16th September 2015

Be Inspired by Lauren Sims

It’s evident that our latest ‘Be Inspired’ guest has a heart of gold. Before becoming such a positive voice behind the widely popular LOLO Magazine, she always had a passion for fashion and, more so, a desire for women to discover their own sense of style and self-worth.

We’re so glad that Lauren Sims, the other ‘Lo’ behind Lolo Magazine, is here today to share with us what it’s like writing for a successful online magazine, her dreams for the future, and the obstacles she’s overcome to pursue her passion.

From a buyer at Neiman Marcus to blogging for Lolo Magazine, her life is proof that adventure awaits around every corner, and that you’re happiest if you’re pursing your passion + purpose.

Honestly it was such a God thing! I was working full-time for Neiman’s and just not loving the corporate world. My sister-in-law had Lauren (Scruggs’) email address because we all went to the same church and she suggested I reach out to her and see if there was any job opportunity with LOLO. So, I thought it was a total shot in the dark but I e-mailed Lauren my resume, told her I loved LOLO Mag and would love to help her grow it, and about a month later, I quit my job at Neiman’s and started blogging full-time with Lo!

My hope is that through this online magazine, women will learn to feel truly beautiful every single day in their own skin. That through my writing and posts women would find their true security and identity in the Lord, and then celebrate that beauty by dressing well and taking care of their bodies! I’m also passionate about helping women learn to love fashion. It doesn’t come easy to everyone and I want to make it easy and fun for any girl to love shopping and putting outfits together!

I live by to-do lists. If I don’t make a to-do list, my day is basically shot. Working from home is amazing because you can stay in your pj’s all day if you want (and I do want), but it can be a struggle to stay productive. But, as long as my office is clean and I have a to-do list in front of me, I feel like I can conquer the world!

Um yes, tons. One of my biggest obstacles (as silly as this sounds) was working up the nerve to tell my parents and my husband’s parents. I feel like our generation knows that plenty of people blog full-time as their career, but explaining that to my parents wasn’t so easy and they gave me a lot of pushback, which at times made me second-guess my decision. I was also afraid just because financially I had no idea what to expect – were we going to go broke? Was I going to make any money? I was able to overcome those fears though in two ways: 1) I absolutely knew that this was such an amazing opportunity to pursue my dream job and do something I really care about. So, regardless of how much money I was or wasn’t making, I really believed in what I was doing and had faith that the Lord would provide! 2) My husband Michael has been my biggest cheerleader since day one. He really believed in me and in this blogging opportunity and if he ever had doubts, he never showed them to me. He gave me so much confidence and peace in this decision.

I have 2 or 3 bloggers that are my absolute favorites because I think their style is so unique and similar to what I love (Happily Grey & New Darlings are two of my favorites). Their blogs definitely inspire me! Also, as random as this sounds, being outside helps me get into a creative mode, gives me fresh ideas, and gets me refocused on why I do what I do. Sometimes this means just going for a walk around my neighborhood, but often times it can be traveling, being in the mountains, or sitting by a lake. That’s when I feel the most inspired and creative.

I wake up around 7, make my husband’s lunch for work and send him off. Spend time with the Lord, reading and praying, and then I either go to Flywheel (indoor cycling studio. amazing) or I go for a run! I usually do Flywheel 3 days a week and run the other 2. After that I come home and start working! Answering emails, reaching out to new brands, writing for the blog, editing photos, etc. Sometimes I have meetings or conference calls during the day or a shoot scheduled with my photographer. Once I’m done with the bulk of my “work” for the day, I run errands, clean up the house, make dinner, take my pup for a walk…you know, normal wife things. Michael gets home from work and we usually go for a walk together, eat dinner, then just spend the rest of the evening at home! We have our favorite shows that we watch together or we read or we’ll get together with some friends.

Okay, I wish there was an answer to this, because I’d like to know! For me, what it all comes back to is just being grounded. Daily reminding myself of what really matters in life, and pouring my heart and soul into that – into my relationship with the Lord, with my husband, with family and friends. Blogging is amazing and I love what I do, but I do need to daily remind myself that it is not my life. Being grounded in truth is everything.

Stay true to who you are! Don’t ever fall into the trap of dressing like everyone else, if you don’t actually like the clothes!
Dress appropriately – I hate to sound like a mom, but I think there is nothing more tacky than a girl who is flaunting way too much for way too many people to see. You don’t have to show a ton of skin in order to look beautiful or get people notice you. (Does that even count as fashion advice?!)
Invest in a good pair of jeans. I have about 20 pair of jeans and not all of them are expensive, but I have maybe 3 pair from Madewell that I’ve had (and will have) for years. A good pair of quality jeans is a must.