Every now and then I do a Q & A on Instagram. I wanted to start bringing these questions to a monthly blog post, so that anyone can see my responses and hopefully shed light on the common questions that are asked on stephtaylorjackson.com!
As always, I leave the questions open to whatever my readers want to discuss, so while I’ll try to organize based on topic, it may feel a bit random at times based on the questions I get.
What do you use to edit your videos?
When I am editing on my computer, I use iMovie on my Macbook Air. I edit on the go a lot too and when I do, I use InShot on my iPhone. There are so many apps out there these days! Research what will work for you and feel free to ask me anything else about this topic!
Do you pitch brands? How do you pitch brands?
I do not currently pitch brands. I respect influencers who do, however, this is not something that I have invested time into at this point in my blogging career. I’ve done pretty well with what has landed in my inbox, and I realize I could probably make a lot more $$ if I did pitch. But I also work full-time and have a family, so I have to find balance somewhere, and this is where I’ve slacked up a bit for my own balance and peace.
How do you balance working full-time and blogging?
I talk about this here and here. It’s a delicate balance that sometimes I get right and sometimes I get terribly wrong. At the end of the day, I love my full-time job and I am fully focused there during office hours and when it’s time to unplug, I am fully focused on my family and the blog.
How did you get into your field of work?
I have always worked in retail store management. My first job out of college was with Target as an Executive Team Leader (Assistant Manager), I promoted to Store Director after 3 years and ran stores in the Houston market. I left big box retail after almost 7 years to get into luxury retail. I have always tried to be very strategic with the experiences and projects that I’ve taken on throughout my entire career, knowing that I eventually wanted to be out of traditional store management and into a corporate type role. It really paid off and I feel like God has had his hand in every part of my journey. There were a lot of closed doors and disappointments that got me where I am today. I didn’t appreciate it while I was going through these hard times, but I am starting to see the bigger picture now.
How did you start your blog?
My blog has been a part of my life for over 10 years. I had a fashion blog during my undergrad years in college that I launched out of my deep love for journalism as well as fashion. In a perfect world, I would have graduated, moved to NYC and started a job at a major fashion magazine. Life of course has it’s own agenda, and things didn’t quite pan out that way. The blog was put on the back burner when I got married and started a family, however, I relaunched in 2014 and haven’t looked back!
How do you like your wig?
Great question! If you follow me on Instagram then you know that when I took my braids down, I was looking to try something new. I got a closure sew-in a few weeks ago and have been loving it so far. I’ve had a closure sew-in before but didn’t love the way it looked, but I decided to give it another go with a new stylist. It is definitely an adjustment to not have my natural part, but when I think about the benefits of not putting stress or heat on my hair, I’m reminded of why I choose protective styles to begin with. I will eventually get a wig, just waiting on the right one.
Who does your hair?
I see a few different stylists depending on what I’m doing with my hair. For braids I go here and here. For weaves, I go here. I am constantly trying new places and stylists, so I will keep you posted
Do you offer career advice on your blog?
I haven’t before, but I am totally open to it! I feel blessed to have had great jobs throughout my entire career and have also worked really hard to position myself to be able to be “ready” when the next big opportunity comes. Send me your questions! Let’s chat.
For all previous questions, I have my responses saved on my Instagram highlights. I don’t own Instagram (as you know), so I wanted to make sure that you all had somewhere to come and read FAQ on my website! I hope you enjoyed and keep the questions coming. I will start with a monthly blog post and if I need to do more in the future, I will.
XO – Steph
