Thursday, February 9, 2012

Miss Independent- Camille Styles

I am so excited to share today's Miss Independent because she comes from Austin, Texas! (I'm goin' local, ya'll!)
Meet Camille, from Camille Styles! She is the owner and creative director of her own party planning business.

And when she's not busy planning, she's making cute inspiration boards to share with her blog readers!
or she might be working on one of these super fun videos for HGTV.com!

What made you decide to start your own business? (what was your biggest factor that helped you commit to the decision)
I once heard that you should figure out what you’d want to spend all day doing if money were out of the equation ... and then find a way to get paid for doing that very thing. For me, it’s helping people to celebrate both the big moments in life and the everyday experiences in unforgettable ways. I initially created my blog, CamilleStyles.com, as a way to market my event planning business. However, as it began to grow, the website began to take on a life of its own as it became a resource for party inspiration, and I'm super passionate about sharing my vision with readers all over the globe.

What was your biggest risk or fear about starting a business?
While it was challenging to find time to consistently blog while running a demanding business (there were definitely days when I wanted to throw in the towel!), I kept at it, and before long I realized that the hour of my day when I had the chance to sit down and share something beautiful with my readers became the most personally-enriching time of day. Not only did I love getting to connect with passionate people around the globe – I immersed myself in the work of bloggers I admired and thus discovered a new creativity within myself in the process.

What support system do you have for your business?

I’m incredibly lucky to have friends and family who believe in me way more than I deserve credit for. My husband (also an entrepreneur) was there for me on those days when I felt like giving up; he always encouraged me to keep going and believed that I could be truly successful if I hung in there long enough!

Do you have a "real" job to supplement income, or are you self-sufficient?
It's funny because I never set out to be a "professional" blogger, in fact, I still hesitate a little when I introduce myself that way, since many people’s response is along the lines of, “Cool, but what’s your real job?” Opportunities have come along because of my blog that I would never have dreamed of, and I’m now able to devote 100% of my time to creating content that I really believe in because blog sponsorships and media opportunities that have come about through blogging account for 80% of my total revenue now.

What is the best advice you have for someone wanting to start a business?
Consider ways to start living your dream where you are right now. If you’re not in a place to quit your full-time job just yet, look for weekend internships and volunteer opportunities that provide a real-life taste of what it would be like to work in that industry. If you’ve already done that and know it’s truly your dream, then there’s no time like the present! Never forget that life is way too short to waste one day working in a role that’s uninspiring. You’ll always regret it if you don’t give your dream a shot, so go for it!

xx Camille
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A big thanks to Camille! Hope you guys are feeling inspired to go check out her blog!

5 comments:

The Sister Studio said...

SO happy to find another Texas gal! Thanks for sharing; I am definitley going to check out her page. :)

www.glamorsham.blogspot.com

Punctuation Mark said...

great interview... nice to know more about her!

Alena: Oh, Its Just Perfect! said...

Such a fabulous interview and I love finding insider tips from women running their own business.

amy (fearless homemaker) said...

fun post - i love her inspiration boards!

Nicole Rene said...

Aww thatnks for sharing this! She is really inspiring because she basically does exactly what I want to be doing! & I know someday if I work hard I'll get there! :) She is super adorable in that video! Now off to go check out her blog! :)

Have a good weekend!!!

Nicole Rene