By Charlotte

gold rising bloom necklace, By Charlotte

gold bloom cuff, By Charlotte

 shirt, River Island

suede skirt, And Other Stories

bag, Karen Millen

rings, By Charlotte

sandals, Jimmy Choo

watch, Larsson and Jennings

Get the look….

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The post 3 Simple Tricks To Make Your Outfit Look More Expensive appeared first on Zanita.

With 4th of July having just past, it only makes sense to dedicate a post to the colors of the American flag: red, blue and white. Or the Dutch flag for that matter, or French.

Anyway, no matter what the occasion might be, we’re all in need of new swimwear every once in a while. So I sourced the web for the most fabulous pieces and these are what I found. Drew Barrymore said in the latest issue of Porter magazine that we had to jump into any beaches, lakes or pools we might pass “even if you don’t have a swimsuit.” Well I totes agree, but rather do so wearing an awesome one piece or bikini, which you also wear as a top with denim cut-offs or mom jeans.

Hover over the image for links and details!

Hope you guys like! Rebecca x

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The post The Patriot: Swimwear Edition appeared first on Zanita.

Hey there, I’m the new kid on the blog. Zanita told you a little about what I do yesterday. Here’s my first recipe: Ben’s Pizza.

Who doesn’t like a good pizza? Especially when it’s homemade with love and fresh ingredients. Pizza is the perfect party food. You can prepare the pizza bases long before your dinner party and then add your toppings when you’re ready to impress your friends. I have once prepared them a day in advance. All you do is wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge.

Sure it’s nice to go out to get a slice of pizza but why do that if you could do it in the comfort of your own home? You can even impress your friends by making it yourself. I love the oo’ing and ah’ing when I place a board of hot bubbly pizza in front of my friends! None of them can take their eyes off of it and all they want to know is how I made it myself? They have no idea how easy it really is. The pizza base provides a portion of carbohydrates, which gives you a source of energy. The tomatoes in the tomato sauce provide Vitamin E, which protects you from harmful toxins. Cheese is Calcium, which helps to strengthen your bones. 

It may sound boring but my favourite pizza is the good old plain margarita. There’s a reason it’s been around for so long. There’s no fuss put into making it. That’s the kind of baking I love. It’s just simple ingredients with a simple process and a delicious output. Sounds fun right? Well why don’t you give it a try for yourself?

Makes 8 medium sized pizzas

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough:
• 500g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs honey
• 10g yeast
• 325ml lukewarm water

Tomato Sauce:
• drizzle of olive oil
• 2 red onions, finely chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3 tsp sugar
• 400g chopped tomatoes

Toppings:
• Grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese and your toppings of choice.

Method:
1. For the dough: In a bowl combine the flour, salt, olive oil and honey. I find it easier to measure the oil first and then use the same tablespoon to measure the honey. This way the honey doesn’t stick to your spoon. Make a well in the centre and place your yeast and water. Leave to sit for a minute or so. Mix the ingredients together until dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured working surface. Knead for 10 minutes or until you can stretch the dough easily without it tearing. Place in an oiled bowl and leave to rise, in a warm area, for 45 minutes to an hour. By that time the dough will have doubled in size.

2. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and prepare two nonstick baking trays. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. The easiest way to do this is to divide the dough in half and then each half into four. Roll out your pizza bases to any shape you like. I like long rectangles. Remember they are homemade, so they don’t have to look perfect. If you want to go the extra mile and roll out pizzas in the shape of a circle, use a round cake tin to cut out a circular shape. Roll them out quite thin, a few millimeters thick. Pre bake the bases in batches. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes till slightly golden, flipping them over half way through the baking time. Once baked, leave to cool. Once cooled wrap in plastic wrap.

3. Prepare your tomato sauce: Sauté the onions in the oil and salt till brown and soft. It takes about 5-10 minutes over a medium heat. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and leave to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

4. Turn your oven onto grill and fan at 200 degrees Celsius. Time to assemble. Spread a spoon full of tomato sauce over the bases. Sprinkle with your grated cheese and add your toppings. Bake for 2-3 minutes till the
cheese is bubbling and golden. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

This Article was written by Ben Orkin. Visit his blog or Instagram for more fantastic food.

The post How to Master Homemade Pizza with Ben appeared first on Zanita.

I have always been baffled by people who are consistently positive no matter what, when every time you talk to them it makes you feel like nothing is impossible.

I want to share with you something that I have been thinking about for the last week.  How do you turn something considered a weakness into a strength?

I’m certainly not perfect, I got my fair share of weaknesses that have affected me (and others!) over the course of my career but the one that seems to stand out time and time again is my impatience. For as long as I remember I’ve had trouble dealing with processes that take too long, demanding to see result immediately. It wasn’t until around 6 years ago, I worked with a coach who assisted me in dealing with particular trials and issues that might arise in my professional life. He taught me an incredibly valuable lesson – take you weakness, imagine in what situations that might be considered a strength and put yourself in those situations.

Sounds like one of things, easy to say/hard to execute, but it really isn’t.

Looking at myself from a distance, I applied the process, not only trying understand the reasoning behind my impatience but also pull apart the scenarios where it could be a strength. For example, working in a large project (that goes on for months, years or more) the quality of patience is obviously valuable but the ability to always seek a good result at in the right way, pushing the process forward became my biggest asset.

Another example I read about recently, Richard Branson, billionaire and founder of the Virgin Group, used his own weakness – which happens to be dyslexia – to form one of his greatest strengths, the art of communication and delegation.

“If you have a learning disability, you become a very good delegator. Because you know what your weaknesses are and you know what your strengths are, and you make sure that you find great people to step in and deal with your weaknesses.” Richard Branson

In the end, it’s really about not only identifying your weaknesses, but understanding their effects and working towards making the best of them.

-Gustav

image credits: fashiongonerogue

The post How Your Weaknesses Can Become Your Strengths appeared first on Zanita.

Maybe a misleading title – not because the mascara’s I’m trialling aren’t great… I’m just not the most talented reviewer…

Come to mention it, I’m not really talented at much when it comes to make-up! Maybe that’s my niche? I’ll let you guys be the judge.

Gustav and I also struggled a little (alot) with the focus on this video, we almost weren’t going to post it! But we have a new lens and there’s always going to be a bit of teething when you’re starting out. Might as well share the whole journey right?

Dior Mascara
Dior Primer
Dolce and Gabbana
Mac
Clinique
Benefit

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It’s that time of the week again! Another Fashion Bloggers TV episode is going to air tonight down under at 9.30pm on E!.

This week we head to Thredbo Resort, which I’m excited about because we get to share the Australian ski fields with all our readers. Some of you might not even be aware that it snows in Australia – I know I’ve plenty of people who weren’t aware of the fact! Anyway, Thredbo is in Australia’s Blue Mountain Range and it’s an absolutely stunning shoot location. Sara concepted this shoot and I was the photographer… we couldn’t miss a chance to make this most of this magical place! You can see how the whole thing went down on Fashion Bloggers.

Concept and Styling, Sara Donaldson from Harper and Harley

Photography and Editing, Zanita Whittington

The post The Cosiest Knits in the Whole Wide World appeared first on Zanita.

I get a whole of questions about blogging… How do I start a great blog? How do I become popular?

I find it challenging to give really direct answers because you can really tell someone how to innovate, you can really just explain the importance.

The real pioneers of Fashion Blogging sprung to life around 10 years ago – at the time the concept was totally new and very much home grown. Over time things have evolved, with the rise of social media. The business is ever changing – what was true for success even two years ago, isn’t the same today.

So how do you keep up? What do I need to know to be successful in today’s digital landscape?

 

The answer lies in the analysing changes, being well researched, keeping your ear to the ground and knowing what is working and what isn’t – then once you have some answers, start to apply and try some new ideas.  Right now, snapchat is the hottest thing around, everyone is talking about it, clients are requesting it… so what about twitter and instagram? Those things are still important – but placing all your eggs in that basket maybe isn’t the wisest choice anymore. Remember when instagram wasn’t even a thing? Fashion blogging didn’t really have this whole other element attached to it, it all worked differently. It’s more than likely that instagram won’t be essential anymore and something will replace it. Which brings me to my next point.

Adapt to become the thing that will succeed you.

Forward thinking – what is it that might replace you in the future? In the time I’ve been in this business, I’ve already seen blogs come and go. Those who are left behind are likely stuck in the attitude, “this is how I work and I won’t change”, but in this ever evolving industry, you have to adapt. I can’t really tell you the ‘what’ of this evolution, because it’s essential you find out what works for you – and that’s not just for Fashion Blogging, but all industries. I’m sure we’ve all seen the  examples of retail businesses who refuse to adapt to online and end up bowing out all together, or trying to get in too late.

So if something isn’t working? Drop it immediately. Or at the very least, evolve it further. If you were a scientist working on a theory, would you practise the exact same experiment over and over even it wasn’t proving your hypothesis? 

If you’re a blogger, you’re lucky there’s pretty immediate ways to test if something isn’t really going well. That’s what analytics are for – and I won’t get into understanding analytics right now… because all of that is coming in a Fashion Blogging Course in the very near future. Oops! Cat’s out of the bag!

Finally, I’m going to leave you with a great quote from Elaine Musk – the ex-wife of Elon Musk (founder of PayPal and the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX) about what it takes to become a billionaire. Obviously it’s pretty unrealistic to aim to be a billionaire from Fashion Blogging… but maybe to have millions of pageviews? That could be a valid goal… but maybe it’s the wrong way to think about it.

“Shift your focus away from what you want (a billion dollars) and get deeply, intensely curious about what the world wants and needs. Ask yourself what you have the potential to offer that is so unique and compelling and helpful that no computer could replace you, no one could outsource you, no one could steal your product and make it better and then club you into oblivion (not literally). Then develop that potential. Choose one thing and become a master of it. Choose a second thing and become a master of that. When you become a master of two worlds (say, engineering and business), you can bring them together in a way that will a) introduce hot ideas to each other, so they can have idea sex and make idea babies that no one has seen before and b) create a competitive advantage because you can move between worlds, speak both languages, connect the tribes, mash the elements to spark fresh creative insight until you wake up with the epiphany that changes your life.”

I took quite a bit from this quote, really finding knowledge and thinking of things in new light, evolving and adapting. Finding out the things that people want and need and using that information to become innovation. Food for thought either way!

Hope you all like this post and gained a little something about the importance of innovation, it’s really important for any business and industry. The world belongs to those who innovate!

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Let’s take a little detour away from my usual fashion based content to talk about girl power. And big ass yachts.

By now you might already know, I’m a little obsessed with yachts and all other kinds if boats – which is why I jumped at the chance to head to Gothenburg, Sweden to meet Team SCA, the all women’s team for the Volvo Ocean Race’s final stop.

I didn’t really have an preconceptions about what it would be like, heading to Gothenburg to learn about the race and meet the team. My experience with sailing is really limited to the couple times I took out a tiny boat in my teens, whilst I was a Navy Cadet. This was VERY different. Arriving on the boat and heading below deck, it kinda reminded me of what I imagine life on a space ship to be like – there was literally NO creature comforts whatsoever – this was very much a purpose built machine.

I was then invited to head up the mast… to the very top. It’s a rare opportunity to have a tour of the boats period, so being invited to be harnessed in for an aerial view was quite the honour. I couldn’t say no… though half way up I quickly realised I shouldn’t have been so quick to jump at saying yes – it was f*cking terrifying!!! About half way, the gravity of what I’d volunteered to do really sunk in – it was incredibly high. I felt my breath sharpening and had to calm myself down before continuing onwards to the top. The view was crazy (see pic!) and I was grateful I had made the choice, it was quite the unexpected adventure. Most of all, I had to give props to the ladies who worked the boat – having to head up the top of the sail to fix and make adjustments in rough seas, on a boat powering through waves, in the night… that must take real guts.

Fun Facts About the Volvo Ocean Race

• There are just 7 teams (aka 7 boats) and only one team with all women. 
• Each team race the exact same boat. 
• The race takes about 9 months to complete.
• Team SCA had over 250 applicants, with just 15 members chosen.
• Many of the team members have participated in the Olympics either in teams or part of the support.
• 3 of the team members are Mums!
• Onboard, the crew live on 4 freeze dried meals per day – and need to eat 5000-6000 calories a day to keep up!
• The crew rotate every 4-6 hours for ‘polyphasic sleep’ cycles.
• During rough seas, the crew angle their bunks and must be strapped in to prevent them falling out. 
• The team trained for a year and a half together prior to the race to get in shape. 

Gustav and I also had the opportunity to head out on the boat for the practise sail before the Pro-Am event. The Pro-Am is where they bring on amateur sailors to experience sailing the boat around the harbour in a mini race event – and only around 40-50 people at each of the stopovers get the chance to be involved. What I didn’t realise at the time, was that the practise sailing was where the real action is! Gustav and I hung at the back  – while the boats whipped around the harbour (we had some great wind!) fighting for poll position. We weren’t allowed to get in the way and had to dash from side to side of the boat, sometimes at a 45 degree angle, whilst we tacked either direction. Hopefully the video shares with you exactly how intense the experience really was! It was an incredible thrill to see the women in action and gave me new found respect for how fierce it must be on the open seas, what living through that must be like.

While sailing thousands of miles isn’t  for everyone – there’s something to be learnt about the commitment and tenacity these women have shown being part of this incredible race. Not only that, the camaraderie and sense of team unity and support is really admirable – we can all be bigger people and achieve more, if we work together.

Girl power indeed.

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