How to starting Blogging & Influencing

First off… Hi, I’m back!

I know it’s been a couple of months since I’ve blogged, but I have a whole new vision and can’t wait to share some of the exciting things coming your way. ★

More often than not, I have friends and followers reaching out about how I got started blogging and becoming an influencer. Just to be clear, everyone has their own path and journey on becoming an Influencer and there is no “one size fits all” way to do it. But, I do have a few tips about how to get started.

1. FIGURE OUT WHAT TYPE OF INFLUENCER YOU ARE
   
   1. Fashion, lifestyle, health & fitness, etc.
2. CREATE WEBSITE FOR YOUR BLOG
   1. If you’re not a coding wizard, you can create a free website by using WordPress or Squarespace (I use WordPress & it’s super easy to use.)
3. CREATE AN INSTAGRAM FEED THEME
   1. The first thing that people notice on Instagram is if your profile is aesthetically pleasing or not..
   2. Download Lightroom presets & edit your pictures on Instagram (I’m actually starting to create my own that’ll be available for download, so stay tuned!)
4. POST ON INSTAGRAM EVERYDAY
   
   1. Make sure they’re quality photos tho…
5. POST RELEVANT HASHTAGS
   1. Instagram allows 30 hashtags, so be sure to post specific hashtags in the section of your comments that are relevant to your picture & what type of influencer you are
      1. Ex: #microinfluencer #lablogger #discoverunder5k
6. ENGAGE WITH FOLLOWERS
   
   1. Respond back to all comments on your pictures
   2. Follow Instagram accounts that are similar to yours
   3. Make sure you reciprocate with those who engage with you often
7. CREATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER BLOGGERS
   
   1. The blogging community is HUGE, so reach out to local bloggers & plan meetups!
   2. When followers see that bloggers are friends and go to the same events, etc. it causes them to be more interested in your lifestyle as a blogger

Other than those tips, just stay true to yourself and don’t try to be anything you’re not. It’s really obvious when you’re faking it.. You’ve got this!

If any of you have an questions, feel free to ask me anything!

Love Always,

Shell

I QUIT!

Some of you may or may not know this, but I quit my job this past week. I’m sure some of you are wondering why… and if I have another job lined up.

The answer is no, I don’t have another job lined up. The reason behind this is because I have a different plan for myself and you’ll see exactly why. But for starters, I should probably tell you the reason to why I made this abrupt decision.

It’s about to get real personal FYI…

For the past couple of months, I’ve been struggling with major anxiety. I’ve always had general anxiety like most people do when it comes to money, jobs, relationships, and other life responsibilities. It didn’t really start to get bad up until a couple months ago. I experienced my first panic attack, which was a really scary experience, to say the least. This panic attack came on out of nowhere and I didn’t really have a reason to be having one. It was just my body’s way of reacting after dealing with a ton of stress for months on end. It freaked me out, but since I’ve always been so mentally tough, I just ignored it and decided to keep pushing through.

After constantly suppressing how I was feeling, it hit me like a bag of bricks and I completely broke down. I felt so out of control of my own body and I didn’t know what to do next. I attempted making appointments to see a therapist, but it was impossible with my work schedule. It came to the point, where I was crying every day after work for no particular reason. After seeing this happen day after day, I spent some time analyzing what the root of my anxiety was, and I found my answer. I wasn’t in the position I wanted to be at in work. I felt like I was losing my creative touch that I spent so many years embracing in school and I wanted to grow and learn exponentially as a young professional.

The day came and I called it quits. I worked for a really great company, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me and I wanted to pursue something bigger and greater for myself. It was such a relieving feeling to be able to do whatever I wanted without anyone telling me I couldn’t. What I’ve realized the past couple of days is that you have the power to create whatever kind of life you want. No one is standing in the way of it, except yourself.

Unhappy with your job?
Quit and find a new one that makes you look forward to getting up and going to work every single day.

Insecure about your body?
Start over and become the person you have always wanted to be. Change up your eating habits and be religious in the gym and you will see results.

Unhappy with your relationship?
End it or find a way for the both of you to work through whatever issue you may be having.

Not enough hours in the day?
I’m sorry, but we have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyonce so STOP MAKING EXCUSES! jk 😉

As humans, it is easy to get caught up in this thing called life. But in the end, you have the power to do ANYTHING you want. Your mind is such a powerful tool and you deserve to be happy in everything you do in life. The hardest part is getting started, so just do it (like NIKE would say) and create the life your future children and grandchildren would be proud of. I know I’m on the track to be doing so. Until next time..

Love Always,

Shell

 

Life Update

 

Hello Hello,

So I took a big break from blogging once the new year approached. Life happened really fast for me and a lot of big life changes took place during the past couple months. The good, the bad, the happy, and the sad. As many of you may already know, I recently graduated from Cal State Fullerton with my B.A. in Communications: P.R. With that being said, I also was offered a full-time job doing Marketing for a luxury real estate brokerage in Newport Beach! It has always been a dream of mine to work and live and Newport, so I’m really happy to be in the place that I am today.

Another big change happened and that was the end of my two-year relationship. We had been doing long distance our entire relationship, which made it really hard. We were also on two completely different pages in life, so that’s when I decided to make the decision to go separate ways.

At this point, I’m realizing it was the right decision. I kind of lost myself during that two-year span. I feel like I’m slowly but surely getting back to my old self and am happier than ever doing my own thing.

I feel like in your 20’s you’re still discovering who you are as a person, so If someone is holding you back or not growing with you I don’t really see a point in continuing to have a relationship or friendship with someone.

One of my favorite quotes of all time is,

“Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right, Forgive the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, Let it. Nobody said It’d be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.”

This quote is so beyond true. Life is too short to be anything but happy, so keep your chin up and try to see the silver lining in everything you do.

I’ve met some really amazing people this year and I have high hopes for 2018. Rachelle is back and ready to get on the blogging train again. Stay tuned for my next post regarding Coachella and Stagecoach! April is going to be one fun month!

Love Always,

Shell

Palm Springs

Living in Southern California gives you the ability to easily travel to one geographic region to another. Whether you want to take a trip to the beach, mountains, or desert; these options only take about an hour and half to get there! My best friend and I decided we wanted a change of scenery and drove out to the desert in Palm Springs.

Palm Springs is full of hidden gems that take inspiration from local artists and their laid back culture. I have seen many aesthetically pleasing photo spots all over Instagram, but never had the time to go explore myself. Seeing all these spots had sparked my interest, which is what made me take a spontaneous day-cation to this rat pack/Hollywood stars vacation spot.

The first place we stopped was the Moorten Botanical Garden and Cacterium. This was one of the coolest Gardens I’ve ever been to. You feel like you’re walking through a desert cactus jungle with giant Cacti everywhere you turn!

The next spot we visited wasn’t on our to-do list, but The Parker hotel has been a hotel I’ve been wanting to stay at for years, so I checked it out just for fun! Their moroccan inspired interior decorating was to die for and I enjoyed every second of it.

 

After the hotel, we decided to visit the infamous Pink Door. This door belongs to a private resident of Palm Springs, so I don’t recommend trespassing. The residents were exiting their home when we arrived, so we asked for permission to take a photo and they graciously said, “yes.” This door gives me MAJOR Barbie doll house vibes.

 

As we were on our way out to head back to SoCal, we spotted one last photo op and this was at The Saguaro hotel. This cute hotel was painted every color of the rainbow and was impossible for us to not stop and take some pictures!

Overall, It was an awesome day trip and I highly suggest you add these place to your bucket list when visiting Palm Springs! I’m planning on taking more day-cations in the near future, so stay tuned for my next destination. Until then… Enjoy 🙂

 

Love Always,

Shell

Mellow Yellow

Today was a very mellow, but happy day in this life of Rachelle Dupre. I woke up to my cute puppy, Zoe, jumping on my bed and licking me to death and knew today was going to be a good day. The sun was shining and not a cloud was in sight. There was even a slight breeze. I decided to drive to one of my favorite coffee shops in Laguna Beach, California that is called, Zinc Café and Market. It is the cutest little coffee shop/market that sells everything from lattes, Rose wine, waffles, pizza, burgers, and avocado toast. And on top of everything they sell… it’s actually GOOD. This café is almost always busy but is buzzin’ with peoples of all ages and walks of life. Every dish is aesthetically pleasing, which is one of the many reasons that this café draws such a large and artistic crowd. I stuck with my typical green tea matcha latte and sat outside on the shaded patio while I journaled my thoughts.  I had nowhere to be and was on my own time, which was so nice.

 

After taking a walk down to Main Beach and dipping my toes in the water, I decided to hop in my car and drive up to Lakewood, California and visit my sister. I was especially excited to get there because MY BABY NIECE WAS BORN! She was actually born on Tuesday 7/25/17, but I decided to wait to write a huge blog post about her until I had more pictures to document the new little baby named, Kaia Kay Von Dreyer. Kaia is the most mellow and precious little newborn. She only cries when it is absolutely necessary and is just smiling and observing life around her 24-7.

 

 

She’s the happiest when she’s in mamas arms and when daddy is talking to her. Grandma and Grandpa Dupre finally got to finally meet their first grandchild and were over the moon with happiness. They were just admiring the newest addition to our family and it was definitely a wonderful sight to see. It makes me wonder how I’ll be when I reach that chapter of my life and maybe I will be a little more prepared now that I have a baby niece to take care of. Although I didn’t do too much today, I had a quality kind of day and these are the moments I live for and love to document. Until next time…

Love Always,

Shell

 

Auntie, Coming Soon…

If there’s one thing I can tell you that I’m super excited about is… becoming an Aunt! My sister, Alexis, is carrying my family’s first grand baby. She’s due any day now. Actually… her due date was a couple days ago  (7/17/17), but baby Kaia likes her warm and cozy apartment in my sister’s belly, so she’s taking her sweet time to make her debut. But, I’ll be patient because I have a lifetime to give that precious little girl some Auntie lovin’!

Having this little girl come into all of our lives is HUGE. Our family has been through a lot this past year, including losing our beloved grandfather, Mitchell Krol. He was the bond that kept our family strong, so you can imagine how we all felt when he left us. The beautiful aspect of it all is the irony of one life leaving the planet and a new life entering. Whether you believe in a God or pure serendipity, I believe that the leaving and coming of new life happened for a reason. Grandpa Krol is definitely baby Kaia’s guardian angel and will be helping her through every step in life because that’s just the kind of man he was, an angel.

Speaking of angels, this angelic looking person (my sister) is hands down the cutest pregnant person I’ve ever seen! I know I’m a little bias, but she’s literally almost 10 months pregnant and still looks so good. She’s the kind of pregnant person who barely gains any weight and doesn’t look pregnant from behind. Given she’s naturally a tiny human, I wouldn’t have expected anything less. Knowing me, I’m going to blow up like a balloon and gain weight everywhere…even my finger nails. But, we’ll just have to wait and see when that day comes!

Until then, I get to love on and give my baby niece endless snuggles because I just know how amazing it is to become an aunt. I’ve been a nanny for most of my young teenage and adulthood because I enjoy guiding children in the right direction and watching them grow as a person. Being able to shape and positively influence children is so humbling to me. I hope I can be Kaia’s greatest influence and role model in the coming years, so I’m going to strive to be the person that Kaia will need me to be. Hopefully we’ll be meeting her within the next week or two, so prayers are always needed and welcome!

Love Always,

Shell