SheBreathes turned 5 at the end of January {January 31st to be exact}, but with the start of fashion week in February I decided to wait to write-out what this means to me. And since today is my birthday, why not now?
I started this website as a form of therapy after my daughter was born still, as many of you know. It was suppose to spurn novels from me, per my literary agent, Ira {who is still my agent, and still waiting on those novels}. But, what's come from this was something I could've never imagined. SheBreathes has helped me progress on so many levels. It's given me new clients for my design firm, helped me open a boutique creative agency, which allows me to expand my relationship with brands and companies who are seeking diversity, and the boutique media company that houses my online and print properties: SheBreathes, HeBreathes, the Shop, and Sejais — something I thought I'd never do {I have nightmares about becoming some megalomaniac, or Murdoch}. As a writer and designer it all makes sense now, and this place inspired it all. And, while it sounds like a lot, it's not —they're all related. But, it's also why I've taken on contributors from around the world, who help me attend global fashion weeks. I've also formed some very strong bonds with fellow bloggers, writers, designers, artist, photographers, public relations reps, but most of all I've gained a diverse readership that begets what technorati and the like says about us in numbers. And, while I don't use quantcast, because I don't like public tracking in numbers. There is always good ol' google analytics, which says we see 40K visitors a month, with over 110K pageviews a month, with a pagerank of 4, without very little effort on my part. And, what I mean by "very little effort", is I've achieved this without being the "face" of this blog. And in today's media rules, that's not how you gain "star" status. But, when it's not a goal, who cares? All I want to do is keep inspiring, sharing, and discovering, and to take this narrative to the next level. I'd like to think it's the content on here and the quality of said content, that keeps all of you coming, and keeps the numbers rising. I believe this is what has the "larger" blogs coming, or that has the content lifters still coming {smile}. I know the power of this space, because you, my dear readers, tell me about it. You, my dear designers, tell me about how a feature on here got you into a store, or more press in a magazine, or online. I know some of you are editors, stylist, buyers, and just women who love beautiful things. And, this is fuel to a passion that hasn't died down. This is what keeps me going and confirms that SheBreathes is worth continuing. It's the driving force behind what gets featured on here — well edited content, that doesn't follow the herd mentality. I believe you can't "share it all", that you must keep your stance and voice, and 5 years of blogging has taught me this, along with a growing readership that deserves the best.
I remember so many people telling me that blogging, this website, would be passing fancies — a waste of time, but oh how I've proved them wrong. How we've all proved them wrong!
The truth is even if only 1 person visited here a month, I'd still update this space, because after 5 years, I still love what I do! I still start with "would I give 5 minutes of my time on here, if I were in a cubicle?", and that's my only thought when curating content for this space. With so many things vying for your time, I know it's imperative that I get it right, not perfect, just right. And, despite there being millions of blogs about fashion, I still find ways to discover designers no one else has. I still get excited for these designers. I still get excited about knowing, that out of all who visit, if only one clicks a link, that's one person who agrees with me.
In my old bio I had a line that said, "I want this website to be a reflection of my family", and my dear, dear, dear, readers, friends, and colleagues it is. It's diverse, rich, and inspires me daily. I love each and every one of you who give me even a second of your day. I love that a large majority of you, even after only visiting once convert into customers. I know this because designers tell me, I love that you get that I believe in quality over quantity. That I feature the ones I think are worthy of a second look, worthy of your hard-earned money. I love that the comments I get are quality ones. I love that you either love it or hate, with various feelings in between. I love that you "get" this place, and you stick around for the ride.
I've thought of so many ways to make SheBreathes "better", and while it can definitely stand for some improvement, I've heard you tell me over and over, never change the core of what this space is. And I'm here to tell you I won't. Despite the idea of growing, and awesome contributors around the world, other properties online and in print, I know that SheBreathes is largely something I have to continue to steer. So, know I'm not going anywhere, and look forward to another 5 years!
My only hope is to continue to grow this space, and to expand all the creative outlets it's spurned. So, thank you very much for giving me your time and support, because I never take it for granted. Thank you for breathing life, fashion, and culture with all of us! Thank you for an amazing 5 years, and here's to many more!
I hope you enjoyed a little preview of some content that's to come.
With love and a million thanks,
DS De Carvalho
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