corals + The Smart Girls’ Guide

Well, my friends, I would have had a new blog post for you today, but instead I felt a moral obligation to attend a wine-tasting event last night and, naturally, follow it up with a few nightcap cocktails. Ay, tequila!

As such, I thought I’d take the easy way out share an interview I did with the Smart Girls’ Guide, a magazine for ambitious women striving to live the Smart Life. We chatted about my creative writing process, how to gain readers (love ya’ll), work/life balance/blog balance, and so on.

Here’s a peek at our conversation — the full interview is linked at the bottom of this post.

Quincy: Do you ever feel pressure to live a certain life as a popular blogger?
Hallie: In a way, yes, but at the end of the day my goal for the corals + cognacs brand is to be as authentic, grounded and relatable as possible. I like to make people laugh! After all, life isn’t about comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.

Q: Your copy is always witty and keeps it real. How big of a difference does creative copy make in the blogger world?
H: Thanks! I think it makes a world of a difference – a picture may be worth a thousand words, but don’t you feel more connected to someone when they can tell you the story behind it?

Q: How do you distinguish “blog life” between “real life”? Are they one in the same?
H: For me they’re very similar, yes. There’s something aspirational about living in New York City, and thankfully for me, my audience likes to read about that. I strive to be as positive as possible – regardless – because I never want to impose negative energy on my readers.

Q: How do you imagine your life would be different if you stayed in Chicago instead of moving to New York City last March?
H: I detailed this a bit in my Love Letter to New York, but I can’t imagine my life otherwise. We’ve been through a lot in the past year – including many dive bars, late nights and awkward mornings.

Q: When you hit a rut, how do you keep the creativity flowing?
H: Um, I drink wine. (Editor’s Note: Cleaaaarly — emphasis on the word flowing.) Living your life will only inspire your work.

Q: What brand have you had the most fun working with?
H: Vineyard Vines and Tommy Hilfiger – two all-American classics that I grew up on.

Q: What do you think it means to be a Smart Girl?
H: To be a Smart Girl is to make a conscious effort to be your best Self. Nothing in life is an accident, so learn from your experiences, listen to your gut and course-correct. Do what’s worth your time, not your money!

///

Thank you to Quincy and the SmartGirls Guide for including my feature in your current issue — and for introducing me to your magazine! There’s a lot of great content this month, including an interview with designer Cynthia Rowley and a few of Beyonce’s life lessons.

And lastly, that whole “no new blog post” thing today? Don’t you worry, Karma came back and bit me in the ass.