One Year In LA LA Land! What I’ve Learned! (+ Special Giveaway)

I can’t believe that one year, 365 days have flown by!! That I have officially been in LA for one year now. Los Angeles has its up’s and so many fun moments and also it’s downs, but that is like every city you live in. There will always be things you love and the not so enjoyable moments. It’s when you have to think, are the good outweighing the bad?

I am excited to share a few things I’ve learned along the way since making my journey from Houston, Texas to La La Land. Nerves struck me to the core of my body and my emotions were overflowing, but I was ready for a new change in my life’s direction, to see where a new path may lead me. They say everything happens for a reason and my paths I have chosen have lead me to Los Angeles, California.

 

1. I learned that I can be a strong, independent and successful woman. That I can achieve the things I want if I put in the time and effort and push myself. I put in endless hours and work 24/7 but I love this blogging community and I love connecting with you all. If I keep pushing and working hard, it will all be worth it. Whatever your goal is, don’t stop pushing till you get there!
2. Learned more about myself with photography and creativity. So much to see and capture. I really enjoy scoping out new areas to shoot and the editing process has become one of my highlights after a shoot. Really making a photo pop and come to life is so rewarding! I’m surrounded by inspiration. There are so many creative individuals here and I love surrounding myself with that mindset!
3. I’ve learned balance. Not only do I blog a majority of my week but I also work a full-time job in Marketing. Learning to balance both jobs and still have a social life can be difficult at times and honestly super stressful. I enjoy the hustle and I am willing to work my butt off to get where I need to be in my career, whether it’s blogging full-time or being a marketing manager, I’ll just keep pushing! The best way to help balance is a social calendar. Google calendar is my BFF to keep me on task.

 

1. Learned patience in a whole new way – When they say LA traffic is horrible, they aren’t lying. Depending on the time it day it can definitely be a Debbie downer. To put into perspective, I worked 14 miles from my house at one point and it took me over an hour to for my commute! Since there are so many people living in the city, waking up early and getting out before the rush I highly recommend. The lines can get pretty daunting when you go out during peak hours like lunch or dinner.
2. Flakey People – Don’t let it bother you.  Set in stone plans rarely exist out here. There are those few people that stick to their plans and when you find them, don’t let them go!! Haha but seriously can be very hard to make plans.
3. Over-priced avocado toast – save your money people! Don’t be fooled. The prices to go out to eat can be very high. One time I spent $100 dollars on mexican food!! Insane for what little we got. To get the biggest bang for your buck is asking around for places that most people don’t know about. Like the little restaurant on the corner could end up being the best Thai food you’ve ever eaten. Which is what happen to me. A little whole in the wall type place, nothing fancy has hands down the best Thai food. Most of the time you pay for the glitz and glam, which is fun every now and then but a little chill spot can be the best meal!!

 

1. Do Not take crap from people! Be A Boss, A Badass, A Bull!

2. Do not stay in a toxic work environment and surround yourself with uplifting and motivating people and not materialistic people (they are real) that tear people down to make them feel better. Life is too short! Work in an environment that makes you excited to go to work, that makes you a better version of yourself. Work for a company that is working to make a difference in the world or to help people on a journey in life that they face.
3. Exude confidence– When you walk into a roomful of people, confidence really makes you glow. Meeting new people was once a scary thing to do by myself, but out here I’ve been embracing the nature of meeting new people. It’s fun being able to connect with other bloggers who share a similar passion to you. Because trust me I know the boyfriends and husbands get tired of hearing about our OOTD 😉

 

1. Family– Everyone needs . great support system. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my family, especially my Dad. He was the one that told me to take it by the horns and go with it! He shot so many of my outfits in the beginning. We’d pack up the car and find new places around town to shoot. I admire my Dad so much for his hard work ethic and he definitely instilled that into me. If it wasn’t for him really having faith in me and helping to support me on this journey, I wouldn’t be where I am today in a lot of aspects in my life. I can’t forget about my Mom!! She is also my numero uno supporter. I love hearing from her on the daily excited about my latest Instagram Post or Instagram Story. She LOVES seeing my stories. It’s a fun way for us to still connect even when we are miles and miles away from one another. Shout out to Ricky for being a rockstar photographer. His photography skills have gotten so good over the year and it makes me proud!! And my sister and other half, Michelle for being my beauty queen. She helps with all my beauty questions and is my biggest fan 🙂 Of course, my whole family is super supportive but had to call out my parents for being so great! 🙂
2. LA LA LAND-  has brought SO many opportunities to my brand. I don’t think it would be where it is today without the big move to LA and the opportunities it brought. Such as, working with amazing PR agencies and making connections with others in the industry. Also, the beautiful terrain really helps out when there are so many gorgeous places to shoot, from the serene beaches to the warm solitude deserts. Lastly, one of my biggest achievements with blogging is signing with an agency! I am so happy to be apart of a company that is genuinely sweet. Shine Influencers has a rockstar team and excited to see where this opportunity can take me!

 

All in all, this move is one full of lasting memories and I’m thankful for my support system. I am constantly evolving and learning new challenges. They push me to keep going against the grain and creating my own creative path! To thank you for reading my LENGTHY first year, I wanted to share a chance for you to win an $800 REVOLVE GIFTCARD!! Enter the details below and good luck!! XO

 

To kick off our last month of Summer, I’ve teamed up with a group of bloggers
to give you a chance to win an $800 REVOLVE Gift Card!

To enter: complete the steps in the rafflecopter below. The more steps you complete,
the more entries you receive, and the better your chance at winning!
This giveaway runs until Tuesday, August 21st at 12am PST

Winner will be announced here. Good Luck! *this giveaway is in no way sponsored by REVOLVE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway