“Don’t put your value in failure,” shares Tess Barclay, a Toronto-based content creator, founder, and podcast host of Busy Blooming. Before pursuing content creation full-time, Tess was working a corporate 9-5 job at one of the big 4s in Toronto.Â
When Tess graduated from the University of Toronto, she began to feel the struggles of post-graduation life as she was trying to find her place. That’s when her inspiration for Busy Blooming arose.Â
Looking for an outlet to connect with other post-grad working women, Tess created a Facebook group in 2020 called Busy Blooming. Busy Blooming started as a space for young corporate women to connect about work and the truth behind the realities of post-grad life. Graduating from university can be one of life’s most thrilling yet intimidating experiences and isn’t always as glamorous as one may think.Â
Busy Blooming has now transformed into a digital platform that helps empower and connect women across the globe. With Busy Blooming, Tess has created the first-female run marketplace with a community filled with over 4,000 like-minded women seeking to support one another. The community membership is a space where women can develop profiles, attend Busy Blooming exclusive events and access Notion templates. It was important for Tess to create a space that supports women navigating their 20s and early careers, as she explains how “knowledge sharing is so important.”
I first came across Tess’ videos on TikTok in 2022, and I was immediately drawn to her energy and passion for building the career and lifestyle you desire. Tess’ story was inspiring, and I had the pleasure of personally meeting her for a coffee chat. She spilled all the insider information about what running her own business and being a full-time content creator is really like.Â
“Every time you do something that doesn’t work, you’re one step closer to the thing that will work,” said Barclay.
She told me this as she was explaining how she entered this unfiltered and unhinged era of content creation. Tess expressed how people perceive things to be cringy only until it works. Being transparent with her experiences has allowed Tess to grow her platform because she shares stories that are relatable to others as well.Â
This is a universal experience for women who have finished their degrees and are now looking to make their mark on the world. When I entered my post-grad life, I was scared to fail because I thought entering adulthood meant I had to have it all figured out. But I was wrong because I was seeking a sense of community I had felt throughout university.Â
That’s when I was drawn to the Busy Blooming community because it fosters that same sense of belonging that often diminishes in post-grad life. Social media often depicts an ideal post-grad life as finding one dream career and life magically falling into place. This can cause a lot of self-doubt and frustration as it makes you feel like you’re not on the right pathway.Â
However, the Busy Blooming community deconstructs those narratives as it values authenticity. Tess believes that the reason she was able to grow her audience was due to her vow to stay genuine.
“Talk about what you want to talk about; somebody is interested in what you’re saying,” Tess said.
It’s important to establish your own voice when starting a career on social media. Tess’ relatability has propelled her influence because she doesn’t hide her opinions. Instead, she shares her daily experiences through videos, such as her infamous 9-5 job, spending a day with me in Toronto, and a work day in her life vlogs.Â
Finding a balance between work and your personal life can be challenging when working for yourself as a full-time creator and business owner. However, Tess explains that “the key to work-life balance is a full life outside work.”
Something that both Tess and I value is having other things in life that bring you joy that doesn’t necessarily reflect your success at work. For example, taking spin classes or hosting a sushi night with your friends. Tess also adds that this idea of a work-life balance can be overrated, and as long as you prioritize your well-being and avoid burnout, it’s okay to work on a Saturday. It’s just about finding that personal balance that works best for you.Â
Throughout our conversation, I asked Tess what advice she could give to a young woman looking to start their career in 2023. Tess told me, “Be bold, and don’t let the fear of not succeeding hold you back. We have to give ourselves permission because oftentimes, we say no to ourselves before anyone else does.”Â
Those words were powerful and stuck with me after our conversation because giving ourselves permission to fail is important. Unfortunately, the idea of failure is often stigmatized as we aren’t good enough or our ideas are not valuable. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
As Tess says, “If you’re genuine, things will work out.”Â
In 2023, Tess hopes to continue to grow Busy Blooming into the go-to brand for ambitious women looking to build their careers.