Name: Aubrey Yandow
Job Title and Description: Founder of the-coastalconfidence.com
Website: the-coastalconfidence.com
Pinterest Handle: @Aubrey Yandow
Instagram Handle: @thecoastalconfidence
HC: What is your name, blog name, and where are you from?
Aubrey: Hi! My name is Aubrey Yandow and I’m the creator of The Coastal Confidence. The Coastal Confidence Crew; I aim to capture all the traditions of a New England lifestyle from our warehouse in Connecticut, although you can often find me in Dallas with my boyfriend Matt.
HC: What does your current job entail? Is there such a typical day?
Aubrey: Oh boy, there really is no ‘typical day’ in terms of blogging, but here is what a typical week looks like. One day is a dedicated office day, usually Monday, so that means responding to emails, editing photos, scheduling social media posts and filling orders from our TCC at Home Store. I spend the next three days out of the week shooting content, one day is aimed at shooting lifestyle content (recipes, gift guides, advice pieces), another day is aimed at shooting scenic content (images of New England homes, charming towns, and the current season) and the next day is aimed at shooting style content. Finally, on Friday, I’m usually back in the office editing all images and planning the following weeks’ goals with The TCC Crew. Sunday mornings are always dedicated to pinteresting, can you blame me? Follow our crew on Pinterest here!
HC: What inspired you to start The Coastal Confidence?
Aubrey: I was actually inspired to start The Coastal Confidence when I dropped everything and moved to San Diego for college. After living in San Diego for a year, I began to miss New England’s lifestyle, so much that I created The Coastal Confidence in order to capture and share the essence of New England lifestyle with my California friends.
HC: What is the best part of your job?
Aubrey: Oh, this is an easy one! My favorite part of my job is connecting with likeminded people. Whether it’s ambitious gals that want to break into the blogging world or meeting other people inspired by New England, I just love meeting new people who are passionate about similar things! I also love chatting with readers, so feel free to drop me a message, anytime: aubreyyandow@gmail.com
HC: Were there any mistakes along the way that you learned from?
Aubrey: Of course! Blogging was such a new industry when I started that a large part of my career was and still is trial and error.
I think a big mistake I made when I first started blogging was comparing my content to other blogger’s content. The moment you start looking at other blogs and what other bloggers are chatting about is the moment when you compromise your brand’s creativity. It’s important to create original content and not go off of what everyone else is doing, writing or wearing.
HC: What makes New England special to you?
Aubrey: My love for New England really comes from my love of stately American home decor. I love the history, aesthetic, and stately feel of New England. I use to take New England lifestyle for granted until I moved to California for college; which embraced a more modern, chic and bohemian lifestyle. Once I got outside of my New England bubble I really was able to find my own personal style, both creatively and fashion wise. New England has an almost Ralph Lauren feel vs California’s modern West Elm like lifestyle. When I realized how unique and underrated New England’s lifestyle was, I knew I wanted to move back and spend my life capture it.
HC: How did you get started in the blogging world?
Aubrey: I started The Coastal Confidence back in 2013, and it was completely random to be honest. It wasn’t until 2014 that I really took it seriously and started mapping out a ‘brand’. I’ve always wanted to run my own business and I figured blogging would be a solid foundation for creating the backbone of a brand.
HC: What is one thing you wish you knew about the blogging industry when you first started?
Aubrey: I’m actually glad I went into it not knowing much. I was totally ignorance is bliss about the whole thing, and looking back, I think it helped me become successful. I really wasn’t following any bloggers, so I wasn’t comparing myself to anyone and I really felt no pressure. I didn’t even think about monetizing until 2015 and if I had know about monetizing and how competitive the industry was when I started, I think it would have taken away from my formative moments of building the blog.
HC: What advice would you give a 20-something with similar aspirations to becoming a blogger?
Aubrey: Okay, my best advice it to start NOW! Blogging takes a lot of practice. From learning how to shoot and edit photos, to finding your ‘online’ voice, it all just takes time and practice. So the sooner you get the ball rolling, the better. My second best advice is investing in a good camera, trust me it’s soooooooo worth it.