RTDM: Mallory Fitzsimmons
Mallory Fitzsimmons
Blogger @ Style Your Senses
Dallas, TX
We want to get to know you! Where you came from, where you've been and how you're living your dream?
I'm from a very small town in Louisiana. I moved to Dallas right out of college to pursue a dream in fashion. That led me down many paths, but I eventually found myself married, pregnant and moved to Charlotte, NC where I planned to be a stay at home mom. I started journaling my home decor, everyday life and mom style outfits on a very primitive blog that I didn't even know if my mom read. Fast forward 6 years, 2 beautiful daughters, a move back to Texas and taking the blog full time and I look back at my journey in awe. I fully believe that God stitched together all of this for me to perfection and I could not love what I do any more. I'm able to run a platform speaking to like-minded women who are in the trenches of motherhood like myself. I'm out to prove to them that living a stylish lifestyle doesn't have to cost a fortune and also bringing back their confidence through affordable and functional fashion. I also recently pursued another dream and that's owning my own retail store! I opened an online boutique just last week and it's been an amazing experience thus far!
How do you define success?
Success to me is finding a way to make a career out of what brings your heart joy. If you go to bed happy and wake up excited about your job everyday---that's success to me.
What did it take to make your dream happen and when did you know you had arrived?
It took lots of hard work, lots of humility and year after year of consistency. My dream didn't happen overnight--it's been an unfolding process and I've learned to find joy in just that...the process.
What are you most proud of? Go ahead, boast a little!
I'm most proud of the person that I'm becoming. I'm learning to have faith in God's plan for me through this journey and using the platform that he's given me to glorify him and best serve the women who follow along with me.
What was your biggest obstacle/fear and what was your turning point?
What other's would think. I held back for so long because I was crippled about what other people might think of me putting my life, my outfits, etc on the internet. The game changer was overcoming that and understanding that other people's opinions are often a reflection of THEM and not you.
What’s the best advice you’d give to a younger you?
Trust you gut and go for it!
How do you stay motivated and purposeful when you feel overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed I usually have to step back from social media for a bit and reset. I try to spend time with my daughters and collect my thoughts. I write down how I need to prioritize what's overwhelming me...what I can let go of and how I can tackle the rest. I always remind myself of how blessed I am by what I do---at the end of the day it isn't brain surgery and it's really nothing to lose my cool over.
Tell us a time when a perceived failure was actually a blessing in disguise or served you in a surprising way.
I remember applying to rewardStyle (one of my affiliate companies) 3-4x and I continued to get rejected. Looking back, it all happened in the right timing and I was able to find my voice and purpose before becoming an affiliate.
What is your favorite vice/guilty pleasure/strange habit? Come on now, we all have them!
Chick-Fil-A, Bravo shows, and more coffee that anyone should consume.
What's the smartest investment you’ve made for yourself?
The $10 I spent to buy my blog domain.
What’s MOST important to you right now?
My daughters. They always take priority, but I'm thrilled to have two businesses that allow me flexibility to be very involved with them and also allow me to set an example of what I want them to see a working mom look like.
Share 1-2 books you've given as gifts:
Girl Wash Your Face, Journaling Bible
What have you learned to say no to?
Things that don't bring me joy---unnecessary meetings, toxic relationships, clutter, gluten!
What's something most people would never guess about you?
I graduated high school with 52 people
Who is a Risk Taker Dream Maker that's inspired you?
Follow Mallory:
@styleyoursenses
www.facebook.com/groups/shopstyleyoursenses
