Exactly two days ago, Black & Blooms turned 3 years old - and today is my very first day as a full-time creative. Yesterday was my last day working my “9-5” (it was really a 6-3) and I. am. PINCHING MYSELF! Being self-employed has been a dream for so long, it’s absolutely wild to think this day is actually here. I wanted to share my experience over the past few years building my small biz while working a full time job, and give you a sense of how I got here and where I’m hoping to go/grow in the future.

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Golden hour

When I first started B&B three years ago, it was really just a creative outlet for me to get all my photos off of my computer and out into the world. I wanted my own lil corner of the internet where I could share the things I love - plants, cozy interiors, travel, and personal style. I wanted to capture the beauty I saw in the world, with the hope that the things that inspire me and make me smile, might make other people smile too. And so Eddie and I would take photos in our free time after work, and I’d share those photos here as a photo diary with maybe a few sentences or a couple small paragraphs included.

As my little community started to grow, I noticed people had specific questions for me, such as - What are the best low maintenance plants for a first time plant parent? What are your decorating tips for a small-space renter? Where are your fave places to shop for plants and decor? And so my niche in this blogging world started to form as I honed in on my style and how I could share more than just photos, but also tips, tricks, advice, and answers to the questions being asked of me.

Meanwhile, I was working full time as a photo editor at an entertainment news office in Venice. I worked my way up from a freelancer at the job four and a half years ago, to full time staff, to a senior position, and ultimately to the Deputy Photo Editor. My schedule changed weekly, being that news offices are open 365 days a year. While I was always scheduled for five days a week usually from 6am to 3pm, the days themselves changed - sometimes I’d work weekends or even night shifts instead, and I was lucky to have an understanding/supportive boss who let me switch around my schedule when I needed to. I couldn’t work remotely though, and so 45 hours a week I sat in front of a computer at my desk in that Venice office.

As the blog and my Instagram grew over that first year throughout 2017, I slowly started working with brands - at first on a gifting basis, and then eventually I started to get paid for my work styling and photographing products in a lifestyle setting. This was all super exciting for me, as I’d studied photography throughout high school and college, and it’s always been a passion of mine. Starting out the pay wasn’t much, but I took it very seriously and always tried to do my best work. I began forming relationships with brands and marketing/PR people, and I started getting invited to events where I would network as much as possible. This was an exciting time and I jumped at as many opportunities as I could!

Days off from work were jam packed with shooting adventures and home life with Eddie, writing blog posts, styling opportunities, launching the print shop, photographing products for brand use, and getting into interior decorating for clients. All things I absolutely love and was so happy to be able to do in my free time! I felt very lucky to be able to have a full time steady income throughout this process and wouldn’t have changed a thing. It’s probably why I stayed at my job for as long as I did! Firstly, that paycheck every two weeks from my full time position allowed me to be picky with the outside work I took. Since I didn’t rely on my Black & Blooms income to pay my bills, I had the privilege of only working with brands I truly believed in, sharing products I use IRL and would recommend to friends and family. That’s a privilege I never took for granted, because I understand how difficult it must be to turn down money when creating is your full time job, especially when your family depends on that income. Something I’ll understand all the more now, being a full timer.

dress / hat / bag / bracelets / necklace

Another reason having a full time job was a benefit? I was really able to know my worth, and then add tax. Since my free time was very limited, I not only got to be picky with the brands I worked with, I also had a leg up in negotiations. If I felt I was being lowballed (which I understand is just people doing their job and something I don’t take personally!) I had no problem very politely declining the offer. Always extremely grateful for the opportunity, but knowing my time and energy could be better served elsewhere. This actually benefited me greatly in that when I turned down jobs by being transparent and explaining my standard rate is quite a bit higher, many times brands would then come back to me agreeing to my full rate - something that never would have happened if I had been quick to accept every offer presented to me.

As B&B grew and the paid work started to increase, it became trickier to get work done outside of mine and Eddie’s full time jobs. With opportunities come deadlines, and we found ourselves literally chasing light after work trying to get the shots we needed before the sun set. This past year especially has been a whirlwind, and I found myself becoming a bit overwhelmed with juggling everything. My days started at 5am when I’d wake up and get ready for work, I’d spend the day at my job (which I enjoyed but was at times quite fast paced/stressful), I’d often leave the office already exhausted at 3pm and sit in traffic for around 30-40 minutes. When I arrived home I’d get right to work on all things Black & Blooms. That included photoshoots, photo editing, styling work, interior decorating, writing blog posts, staying on top of Instagram, brand campaigns, networking at events, taking meetings, keeping on top of emails, and also making room to just have fun and live life with Eddie. I’d usually work till 9pm and then get in bed and treat myself to a tv show, before falling asleep by 10pm and repeating everything the next day. No complaints here as I love what I do and will always feel extremely lucky to be able to do it! But it got to the point where there was just not enough time in a day, and I started having to turn down Black & Blooms work because my full time job was getting in the way.

That’s when I knew it was probably time to make a change. I’d been spending 50% of my time and energy on my own business and I needed to go all in and take the leap to 100% if I wanted to grow and do this thing for real. This is terrifying to me, a Capricorn Type 3 (achiever!!) who loves stability and is very much afraid of failure. Success means more to me than it probably should, and the fear of not being able to pay my bills or rent is very, very real. Eddie is not in a position to be able to support both of us, and I would never ask that of him! BUT, if I don’t bet on myself and give it my best shot, I’d never forgive myself. I started saving money at the beginning of this year so that I’d have a little nest egg to fall back on during any slow months. It’s really not much, and I could see it easily going quick - but it does give me a bit more peace of mind knowing it’s there. Having a double income over the past couple years from full time work + my side hustle has been a privilege, and it’s going to be quite a transition cutting down my monthly expenses - I’ve created a very strict budget that I wish I had started practicing earlier, but here we are lol. Eek!

Which leads me to my goals and plans moving forward full time. More than anything I’m excited to connect with YOU now more than ever. To learn more about YOU and what you’re interested in, what you’d like to see more of here on the blog as well as on Instagram. To be able to share my everyday life, the things I love, and be a resource for you on all things plant-related, small space rental living, city travel guides, sustainable/eco-friendly brands, and more. I’ve been seriously slacking on my blog posts, sometimes going weeks without writing anything new. That’s going to change! I also haven’t been able to update the print shop in ages and I have so many fun new photos I can’t wait to add and see hung in your homes. I also want to open a lil online shop where I can sell my gently used clothing and accessories, so that they can continue being loved by others when it’s time for me to let them go. I want to be able to take on more interior decorating clients now, including e-designs for those not based in Los Angeles. I want to get real and share daily life with you through IG stories! I want to eventually design and create products you’ll be able to love and enjoy in your own home. SO MANY THINGS!

If you’ve made it this far, thank you thank you thank you. YOUR support is the reason I was able to take the leap to full time creating, and I appreciate it more than you know. The past few days have been quite emotional! This was a big decision and a major life change for me - I’m trying to navigate it the best way I can. There’s been a lot of goodbyes which are now leading to new beginnings, and I’m just so grateful for the opportunity to go on this journey. Please please please, don’t be a stranger! I absolutely love connecting with you, this community is my favorite thing about what I do. You are always welcome to drop me a line, whether it’s through a comment here on the blog, an Instagram message, or email. If you have any questions for me or if there’s something you’d love to see more of in this space, please don’t hesitate to reach out. THANK YOU for being here! Here’s to new adventures :)