Have you ever thought about starting your own blog, but gotten frustrated after trying to think of a creative name and then realizing you don’t have anything to write about? Well Megan Rogers-Reilley has some great insight after throwing herself into the blogging world after a frustrating injury left her with a little extra time on her hands.
Megan Rogers-Reilley, is the young woman behind the two-year-old fashion and lifestyle blog, Bowtiful Life. She has big dreams and just enough ambition to go along with them. As a freshman, communications major at Loyola who loves bows, lattes, monograms and Lilly Pulitzer, she hopes to make a name for herself in the fashion industry one day, as well as a career. She is dedicated to her sorority, Chi Omega, blogging, dancing and sharing her thoughts, opinions and style with the world.
Where the Blogging Began:
Megan was involved with the same dancing studio from age three to her freshmen year of high school. “It was getting to the point that I was pre-professional for a few years and I was like, ok, this is not what I want to do with my life,” Megan explained, “so I switched to doing dance with my high school.” After running into a slight breathing issue, Megan was forced to pull herself from the team. With all the extra time on her hands, she decided to do something constructive with her time and started her own blog, doing so with no outside help. “Nobody has touched my site except for me. I’ve done all the coding, design, layout, everything.”
Creating a Brand:
When thinking of a name for her blog, Megan made a list, wanting to create something that people would only associate with her, something that was unique and that could be carried out over time that she wouldn’t get bored with. “I’ve actually had this pale pink bow since I was four. It was a ballet bow.” After always liking bows and wearing them almost every day, Megan came up with Bowtiful Life all on a whim, interconnecting her story and ultimately creating her very own brand.
With downloadable screen savers, outfit of the day posts, music playlists, quotes and personal interest posts, Bowtiful life reaches a wide variety of readers, even a few guy readers! “If I was to describe the average girl who reads my blog, I’d say between the ages of 14 and 20, who has a preppy, classic style with a light girly edge to her, but isn’t all frills.”
Finding Time to Blog:
Living a busy college lifestyle it is hard to find time to blog, but Megan keeps her cool with her monogrammed, Lilly Pulitzer planner. “I’m a big believer in to-do lists and color-coding,” Megan said. With her priorities in check, Megan completes all her schoolwork before she begins to tackle her blog to-dos. “A lot of the times I’ll be up until late hours of the night, editing pictures or finishing up a blog post. I’ll be blogging downtown, in the middle of the day, really anytime I have some free time.”
Perks and Pits:
When talking to Megan it seems as though there are a lot of perks that come along with blogging. “I’ve worked with some really cool companies, especially recently since joining the Her Campus Blogging Network.” The HC connection opened the door for some great sponsorship opportunities for Megan, which led to working with companies such as Office Depot, Timex and a monogram company called, Personalized from Me to You. “I really enjoy my monograms, just as much as I like my bows,” Megan exclaimed. Companies aren’t the only connections Megan has made, but she’s also made some lasting friendships along the way.
As for negatives Megan hasn’t really come across any. “I mean every now and then you will get a negative comment or a rude email, but a lot of times those people are just negative and that’s their prerogative. Just be careful with privacy and what you choose to post.”
Advice For Those Starting to Blog:
1. Write for you.
2. Stay true to yourself.
3. Have fun.
4. Be proud of your work.
“The best tip I can give is to find other blogs that inspire you. Find bloggers with a writing style, photography style, fashion style, the way they present themselves on social media, even their font and color style – whatever it is, combine those things and create something that is unique to you and something you’ll really enjoy.”
Favorite Blogs & Vlogs:
There are so many fabulous blogs out there that this question was tough for the fashion blogger, but Classy Girls Wear Pearls is one of Megan’s favorite blogs to follow. She’s also is a big fan of vlogs and follows Meghanrosette and SarahBelle92x. She also used to be a style editor for The Smart Girls Group‘s online magazine, so she enjoys keeping up with that.
Make sure to check out Bowtiful Life on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Polyvore, Twitter and Tumblr!