INSPIRATIONAL GIRL BOSSES

There are some people who float along in life, happy with their lot and rightly so. Why shouldn't they? But then there are also those people who get up each day with a goal in mind and make sure they get shit done. And although I'm partial to leading a happy-goes-lucky existence to some extent, I've been putting a hell of a lot of focus on where my life's leading recently - who do I want in it, what have I still got left to achieve and what will, ultimately, make me a happier, more balanced person. It's almost like I'm coming out the other side of a quarter-life-crisis, with open eyes and a kick up the arse.

Whether you're in the blogging community, or you have your own business, are running your own side hustle or dream of one day having something to call your own, I think having people you admire, look up to and take note from is essential. I have a number of women I look up to in regards to growing my blog (which is my side hustle alongside my 9-5), in terms of inspiration and going in search of whatever #GirlBoss smoothie they're drinking. The four girls I've picked out below really are killin' it when it comes to building their empire, so I wanted to share with you exactly why they're my turn-to females when I need a little motivation to get my Goal Digger hat on. 

In The Frow

I've followed Victoria's blogging journey from year dot, when she would post outfit shots in her Manchester flat, with her signature pink locks, all pop bright colours and high street purchases over on In The Frow. She's flourished into an amazingly successful lifestyle blogger, travelling all over the world, with a penchant for designer handbags and her trademark mane dyed a platinum white blonde. With a fab new website, which really accelerates her into another level completely, and photography which captures the readers attention instantly, she really does work her butt off every single day. What I love about Victoria's success is that she's never taken it for granted. Her humbleness shines through and it's a blogging fairy tale when you see how much she's achieved in the space of time she's been blogging. Her work ethic is second to none, and I actually know this from mutual clients we've worked with in the fashion industry. If you're as hard working and as pleasant to deal with as this one is, word spreads like wild fire. Because trust me, a lot of bloggers aren't. 

Jessica Herrin

I'm an all or nothing kinda' girl and right now I'm all about planning, dreaming and reading about how I can become a more successful, happier person. And by successful I don't mean the amount of zero's on the end of my payslip. I mean creating something that inspires people and helps them to relate, makes them laugh and makes them come back for more. This is why I love Jessica Herrin's book Find Your Extraordinaire. Jessica is the founder and CEO of jewellery brand Stella & Dot. In this book she talks about cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit inside you, not just looking at what you have now but what you could have in the future. It's about stepping up and creating your own definition of happiness and success - across both your work and family life. I'm only half way through the book but I need to write this paragraph down and store it somewhere. "You don't have to be perfect, or gifted from birth, anyone can do something extraordinaire. Do you ever look around the world, evaluate your life and see it the way you'd like it to be instead of the way it is? That's all you need to get started. In fact, that desire to wonder what's possible is what defines your entrepreneurial spirit. You can nurture this side of you into believing you have the power to create change. You need to believe that confidence comes before competence, failure comes before winning, happiness comes before success." If this sounds like your sort of read you can pick up your own copy here.

Sarah Akwisombe

I first came across interiors stylist and absolute babe Sarah Akwisombe in 2014 when I was considering making the move from the fashion industry into interiors. I Googled "How to be an Interior Stylist" and the first link I found was Sarah's blog. Her personality had me hooked from the beginning and I loved her bold use of colours, prints and eclectic finishes. It was such a refreshing change from the saturated Instagram world of copper, marble and pineapples. I love a blog which carries the writers personality throughout and this did just that. Roll on two years later, and Sarah is bossin' it all over London, launching her own e-courses on topics such as utilising Pinterest to help your business grow, the No Bull Blog School, working with brands such as Habitat (where she's just curated and styled an amazing microapartment in their Tottenham Court Road store - pop along if you're in the area) - all while juggling motherhood and marriage. The part of Sarah's story I love the most is that all this really started after she was let go from a full time job. Most people would wallow and think why me, why do bad things happen to good people?! Instead of sitting on her arse moping, she got to work and started to build an empire for herself and her family. And what a super stylish empire it's becoming. This is a #GirlBoss if ever I've met one.

Lauren Conrad

OK, so this one is a little left field but having spent most of last night trying to find the full version of The Hills Reunion - 10 Years On somewhere to totally legally *cough* stream it, I realised how much impact LC actually had on me during the last decade. We watched Lauren as she interned at Teen Vogue, all the way through to current day running a number of successful businesses. She had money on her side from the start, I get that, but she was also driven from the get-go and I love that about her. She studied hard, and she even inspired me enough to apply for various internships when I left university. I worked in fashion cupboard after fashion cupboard (that's a whole other blog post), all the while looking to Lauren for inspiration, whether it be her wardrobe or on her website she launched called The Beauty Department back in the day. She now has two very successful clothing lines, LC Lauren Conrad and her more contemporary line Paper Crown, which recently expanded into bridal wear. She also runs her own website LaurenConrad.com, alongside an initiative called The Little Market, which introduces fair trade craftsmen and women from around the world, enabling them to sell their goods, which might never be seen by a global audience otherwise. All the while, still looking like a total babe. 

So there you have it - four women who are absolutely bossin' it right now and have inspired me more than they probably know. There are so many inspirational women, especially in the creative industry and I just wouldn't have the time to write about them all but here are a few which really do need a shout out for doing their thang and doing it well - Kate La Vie, Kimberly Duran of Swoon Worthy, Alex of I Covet Thee, Lily Melrose, Patricia Bright, Rachel Zoe, Melyssa Griffin, Gabby of Flat 15, Monica Beatrice, Emily Schuman, Jessica of Look What I Got, Abi Marvel and Carrie Harwood.