There's nothing scarier than plans with nothing to wear... especially during Halloween! Don't get spooked out of celebrating babes, we've got your outfit covered. Here's 5 of our favorite last minute, totally fab, halloween costumes using some of our very own pieces!
All of our items are highlighted in Pink and link directly to the item so you can easily add your fav styles to cart! We also made an Amazon list for all the items pictured which you can find here.
Putting this costume together is easier than clicking your heels together. First, grab our Kick Him to the Curb Dress (on sale!). Next it's just time to accessorize - grab our "No Scrubs Glasses" in red for only $10! The rest can easily be found around your house, or your nearest Target. But in case you're on a time crunch, we've linked all our fav Amazon finds: red heels, lace socks, a whicker basket and of course you can't forget Toto!
This next costume screams baddie of the West! Start off with our Spice It Up Bodysuit in Black and layer our Stompin Grounds Jacket on top. Next, add a fringe belt and accessorize with a bandana + our No Total Monet glasses (only $12!) To finish off the look strong, add a chunky black bootie like our Round Em Up Booties.
Caught in an ugly costume? Ugh, as if! Channel your inner 90's icon Cher with this next costume! Our ultra cozy "As If" set is the perfect place to start: grab the top and skirt for a matching look (both on sale!) Next, grab a knee high pair of stockings, some white heels, and accessorize with your fav lip gloss. To tie the look together, throw on our No Scrubs Glasses in pink to tell the haters you mean business
Arrrr, get those skulls, that gold, and leave! (Not before you arrive at the party looking like the flyest piece of booty) You can never go wrong with a pirate look, so here's how to put it together: start with our Times Square Top in white, pair it with a pair of leather shorts (any will do), and accessorize with a scarf and chain belt. Finally throw on some badass booties (our round em up booties are an obvious pick) to stomp on your enemies and add a sword for added flare!
Become the ethereal being you obviously are and let the whole room see it! This go go girl costume will have you throwing it allll the way back. Start with our Peace Love and Country Skirt and throw on a white bell sleeve top. Next accessorize with some knee high go go boots, a white headband and our No Total Monet Glasses in yellow (on sale!)
We had SO much fun putting this together! We hope you love all the options and we know you'll kill whatever look you choose. Which one are you rocking this Halloween season?! Comment below your pick and we'll choose 2 winners to win a $10 gift card in order to buy their costume essentials!
- xoxo DA Team
]]>A simple outfit, like a white sweater and black jeans, can be taken to a whole new level with a pair of statement shoes! Red heels or a pair of snakeskin booties, are the perfect accent to a simple outfit. Think of wearing shoes that have a unique pop of color, a contrasting pattern, or are a neutral that ties the outfit together.
Show your creativity through a colorful makeup look or a fun hairstyle. There are so many ways to style hair of all lengths, textures, and colors. A sleek updo can add a professional vibe to your look, while loose curls sticking out of a messy bun can give you a cute yet effortless look. Makeup can also change an outfit. Add some edge with a smokey eye, or go for a dewy glow with lots of highlight and gloss, to take your whole look to a new level of chic.
Patterned belts have been huge recently! Cheetah, snakeskin, or even a cow print belt can add a lot to a simple outfit. If you go for a more simple plain colored belt, branch out by matching the buckle to your jewelry, silver or gold, or even check out some cute chain belts. If you’re interested in super cute belts, keep a look out for Darling Authority’s spring collection!
The simplest way to accessorize is with jewelry. Bold, dainty, or layered, the power of jewelry is sometimes underrated! A simple outfit can be taken to an entirely new level by wearing earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Another way to make a look more exciting is mixing metals, don’t be afraid to wear gold, silver, or rose gold altogether!
It never hurts to stay in with your best girlfriends to enjoy a rom com, a sad movie, or even a crime documentary. Make some special time with just the girls to show them you care, while doing what mutually interests you all! Adding wine and a cheese board also never hurts.
Show your friends how much you love them with a real date! Get dolled up together, do each other’s hair, and throw on your favorite outfits. Go to a nice restaurant to splurge for yourself, because you're worth it! Pro tip: take an uber to feel like you have a chauffeur ;)
Honestly, what is a girls day without some form of shopping? Go to the closest mall, have a thrifting day, do a clothes swap, or online shopping (of course checking out Darling Authority)! Try picking a piece for yourself and a piece for your bestie, and think of each other every time you wear it.
A huge confidence boost is having your number one hype women remind you how beautiful you truly are! Wear what makes you feel best, play some music, and bust out the portrait mode. Your girls always know your best angles and can help your inner beauty shine through.
Nothing brings together women like face masks do. Look up fun DIYs, bring your favorite hand scrubs, body lotions, and prepare for bliss! Help each other out with manicures and pedicures to feel as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside.
At the end of the day, our best girl friends go out of the way to help us, they love us like a sister, and we help bring out the best in each other. Make sure to show love to your girls this Galentine’s day!
]]>Are you a major Black Friday Fan? or are you a newbie to the "holiday?" Either way, here's some tips to help cut down on the panic and help you get the steals on Black Friday.
Plan, plan, plan! Make sure you know what stores you'll be shopping at, prepare your gift lists if you're using BF to get some early Christmas shopping done and get yourself ready to shop 'til you drop!
Best way to rock Black Friday is to start your planning early and follow the brands you love. Sometimes brands will have insider groups where you can get the first scoop on their deals (Subtle plug: join Darling Authority Insiders)
Write down what time what sales are happening. If you need to, make an excel sheet or write it down on a piece of paper.
... and if none of the above worked (or you can't find the deals you want) hold out until Cyber Monday. You can shop from the comfort of your home and most online retailers of better deals the Monday after Black Friday.
Want a sneak peak? Here are Darling Authority's Black Friday deals. See the full deal in the Insiders Group!
What's your Black Friday plan?
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Besides running Darling Authority, I'm currently a senior at Bradley University who is deep in the job hunt. So, I've been juggling phone interviews, in person interviews and even offers!
I may be good at selling clothing - but I'm AWFUL at selling myself and my accomplishments. If you're anything like me, feel free to read along and find out how to better sell yourself.
Before you can sell yourself, you have to know who that is. Take a personality assessment or do some self-reflection on who you are and what makes you tick. It might be listed on your resume, but what do those experiences mean in terms of what you bring to the table? Focus not on who you WANT to be, but what you can realistically bring / what you want from an opportunity. The hunt (and the sell) will become much easier when you know exactly what you're offering.
Along those lines, once you know who you are, work on finding an opportunity that matches that. "Selling" yourself won't be something you have to actively do because it'll come naturally if the position is a good fit. The sell won't be a stretch if you genuinely believe you're the best one for the opportunity.
Now you've found the opportunity, how do you put it into practice? Take a look at the person and the company and match your background/experiences to them. If their people are driven and sales focused, highlight experiences where you've put passion and work towards something. Again, selling yourself is easy if they're looking for exactly what you have. You should know immediately from a job description or first conversation if that's the case.
Could you sell the cure for cancer if you didn't believe it existed? Well, maybe. But just like selling yourself, if you stretch your own belief and skills to try to make the sale, it won't go very well. Even if you get the sale, you'll most likely feel pretty poorly afterwards. BELIEVE. IN. YOURSELF. Why not? You're literally getting out of bed each day and putting in the work to get the job done (at least I hope so).
Don't ramble. Be clear, decide and direct when talking to someone about your abilities. And gosh golly - own it! Go down being 100% yourself and put everything you've got on the line.
Rejection doesn't mean you're not fully capable. It just wasn't an opportunity meant for you. If you take every closed door as a closed door, you're inhibiting yourself from noticing the window that blew wide open next to you.
You've got this. Stop stressing. It's easy to get overwhelmed with the voices in your head or people around you. Focus on you - and sell ya dang self!
Let me know how it goes
- xoxo Natalie Konopka
Owner of Darling Authority
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Hi, darlings!
Let's talk business. Running a business requires the skill of juggling a million tasks at once - so here's a couple apps on your phone that can help you do that / run your business better.
Your feed will thank you for this one! Head over to Etsy and buy a preset that fits your brand style (or make your own) and start editing your photos in Adobe Lightroom. It's super easy to use and will step up your social game!
Once you've got all those lovely photos edited, go lay them out and see how your feed will look! They say the first 9 images make or break whether someone will choose to follow you - so make it count! Preview allows you to easily upload photos and preview them in a grid format for easy scheduling.
Okay, so you've got the photos, you've got the vision - now time for a caption (are you seeing a trend here?) But you're probably like me and sometime you just can't think of a darned thing to say to your followers. No fear! Captionr is here! Type in a word: ie, shopping, and get caption suggestions in seconds.
*drumroll please* Now, business owners, put it all together! Take those photos, and that caption, and that awesome layout - and plan it out! Later will help you schedule all of your posts for the week, month, even year!
What's your favorite app? Which one will you download to help you run your business better? Let me know in the comments!
xoxo - Darling Authority
]]>Alright ya crazy kids, it's finally the day you wished for when you were an angsty teen sitting in your bedroom wanting to be all grown up - your twenties! Don't you want to go back and slap that girl?
Regardless if you're happy they're here, or wishing you had a few more Friday night lights, here's twenty ways to embrace your twenties and things to do before you move on to the next stage of life!
Near or far, it's time to step out of that dang thing. You're too old for the comfort zone! (Or perhaps, too young?) Either way, your twenties is a time to explore, develop, grow, fail, succeed and everything in between. But you need to put yourself out there in order to do any of those things.
... and then make a plan to actually check those things off. It can be travel destinations, small goals, local places you want to check out, or a combination of all of those things! Start making a plan for yourself to live out your wildest dreams.
with another person, with a friend, with a profession, and most importantly, with yourself! Love can be found and developed in many places, and nows the time to love unapologetically!
I'm a huge traveler, and I could spend a whole blog post convincing you to leave your home town and travel (but I won't). So whether that's within your state or in another country, take time to experience somewhere new. You won't regret it.
This is the time to be broke and not get judged as hard for how you get by day to day. Make some extra cash with a side hustle! Before Darling Authority, I had MANY side hustles: dog sitting and canvas painting just to name a few. They allowed me to pursue the rest of the list while keeping a roof over my head!
How fun! What's the point in being young and ending life the exact same as when you entered it? Learn how to play an instrument, or how to cook. Whatever your interests are, follow them!
Oof, the dreaded passion talk. I'll keep it short: find it and stick to it. It's okay if it changes throughout time.
There's nothing like finding yourself in the process of helping others! Take some time to get involved in your community and help a cause you care about.
It's important to remember to thank others for helping along the craziness of this age. It's easy to take and not give in return - take a second to thank the people in your life with a nice lil card!
Along the lines of saying thank you - show appreciation for your friends by taking them out for a nice meal. It's a small way to show your appreciation for their friendship!
A little self care never did anyone harm. Make time for yourself and treat yourself to some self love.
Easier said than done, but an important part of growing up is realizing the things, people and opportunities that deserve your time and attention.
They've done so much for you, it's only fair to start flipping the coin a bit. Show them how much you care for them with a small gift!
On the other hand of saying no, also start saying yes to things you normally wouldn't. Go out when you don't want to, join friends for an activity you're not familiar with, give that guy a chance. Odds are you won't regret it!
So you've found your passion and plan. You've learned to say no. Put it all together and drop the things that don't serve your overall purpose.
Get. Rid. Of. It. No, you will never wear it. No, you won't need it later. Go through your things and have an honest conversation with yourself about what you need to keep and what you can get rid of.
Eating like trash is probably a staple of your twenties. However, start to cook for yourself and treat your body nicely!
Ditch the phone and go do one of the things listed above. While social media can be our best friend, know when to cut the cord and leave it alone for a while.
Because there might be a new bff waiting for you on the horizon!
Take all these tips and plan out where you want to go from here. What do YOU want to get out of your twenties? Maybe these things aren't for you - go ahead and plan what is.
Your twenties are a built in time in your life to live it up, make mistakes and become to full blown adult you strive to be. Do that angsty teen some justice and make the most of it!
What thing are you doing today?
- xoxo Natalie Konopka
Owner of Darling Authority Boutique
]]>Hi darlings!!
I realized on Saturday that Darling Authority has been open for 7 month - SEVEN. MONTHS. I know, I'm just as shocked as you are. So with that realization, I think it's time to give you a little peak behind the curtain - a debunking version.
As a boutique owner, I get a lot of questions and misconceptions that come my way, so here's my answers to a few:
This is my favorite, because so many times have I been approached by a friend or stranger who proclaims, "Omg, do you make the clothes?!" Unfortunately no, I don't slave away stitching hems in my apartment. Instead, boutique owners get their clothing from wholesalers and vendors. Brands design and manufacture the clothing and sell them exclusively to boutique partners to sell on their behalf. :-)
On that note, the purpose of a boutique is to bring a curated selection of clothing specifically made for a group of people. Boutique owners work hard to build relationships with vendors, pick out pieces they think match their brand and customer, price them, tag them, fold them, photograph them and sell them. We (and least I) buy high quality, unique items that you can't get at a department or "fast fashion" store. Honestly, you get what (and who) you pay for! Prices reflect the time, money and effort that boutique owners put forth in order to bring you what you love while still making enough to put food on the table!.
Well, sort of. If your definition of a "team" is one fierce spirited gal and the support of her friends and family. Most boutiques are actually just run by one or two individuals with a passion and drive for what they do. They might have a couple additional helpers (hi, Emma!) - but most times your favorite boutiques are a one man job.
I think this is common when you're starting your boutique or an outsider looking in. However, I've actually found this to be the opposite of true! I've found such a strong community of like-minded individuals who are SO helpful and supportive of each other. We're constantly buying from other boutiques, shouting them out on instagram, working to partner on events. It's been an amazing experience so far!
Darling Authority is a clear example of the fact that this isn't the case. Online only boutiques are popping up every day, and we don't see it stopping soon! But who knows, maybe we'll move into a town near you very soon. ;-)
Well, I wish this was true! Don't get me wrong, it's not the worst job in the world. Running Darling Authority is usually the easiest and most fun part of my day. But it doesn't come without its challenges, blood, sweat and tears. Running a boutique is HARD, girl. Keeping yourself motivated and staying on top of the craziness of it all is hard to do, but it's so worth it.
Okay, hopefully this gave you a little clarity into the common misconceptions of boutiques/boutique owners. Let me know if you liked this and want more! What myth have you heard?
- xoxo Natalie, Owner of Darling Authority Boutique
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We're constantly taught how to be more effective, work harder, complete tasks more efficiently and how to juggle our daily tasks. However, what no one tends to teach us is how to NOT do that, even if it's for just a second.
I am the queen of spreading yourself thin and working on maximum overdrive at all times. However, I've also mastered the art of taking breaks and I rarely feel stress (unbelievable, I know).
So, depending on what works best for you, here are 3 ways you can take breaks right now:
This is how I tend to take "breaks" - by low key always working. This may seem counter productive and not effective, but with my go go go personality, it's actually how I best operate. When working on tasks that are more draining and less enjoyable, I like to shift my focus on a task I'd rather do.
This is one my nursing friends or athletes tend to do - I've seen people set specific times in their day dedicated to free time / breaks. It puts an enforced amount of time where your only obligation is to do whatever the hell you want. If you're a schedule type person - this might be for you!
and here's for my "f it" gal pals. Screw your responsibilities and head to bed girlfriend, you deserve it!
Hopefully that gave you the motivation not only to excel in life and word hard, but also to take a second for yourself and know when to call it quits.
xoxo
Natalie
Owner of Darling Authority
]]>This can be a process, however. It’s hard to let go of your favorite crop top and put it away until next summer. We know how hard it is, trust me. But keeping it around in your closet means so much wasted space that you could be filling with all of your fall FAVES!
Here are some tips that will help you with organizing your closet and making space for your fall essentials without having to get rid of everything…
1. Go through your closet before organizing and ...get rid of stuff
I know. This one hurts. But you can’t have enough space to organize when you’re 8th grade dance dress is still hanging up. Even if it’s in the back. Go through piece by piece, and if it brings you complete utter happiness, keep it. But if you hold it up and feel nothing, it’s probably time to let it go.
2. Get creative with bulky clothing items
That chunky knit sweater doesn’t have to take up the ENTIRE top rack. Utilize storage spaces like shoe hangers or dresser drawers and to store your sweaters. They won’t wrinkle and you’ll still have plenty of space to hang jackets and lighter shirts on your clothing rack.
3. Stack your shoes
It’s nice to be able to see all your shoes when making your footwear decision for the day. But you can still do this without having them sprawled across your closet floor. Invest in a hanging shoe organizer. That keeps all your soles in a slimming space while still being able to see all of your options.
4. Hang your clothes strategically
This can be the biggest space invader, so considering how you’re hanging your clothes does make a difference. Hang your blouses and linen-fabrics. These are lighter materials that wrinkle easily so having them together will save some space because they are easily compressed.
5. ROLL! YOUR! CLOTHES!
If you have run out of room in your rack space, utilize dresser drawers or storage bins but roll your clothes instead of folding them! Rolling helps prevent wrinkles and takes up far less space than stacking folded clothes.
]]>The moment you've all been waiting for: the answer to the question, "Am I a Girl Boss?!" Take the quiz to find out if you have what it takes to covet the acclaimed title:
A. "Bodak Yellow" - Cardi B
B. "Truth Hurts" - Lizzo
C. "Formation" - Beyonce
D. "Tik Tok" - Kesha
A. Leave him- I'm focusing on the three B's (babes, booze, and bops)
B. Maybe later, it's ladies night!
C. Make eye contact and motion him over.
D. Screw the girls! I'm running over to say hi.
A. Prioritize the two and improvise in a way that allows you to handle both.
B. Pick the one more important to my interests.
C. Reschedule both to a time when you're not so swamped.
D. Nothing! I'm going to bed.
A. Get the important things done and go out and celebrate.
B. Reach out to your friend and schedule a separate celebration.
C. Tell your friend you're unable to make it because of school work.
D. Ditch the homework and spend time with your friend.
A. CEO
B. Manager
C. Assistant
D. Trophy Wife
If you answered mostly...
A's: You are the textbook definition of a girl-boss!
Girl, why are you wasting time with this quiz - don't you have things to do?! Oh that's right, it's because you're a hustler who knows how to handle her time. You're savvy, intuitive, and always know how to get the best of both world's in a situation. You're a master of living it up and getting stuff done!
B's: You're a girl boss in training!
The important thing is: your heart is in it! You know what it takes to become a girl boss and you're working hard to get there. While you may not always know how to handle tough situations, you try to find a solution that benefits at least one person involved. Keep grinding girl, the future is yours!
C's: You might have a ways to go!
You clearly have some girl boss potential, but maybe it's not your thing. Going into crisis handling mode and multi-tasking might just not be your strong suits. While your intentions are there, you feel like it's best to let someone else take the lead. Don't worry, there's always a girl boss in reach to come to the rescue!
D's: Ehhh, it's not for everyone!
Well, let's just say #girlboss may not be the best term to describe you. While you may be killing it in your day to day, common distractions might get the best of you. While it sounds appealing, you have more important things on your mind: like boys and sleep. It's ok girl, there's not right or wrong!
1. Flat Brimmed Hat
A flat brimmed hat is the piece that will complete your entire outfit, no matter what you’re wearing. It’s the key accessory that your closet needs to dress up a casual outfit or even dress down a fancier get-up. A dark brown, charcoal grey, or black will complement your style without taking away too much from the outfit itself.
2. Sweater Dress
Ah, sweater dresses. Though they can make you sweat to death on fall’s hot days and make you wish you were wearing pants on cooler days, they are adorable and can be worn for any occasion. Getting a solid color sweater dress allows you to easily pair fun pops of color with hats, scarves, or unique jackets that will ultimately tie the outfit together.
3. Plaid scarf
Is this the most basic fall accessory? Absolutely. Do you still need it? Absolutely. Plaid scarves can be thrown on with a dress, plaid scarves can be thrown on with high waisted jeans, plaid scarves can even be thrown on over your pajamas while making an emergency run to the grocery store and will it still look good? Ab. So. Lutely. The plaid scarf is a staple and can make you look totally put together, even when you’re definitely not.
4. Boots
Booties, heeled boots, high knee boots, rain boots. Doesn’t even matter what kind. Boots will, without a doubt, be shoe of choice when it comes to your fall outfit. This is the one season that you can get away with wearing a stylish, trendy bottom without all the foot sweat. I mean think about it. You can’t wear cute heeled booties in 5 feet of snow. Pair a low rise bootie with your favorite ripped jeans or high rise boots with your favorite fall dress.
5. Statement Jacket
If you get anything off of this list- GET THIS! A statement jacket will have people wanting your style, no matter what’s hiding underneath. A long wool coat, trench coat, faux fur jacket, oversized denim jacket, even a colorful puffer jacket will bring your outfit to fruition. Jackets are a fun way to spice up your look. A bright color, embellishment, length, or pattern can turn a boring, used look into a brand new favorite outfit that’s perfect for grocery runs, a walk in the park, or a fun night out.
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If you know me personally, then bear with me as I give a little preview of what makes me, well - me.
I'm a loud, bubbly individual who you can hear before you can see. I'm best known for my audible laugh that is both alarming and contagious - I'm sarcastic, witty, bold, funny, impulsive, happy and overall one big goofball. I work hard. I love hard. I care hard. As I've eluded to in other blog posts, I live hard. I'm ambitious, driven, dedicated and entrepreneurial. I value constant improvement, empowerment and development.
But I'm also a procrastinator. I can be forgetful. I'm sensitive. I'm stubborn. I'm short-fused. I'm bad at slowing down.
Now, you might be thinking, "dang, she really just called herself all those things?? Defined who she is?" Yeah, I wasn't always able to do that. I actually still cringed a little writing this blog out. However, it's something that I've recently been able to own.
I think this is a concept we all tend to struggle with - who we really are. We have ideas of who we should be, who we want to be, who others want us to be (and it goes on and on). But what about who we actually are?
If you're someone who understands and embraces who you are, power to you. However, if not, here's some tips to help you accept the authentic you.
In order to accept who you are, you have to sit down and be honest about who that is. What makes you, you? Are you loud or quiet? Innovative or reserved? Closed minded or open? There is no right answer. You have to genuinely understand whatever characteristics you possess in order to own them.
Although it's cheesy - you have a unique gift of being literally YOU. There's at least one thing you can do that no one else out there can. Are you perfect? No. Do you need to be? HELL NO. Look in a mirror. Look at the girl who wakes up to fight through each day and thank her. Forgive her. Love her. You are your biggest critic, but it's time to be your biggest supporter.
This is something I struggled with a lot. Then I heard something that resonated with me. "Stop explaining yourself to people who are determined to misunderstand you." The truth is, you can't control how others see you; however, you can control how YOU see you. At the end of the day, that's whose opinion matters.
That being said, be open to improvement. I'm a strong believer in working each day to be a better version of you than yesterday. Accept who you are, but understand the things you can and can't change.
Take your time with this. It's easy to belittle and hate someone who knows and accepts who they are - don't. We're all on a journey to figure out what the heck we're doing here. Be kind. Be understanding. Be helpful.
and once you find your authentic you, show her off for the world to see.
- Natalie xoxo
Owner of Darling Authority Boutique
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I'm going to be very clear before we start, I don't know how to do this very well. As we've all come to know, I like to do it all. And I mean everything. All of it. I have a hard time saying no - or perhaps I'm just too ready and willing to say "yes." I live life trying to grasp every opportunity that comes my way, which has been both a good and bad thing!
That being said, I think all of us need a little lesson in stepping aside and being comfortable in saying, "help me, please!!" (Especially me)
So, I recently did that with Darling Authority. When I started in March, I had no idea that my business would grow so large so fast. I'm beyond speechless and blessed to even comprehend the span DA has had in less than half a year.But with that growth, I feel as though I've also come to a bit of a stopping point. Can I do it all? (well, yes, that's how I prefer it), but a more important question soon arose - SHOULD I? This led me to a very honest conversation with myself where I finally had to say the dreaded word: no.
So I hired an intern. I tossed and turned and debated before putting it out there for the world to see: I needed help. Now, I know what you're thinking. What's the big deal? People hire interns every day, Nat! But to me, it was a big deal. It was something I'm not used to doing - something I'm going to continue to learn as I train my intern.
So here's some advice for those of you who also struggle with asking others for help:
If you remember my last article, "5 Ways to Unlock Your Inner Girl Boss," then you know one of the key things to keep in mind is that asking for help is not a weakness. Stepping aside and admitting you need some assistance is probably the strongest things you can do. Being self aware and knowing when enough is enough is key to a happy, successful life. Asking for help gives you a rare opportunity to share your hard work and skills with someone else, and potentially pick up some new skills along the way!
It's easier to ask for help when you have a solid idea of WHAT you need help with. For me, it wasn't the skills or knowledge of social media I needed help with, but the time and execution of those areas. Once I clearly defined that, it was easy to communicate that with a potential "helper."
Having leadership roles within 11 different student organizations, it was really hard to prioritize and step down from many of them. Moving into my senior year, I've cut back to only 3: the ones that really fit into my long term goals and will help me grow personally and professionally.
"It's better to be great at a few things, than average at a lot of things."
So, there you have it. Hopefully keeping these few things in mind will help you be able to step back and ask for the support you need in your daily life. No matter what it may be, understand that although you're a boss a** b*tch, you can not, and should not, do it all on your own. After all, what's the fun in that?
Good luck out there!
xx Natalie Konopka
Owner of Darling Authority Boutique
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A lot of people think I'm crazy: and don't get me wrong, sometimes I agree with them. It's the nights where all I want to do is throw my hair in a messy bun, grab a bottle of wine and veg out on the couch but I can't because I have a million things to get done by the morning. Or the nights my schedule runs back to back from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and I forget to eat a single meal.
As a 21-year-old business owner, college student, corporate employee, student organization president, friend, etc. I understand why people think I'm crazy for doing it all. Maybe some of you out there are the same way I am, or perhaps you're also thinking, "Nat, how (and why) are you doing this all?"
Either way, here's some answers on how to unlock your inner girl boss, and tackle what seems like a crazy life:
Step one to finding your girl boss, is believing you have one in the first place. Having the mentality of "I could never do that," or "I'm not the type of person to do xyz" is the biggest mistake you can make in achieving your goals. Anyone can do anything they set their mind to. When I started Darling Authority, I didn't think twice about whether I was the "type" of girl to run a boutique - I just became one.
Have you ever heard the saying, "sometimes the strongest thing you can do is ask for help?" Well that's the key to unleashing that raging female that's ready to take on the world. It's understanding that the whole world sometimes isn't practical. Find the things you're good at - use them, refine them, grow them. However, find the things you're also bad at. Determine which things are worth working on, and make peace with the rest. You'll burn yourself out trying to be everything for everyone.
I can't force you to go buy a planner, or put reminders in your phone. Because frankly, some of those things don't even work for me. The crazier my schedule gets, the easier it seems for me to just go with the flow and follow a mental organization of my day. However, starting out I definitely lived through my planner and had a calendar laid out in 3 different ways to try to tackle my busy life. Now it's become a routine once I found a way that works best for me!
It's okay sis - breathe. We're all just trying to make it through the day. Let go of the expectations you have set up for yourself, and start living in a way that makes YOU happy. You're only young and reckless once in your life, so max it out! Buy that sweater you've had your eye on, say yes to a night out even though you have work in the morning, take a drive and scream your lungs out. Life is so precious and so short it's not worth spending a second doing something that doesn't set your soul on fire.
When you have a crazy life, it's easy to go, go, go until the day is over - just to wake up and do it again. But I think the way I manage it all is by letting myself take the down time I need. Spend a day watching Netflix. Go get lunch with the gals. I never say no to an opportunity (frankly in all aspects of my life), but that's what keeps me sane and happy! You're only causing yourself more stress by turning everything in your life into an obligation.
Alright ladies (and gentlemen I suppose), those are my initial tips to help y'all unleash that female hustler inside of you. Just remember, be easy on yourself and things will fall into place. You're capable of amazing things, just go do them!
xoxo
Natalie, Owner of Darling Authority
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