Brandy Gueary is a native Texan, Houstonian, mother, wife, elementary school teacher, and creative being. She began Authentically B after she and her husband purchased a cottage built in the 1920s that required a LOT of TLC. She began to trust herself more and became more self-reliant as she tackled so much of the work herself. She decided to listen to the inner voice that was nudging her to share things that she was working on in an effort to help others discover how capable they are. Authentically B has transformed into a fashion, beauty, and empowerment destination over the years. She encourages others to do, plan, and experience things that make them happy. Put yourself back at the center of your life and TRUST yourself because YOU CAN DO IT!
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TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why Brandy started @Authentically.B and how she got her first round of followers.
- The tipping point when Brandy’s blog started to gain traction.
- Using what comes naturally to you in your business and your brand.
- Why Brandy take the leap from school teacher to full-time influencer.
- How she’s teaching in a new way.
- Why Brandy gave herself permission to be herself in her content.
- What Brandy keeps in mind as a Black woman when choosing brands to collaborate with.
- Why Brandy made the decision to add beauty disclaimers to her posts.
- What is Brandy’s intention with her content.
- Why mothers often don’t feel like they can do their own thing or step out into something new.
- The simplicity of just being yourself.
- Brandy’s Bee You collection and why she created it.
- Influencing in Color and why her and her friends created the platform.
- Did Brandy feel beautiful growing up?
- We often give up on our dreams too early.
#LESSONUP
(12:55) I wasn’t scared because it was something that I wanted on another level. Not many people know this about me, but when I was 12, which is probably the most awkward time in most people’s lives I remember saying I wanted to be a model. And my parents were like, okay and they took me to New Orleans back when they used to have Model Search America. We took a little family vacation and drove. And of course, I didn’t get picked. I was too short. I was too round at the time. I was just too Black. They were not chicken for brown skin girls. So of course, that happened and at 12 that’s kind of a big rejection for a 12 year old. And part of my blog was me realizing when I got into fashion and beauty, I always wanted to be a model. I’ve always wanted to do this. And through this avenue through Instagram, through my own personal blog and website, I don’t have to wait for anybody to hand me a modeling job.
(16:02) I could not even have written this down. I couldn’t have even dreamt this. It just has unfolded the way that it has, but I’ve taken a very unconventional path and I still get to do the things that I enjoy and that I like. People say if you do something you love, you never work a day in your life. I disagree. Work is work. When I’m doing something for work, it feels like work. But I also enjoy my work. I enjoy the career that I’m in and the path that I’m on. It’s not traditional. Sometimes we get so stuck in how we thought someone doing was going to happen for us. I thought I’m gonna get discovered by Model search America, I’m going to get an agent then I’m just going to move to New York or LA and then just model boom. But that wasn’t my path at all, but I’ve still done all of those things.
(20:33) I never wanted, especially any of my younger followers to look at anything I post and be confused as to how I got it to look the way it looks.
(25:25) I do feel fortunate that in the last few years Black content creators and Black people everywhere have gotten a thrust and a push. With more people who are showing up as allies, it makes it easier for us to stand up for ourselves and say, “can you share with me how many Black or people of color are working at your company? Can you share with me how many other Black content creators you plan to partner with after me? Because it seems like I’m going to be the first.” It just gives you more push to ask those questions that in the past you might have felt like a question like that would’ve gotten you shut down or have a brand walk away because they don’t want to answer your question. But now it’s the expectation, they’re not surprised when you ask a question regarding diversity. And so I feel very fortunate to be at this stage in my career where the bar is set there.
(31:50) My intention with my feed and with my content is to show the beauty in inconsistency and imperfection. I look like what I look like. Some people will say “oh, you are an aesthetically, beautiful person.” But again, I don’t wake up with makeup. I’m my face. I don’t wake up and my hair is done. I put forth effort like every other human being to look their best when I’m presenting myself to the world. I’m not going to not take care of myself to prove a point. Nobody always looks great. That’s a given, but I feel like enough people are not really showing up as themselves.
RESOURCES/FACTS:
https://beeyoustore.com/
https://shopinfluencingincolor.com/
https://www.shopltk.com/explore/authentically.b
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