Happy Wednesday my lovelies :) So as I promised in Monday's blog, I have a new friend to introduce to us all today hooray! Super talented, ridiculously creative, and one of the world's most highly sought after stylists, there is pretty much nothing she can't do. She has a fabulous blog, she styles and creates content for major brands such as Kate Spade New York, West Elm, HGTV (and heaps more), annnnd her brand new book is being launched this coming October. Hello! Camille has been a huge source of encouragement and inspiration on my personal journey, and I wanted to thank her by introducing her to you all and telling you all how incredible she is! :) So without further ado, it's my absolute privilege to introduce to you the lovely Camille Styles.
You started Camille Styles Events in
2009, how did this come about and what gave you the courage to chase the dream
of starting your own company?
After working as an event planner for
other companies, I always dreamed that one day I might own my own… then when I
was 25, I had an “aha” moment that I was already equipped with all the skills
and experience I needed to do it sooner rather than later! I think that as
young women, we often feel like everyone else is the “expert,” when so often,
we already have everything we need to go after our dreams. Most things are
learned by doing, anyway! We just need the confidence to go
out and dive in.
Tell us what does a typical day looks like for you?
I wake up around 6am and start
the day with a cappuccino and a quick scan through emails and social media.
Then I get my 2-year-old daughter Phoebe up and dressed, and my husband Adam
and I take her for a long walk around the neighbourhood. I love starting the day
with quality family time — we get caught up on everything that’s happening in
each others’ work lives and go over goals and challenges for the day ahead.
After dropping Phoebe off at one of her
grandmothers’ houses (we are so lucky to live in the same town as both our
parents!), I head to the office, whip up a green smoothie, then spend the next
few hours meeting with my team about upcoming stories, working on blog posts,
answering press inquiries, or working with brands on upcoming collaborations.
If it’s a day where I have a photo shoot scheduled, I’m on location for my
entire workday — which is a nice way to shake up the routine and constantly
keep me on my toes!
If I don’t have a lunch meeting, I work
right through it and eat a big salad at my desk, because at 3pm when
Phoebe wakes up from her nap, I’m officially on mommy duty. We spend a couple
hours in the afternoon having fun with just the two of us — a trip to the park,
swimming in our backyard pool, meeting friends for ice cream, or a long trip
through Whole Foods are some of our favourite outings.
In the evening after Phoebe is bathed
and in bed, I make dinner for Adam and me, pour a glass of wine and we get to
enjoy some “grown-up” time over a nice meal together. Since becoming a mom,
I’ve become much better about carving out times when I’m disconnected from my
phone and emails, and just focusing on spending time with family. After dinner,
I might catch up on emails that came in during the afternoon, do some
stretching and a few planks, and wind things down with whatever show we’re
watching at the moment (cannot wait until Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey
come back on!!)
3. What was your very first
project? How did you make your way from there to where you are today with a
fabulous team of sixteen contributors?
I launched my blog, Camille Styles, as a
creative outlet while I was also running my event planning business. Since so
much of my job at the time depended on making other people’s visions a reality,
my blog was the place where I could indulge my own aesthetic and explore the
things that I loved. Over time, I slowly began building a following and when we
reached a certain level of readership and I could start supporting the site through
advertising, I took the plunge to make it the company’s full focus.
The Writer's Ink readers
are big dreamers, what would be your advice for those who are wanting to step
out with a new and creative idea?
When you start a business of any kind,
prepare yourself for the fact that there will be a day when
you want to give up — I considered throwing in the towel and applying for a
more “corporate” job so many times in the early days of my business! But if you
start with a clear vision and a true passion for what you’re doing, that will
help you push through and hang in there when the going gets tough. You’ll
realize that those challenging times are a passing season that your unique
vision can withstand. And ultimately, being able to make a living doing what
you love is so worth it!
You're about to launch your first book Camille Styles Entertaining which
is very exciting :) Congratulations! How that all came about and when will it
be released?
Thanks! This book is a longtime dream of
mine… I still pinch myself to think that this massive project I’ve been working
on for the past 2+ years of my life will finally be released on October
28th! The book is all about inspiring readers through the seasons with
ideas for life’s big celebrations, as well as showing them how to infuse beauty
into their daily lives through the food they make, the rooms they design
and the outfits they wear. It’s packed with simple details and creative
shortcuts that make everyday moments feel special (with 75 simple
+ seasonal recipes woven throughout.)
What other projects are you working on now?
Camille Styles will be launching a big
site redesign at the end of the summer. We’ve been working for the past few
months to create a new design that will make the site easier to use on every
device, and a more accessible and easier-to-navigate resource to readers as
they plan their menus, homes and celebrations. I’m so excited for our readers
to finally get to see what we’ve been cooking up!
Obviously you're someone who dreams big :) What are some of the other things
bubbling away in your heart you'd love to see come to pass?
I am a big believer in taking it one day
at a time, and right now, I am so thankful for my family, my friends, and being
able to do what I love every day. Right now my focus is really on making
Camille Styles the website, and Camille Styles Entertaining, the
book, as inspiring and creative as they can be. But who knows? I’m sure that
any day now, I’ll suddenly feel the itch to dive headfirst into some new
creative endeavour!
And now for the fun part
-----------------------------------
60 Seconds with Camille Styles
60 Seconds with Camille Styles
* my secret hidden talent is…
Almost no one knows that I was a pianist
for 12 years!
* my favourite subject in school was…
English literature. I couldn’t believe
that I got to read great books as “assignments!”
* the thing that makes me feel most
alive is…
Watching my daughter laugh.
* my hot drink of choice is…
Cappuccino.
* when I want to feel inspired I…
Travel to Europe!
* if could visit Australia I would
definitely want to see…
It's beautiful beaches and the Sydney
Opera House.
* the book I'm reading at the moment is…
The Secret History,
by Donna Tartt.
* my happy place is…
A tie between cuddling with my daughter
in bed, or sitting on our terrace with my husband and a glass of rosé.
* if I had unlimited time, money and
resources I would…
Live at the beach. (Someday!!)
Thank you so much Camille for sharing today with us!!
Love you guys... Have a great day ;)
Love you guys... Have a great day ;)
Love Nat xoxo
Home images - Casey Dunn | Sister Brother Management
All other images - CamilleStyles.com
PS... here are some pics of Camille's gorgeous home :) Enjoy!
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