1. What are you tips and advice for girls wanting to start a blog?
When it comes to blogging, it all seems so glamorous on the outside but it is so challenging in reality. It takes up a lot of time, requires a ton of effort, and honestly, trial and error. Yes, ERROR. There is no perfect equation to blogging. The only thing I am 100% certain of is that sometimes ideas you have will “fail”. But, what you learn from these trials and how you and your blog grow from them is what truly matters.
If you are wanting to start a blog, just go for it. DON’T do if for money, success, fame, or because everyone and their mother is doing it. Do it because you like to share what you love. Think about what you want to talk about. Is it fashion? Advice? Politics? History? What is your niche? Blogging is such a wonderful platform if you stay true to yourself and your passion.
RESEARCH! Research the best platforms, web designers, cameras, editing apps, you know the drill. I would have at least 5 posts that you already know you are going to write and have already started working on so that when you do launch your blog, you already have a good sense of the direction you are taking your blog and you WILL see better growth when you post consistently.
REALITY: The reality is, you won’t make money from your blog….or at least at first. There are some bloggers I know, those lucky girls, who have been blogging for less than a year and already have thousands of followers, make a living off blogging, and seem to be living the life. Those are RARE accounts though. I love my blog and everything that I do, but I have been blogging for almost 2 years (September 8 is my 2 year mark!) and I’m still under 10k on instagram. Do I post consistently? Heck yes. Do I post content that I love? Definitely. Do I engage with other bloggers and my followers? I do! There is no equation for blogging ladies. So, if you think you will be an overnight success, you might need a dose of reality. If I thought this, I would have quit blogging a year ago. But no, I blog because I love writing, I love sharing, and I love connecting with the readers that I DO have. Blog because you love it, not because you want to be famous (lol). If you have that mindset, you are already well on your way to creating a space on the internet that is truly yours and will be so much fun. You must have the right mindset.
2. What would your advice be for young(er) dancers? Advice for following your dreams, dealing with rejection, and feeling like you’re not good enough?
I love this question because I think, no matter what our career of choice, we allll deal with these issues. So, while this is about dance, I think it can truly apply to all of us. When it comes to going after your dreams, YOU have to be confident and truly believe in yourself. You can’t rely on others to uplift you or for your family to be your biggest cheerleaders. Having that support is AMAZING, but at the end of the day, you are going to be the one to make it happen, not them. YOU have to be in charge of your life and have the courage to pursue your dreams.
Following your dreams, no matter what career, is challenging. In the movies they make it look so glamorous. “If you can dream it, you can do it”, right? A dream is great, but you have to work sooooo hard to get to that dream. You have to also look introspectively and analyze if this dream is what you actually want in life, or just there because you have always thought it would be cool. When I was younger, I was dead set on becoming a singer/pop sensation. My sister and I wrote songs, I got piano lessons, I was in choir, we bought guitars and practiced on those…y’all I even got a wireless microphone so I could sing. My parents were nothing but supportive. I made CD covers, practiced my signature….the list goes on. It wasn’t until I started approaching high school that I really thought about my life and was like… Kelly, you don’t want this. THANK GOODNESS I realized that so I could start pursuing my true dreams. Make a list of things you want to accomplish in life. A REAL list.
Rejection. No one likes to be rejected. In any career, it is hard. In the dance world….ooh it can hurt and be very confusing. Applying for a job and you don’t get the role you want is usually because you were lacking some trait/quality/skill. You can work on that. The dance world? You can be cut because your hair is not as pretty as the blonde next to you, because you didn’t stand out (good or bad), you don’t have that “it” factor that the team/company is looking for, and the list could go on. Sometimes it isn’t even about your dancing. That reality is hard to let sink in. You are told your whole life that if you work hard and have the skill, you will succeed. Sometimes, however, that isn’t the case.
In dealing with rejection, you have to have thick skin and know what you are capable of. You will be rejected sometimes in life; that is the hard truth. Even the girls who seem to have “the perfect life” on instagram deal with rejection. It is not a question of if you will be rejected, but rather HOW will you recover form this rejection. Know your worth. Know your passions. Know your mission.
If you want to dance, there IS a team out there for you. My former director always told us this and it could never be more true. You just have to pursue, try, and try again. Listen to God and follow the path He has put you on.
If you ever feel like you aren’t good enough, trust me when I say that we have ALL been there. Even the girls with the “perfect life” struggle with this feeling. I wrote about the word “worthy” a while back, so if you haven’t checked out that post, I encourage you to do so. What helps me is knowing WHO I serve. I serve a GOOD and KIND God. Jesus has my life in His hands. He designed me and made me exactly how He wants me. I will work hard and do my best, but at the end of the day, who am I living for? Me or Jesus? Once you answer that question, the trials you encounter in life don’t seem that bad.
3. Favorite workout playlist?
When I workout, I always HAVE to workout to some pump-up rap music…lol! I know that’s like the opposite of what you would think by just looking at me, but I love me some good hip hop music. Drake is great. If you search for hip hop remixes, those are even better because they have such a great beat.
4. If you could move to any place in the world for a year, where would it be?
This question is SO hard. I feel like this is always changing, but as of right now, I really would love to live in North Carolina (preferably by the beach). I love how you get to experience all of the seasons.
5. Health tips for eating healthy while going out with friends?
I know this can be SO hard. We want to live healthy lifestyles, but also hang out with friends. You don’t have to always say no to friend dates because you are worried about your diet. What I’ve learned is that there are healthy options EVERYWHERE. I have been known to order off menu as well. I do this allll the time at restaurants, especially when I am prepping for something and want to look my best. I will sometimes order just plain grilled chicken with broccoli or a salad. Most restaurants will do this, especially if they already serve grilled chicken a part of something!
Go into the restaurant knowing what you’ve consumed that day and what you WANT to consume. If I know I am going to a Mexican restaurant later that day, I will be sure to plan my day around it.
6. What are good meals/snacks for those that are always on the run or busy throughout the day?
Eating healthy on the go or with a busy lifestyle can be challenging at times. A quote I live by is “failing to plan is planning to fail”. If you don’t plan out your meals, yes you will give into that cookie or that chip bag. Planning is key, especially when first starting off.
You have to plan out your meals. Some EASY go to snacks that are easy for on the go are…
- Light Tuna packets (good source of protein and so so easy)
- Mixed nuts
- cut up banana & strawberries & blueberries and sprinkle cinnamon on them (YUMMM)
- Protein shake (I would make it in the morning and put it in a container that keeps drinks cold for hours!)
- Grapes (seriously so easy)
- Grilled chicken or ground turkey. Yes….I would just eat this as a snack! HAHA!
7. What are good Christian books that you love or would recommend?
I love reading Christian books. I love reading my Bible, but sometimes it is good to have a supplemental text when trying to dig deeper. There are SO many good books out there, but here are some of my favorites.
The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler
Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldredge
Recovering Redemption by Matt Chandler
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Those are just a few of the ones that I LOVE. Can you tell I like Matt Chandler? HA!
8. What workouts do you do? What is your fitness plan?
I get asked this all the time, but it’s really nothing crazy or out of the ordinary! I’ve done a few blog posts about if before, but here is a quick recap.
I mostly do HIIT cardio (high intensity interval training). This is a training technique that utilizes circuit training with no breaks, light weights & lots of reps, and just intense cardio. Like the sweatiest sessions of your life. HA! So, I try to do these intense HIIT sessions at least 3 times a week.
When I am not doing HIIT training, I do 2 things. First, I will do a regular weight lifting routine. I don’t split up my workouts anymore like I used to because now I focus on full body. Even on a day where I do mostly arms, I will still incorporate some leg exercises too. Just to get the whole body moving, toning, and working.
I also try to do LISS cardio (low impact steady state) a couple times per week. I aim for about 3 days of the week doing around 30-45 minutes on the stair master. I just put my head phones on and catch up on YouTube videos or netflix (helps pass the time lol).
I have definitely started viewing my workouts less about growing the muscle and more about using my body and making my full body WORK. Fitness has become more of a conditioning for me and less of a “grow the booty, grow the bicep, etc”. I have seen a lot more positive changes in my body with this mindset.
9. What are ways you share Christ to your co-workers (or students)?
I 100% believe that the best way to show Christ’s love is to demonstrate that in your own life. In my experience, people can shy AWAY from Jesus when Christians go about condemning others for their sins, telling everyone how amazing their life is because they have Jesus and how you are going down below because you don’t know Jesus, and judging others for how they live their life. This in no way, in my opinion, sheds light as to WHO JESUS IS. Love others is one of the most basic of principals. Hate the sin love the sinner. I’m not saying you need to applause for someone when they sin, rather; we must show others love and light. We must try to act like Jesus, ruled by compassion and not harsh judgement. “Who am I to judge”?
With that mindset, loving your students and other staff members well does not look like shunning those who don’t believe. It doesn’t mean acting all self-righteous either. It means you listen well, you love well, and you keep your office door open if people need to talk. It is easy to tell someone apart from others if they have a love for Jesus just by how they talk, interact, and conduct their own lives. To be a true follower of Christ, you be different than the “crowd”.
I will never forget this moment I had at the end of the year. A student came into my officer and we were just chatting about life, end of the year, etc. This student told me towards the end of the conversation that they had never really thought about God before meeting me. That the thought of God was never on their radar until they saw how I interacted with others and how I lived my life. I didn’t have any crosses on my wall, I didn’t have any WWJD posters hanging up. I simply loved my students, met others with compassion, and lived my life differently than the “norm”.
10. Top beauty products you can’t live without?
A good self tanner, this concealer, this amazing eye lash growth serum, and this dry shampoo.
And that’s a wrap! Thanks for all the wonderful questions and thank you for reading! This series was so fun and I hope to do it again one day! As always, if you have a question that I didn’t get to answer, ask me on instagram or by e-mailing me! Love y’all! <3
