The Studio: Fashion. Biz. Creativity

You Are Not Independent | Fashion Blogging

A bold declaration no? Well, it's true. Even in my naïveté, I fancied myself completely independent. After all being independent and preferring to think independently, means you're willing to stand alone in whatever it is you do or believe in. I've come to realise that the bigger you get the more you're fed. Up until 2008 I did a lot of "discovering" on my own, without the machine of fashion behind me, without PR reps even knowing that SheBreathes existed. Then a magazine mention, buyers, and other editors came and now I get way too many emails a week from PR reps, showrooms, designers, etc. But this isn't my gripe, my gripe is how fashion bloggers are essentially being pimped.

Fotos via Flickr | Monaural "Think Different"

So many fashion bloggers think that someone giving them a chance to win a $500 giftcard for covering an event or show is how they should be paid. They're also allowing these same brands and PR reps to dictate content on their blogs. How is this being independent and free? How are we not turning into the magazines we claim are nothing more than machines for their advertisers? If someone is feeding you stories and dictating how those stories can be shared, and offering something like a chance to win a giftcard as some sort of incentive, then how are we any different than so called "old media"? But above all how is being paid to cover an event in any way ethical? How does it keep us objective?

I can tell you now that print magazines are edited, otherwise they wouldn't be cohesive and their readers would die from information overload. If magazines did exactly what online media is doing, it would surely die. But they actually edit things out. Print media wouldn't allow themselves to be dictated into some corner. They'd also turn these brands who think this is normal into advertisers, which is exactly what they should be.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm often asked a lot of questions on email about blogging, fashion, etc so while on my plane ride back to the states I thought it would be a cool idea to compile the most frequently asked and just answer them.

How do you find designers to feature?:

I haven't deviated from the path I took almost 4 years ago, which is to read a lot and research. I actually find a lot of designer's by chance. I may be researching something else and come across them. It's always these beautiful chains and I love discoveries. While I may get a lot more press releases now than I did before, 90% of all designers who I feature are still found organically, if you will. I also rarely go to fellow bloggers websites to repeat what they've found, but if I do I will always give them credit for it, but I honestly haven't had to fill-up this blog with reposts and I'm thankful for that. I can definitely say part of writing is knowing how to do research and getting the basics down.

Does it really bother you that people use your website as a source? Isn't that flattering?

I guess it's flattering but honestly I've never been one to flatter easily and I don't mean that in an arrogant way. I just prefer substance over momentary jubilation, especially when it comes to flattery. I think it's natural for people to look at other blogs, even study them to gain insight into how it could be done. But hopefully they find their own way and voice. What gets me is websites that proclaim they're innovative or are authorities of some kind, yet they need to pull content from other blogs with no attribution whatsoever. You can only steal so much content before it becomes obvious that you're nothing more than someone who culls information and not a creator of content. But none of this has stopped me from doing what I do best. I have too much on my plate to fend off every single content thief, so I just nod, make a mental note, and move forward. This doesn't mean that those who violate the TOS on this blog won't be dealt with, but I'm just not going to sweat the small stuff. I loathe them but I think SheBreathes is at a point that most know where it was first.

How do you deal with PR Reps?

I can happily say that the majority of Public Relation Reps I deal with daily are some of the coolest people around, who have the same goals as I do, well usually. This is a relationship, mutual respect is needed for it to work, otherwise their press releases fall on deaf ears. Now, have I been ignored? Yes. I've sent emails to certain PR companies that rep a designer and have gotten no response. I don't take it personally. Oddly enough these same people bend-over-backwards for the magazine. Hey listen I'm well aware that online publications/media still scares some people. I also know that sadly more than a few bloggers have set a bad taste in the mouths of some PR houses, I just try to work through that. I think the content on SheBreathes speaks for me, so I can honestly say most are receptive to our requests. Even I've been surprised at how some of the biggest PR Firms are more than happy to help out because they feel that the blog matches their client's aesthetics, or so I've been told. So I say just be honest, stick to your your editorial guidelines, and be professional.

Do you make money from this blog and if so how?

Yes, but nothing I could retire on and that's just being honest. A lot of that has to do with the fact that I don't like a lot of ads and I refuse to institute certain types of ads. I'm a minamalist at heart and having words that are clickable is a bit much to me. I'm with a few affiliates but even that will be changing in 2010. The models seem a bit dated that we use now, so we've been exploring new and more solid avenues for our ads, which will be unveiled next year. But I will say this, what's made in ads is reinvested back into the website through the basic upkeep, design, and giveaways. I think the most appropriate thing that we do is reinvesting the funds back into the SheBreathes brand ensuring that everyone wins.

Why don't you share fashion news?

I think that more than enough websites share the up-to-date stuff and see no need to inundate my readers with the same information. I'd much prefer they visit those who've mastered this like WWD, The Cut,  Fashionologie, or BOF. I mean it's cool to do a weekly round-up of my favourite links but daily news source to me is just asking to bore my readers whose time is already limited. I'm not trying to be all things to all people, what I do works for this blog.

Will You Ever Teach a Blogging Class? Write a book on blogging? A Business book?

They actually have classes on blogging? Ha! No, to all questions. While I am currently trying to finish a book that I began writing 4 years ago, it has very little to do with fashion or business. Besides all my "secrets" will be shared here, which in the end aren't really secrets just what works for me.

Secret to having a successful blog?

Well, "successful" is subjective and of course to me just having a medium like blogging is a success. I honestly only started having "real" goals for this blog a year ago. It's my outlet and it's where I share how I process fashion, arts, and culture. While I can't tell people how to have a successful blog, I can tell you what I think makes for a happy blogger and readers.

All these "secrets" to blogging {to me} is basically common sense. I truly believe you have to be passionate about what you write, you have to care that you're writing clearly and concisely, that you don't waste's people's time. Put periods where they're needed, use consistent punctuation, people will forgive you for a few run-ons and comma splices, but incorrect grammar will probably turn most people off. I'm not saying be perfect but make sense. I believe in being fair, honest, and sticking to what you love doing, despite others who may object to say you not blogging how they think you should.

I don't write nasty, snarky, reviews on this blog. I've always wanted SheBreathes to be a hub for creatives, where I can share what I like and while I may take a critical eye to certain designers from time to time, I'm still not trying to build the expectation that say Cathy Horyn does. I know my readers. They aren't coming to me for that ultra critical eye, they expect me to only share what I like because that's what I promised I'd do. I believe the only expectation they have is that I've already taken out the crap and I'm only sharing those who I deem worthy of further exploration and perhaps they'll become customers of said designers. I'm sure they read blogs by people who are more Cathy Horyn than say someone who is purely trying to inspire you and create hubs for designers. What I do works for me and I doubt I'll change the model any time soon. I also know SheBreathes isn't everyone's cup of tea, for me when I need to be critical is when I'm deciding what to share and what to leave out. I find no real value in deriding designers on a daily basis, it's not me nor could I do it consistently. In my personal life I'm always looking for and finding inspiration in fashion, and I chose to blog the same way. And I take the hits with the misses.

How do you decide what to blog about?

Oh that's purely gut and an idea of how I'd like to share it, with a dash of hope that it's not a total dud, hehe.

Will you continue to blog even with your magazine?

I think so. I hope so. I do have to make a few decisions but the overall tone of SheBreathes will remain.

With a lot of bloggers getting press and being more visible on their blogs why aren't you?

Well, I get press perhaps not as much as others but I do. But honestly it's not a goal of mines. I have a lot of respect for personal style bloggers but that's not SheBreathes, and to be very honest it's not me. This sort of goes back to what I mean about being passionate about what you blog about. If personal style is your first love then by all means do it and if it's not then by all means go with what you enjoy. I have no desire to share daily outfits not out of arrogance but because again SheBreathes is all about highlighting designers not me. This is what I prefer, what I'm passionate about, and for me it works. This isn't to say I may not share a purchase or two in the future but again it's not my goal to show you how to wear something but for you to discover that on your own and hopefully in a few designers shared.

Part II next week.

All Fotos SheBreathes from Tibi SS2010 Show during NYFW.

Reevaluate | Relationships + Networks

Recently {like this week} I've had to step back and look at what networks I have SheBreathes a part of, and what e-friendships needed to be cut. This is something that everyone should do and of course if I had a guidebook beforehand, I wouldn't have been apart of said networks and or e-relationships in the first place, but we all live and learn even virtually.

Image Source.

Here is what I mean:

With the new blog move, I've been cleaning-up my sidebar. Getting rid of outdated links, networks which I think require more work than they do in helping, etc. With this came some hard decision to cut ties to networks, who I think in theory worked, but don't now, at least for me or SheBreathes. It just became way too much work to constantly be required to do X, Y, Z. I'm all for contributing but when you tell me it's required, you will indeed meet a bull with horns, where I'm concerned.

I refuse to cater to any one group of people, which I'm sure makes me a bit of anomaly to some in the blogosphere. I don't wear the colour of my skin on my shoulder and I definitely don't have any badges up declaring I'm this or that. I've taken a few networks/links down, except the ones I feel are beneficial. To me this is key. If a network you're a part of requires you to leave comments and feels that participation in said network requires you kiss a million virtual arses, then cut ties and build your own empires.

Let me explain:

Human beings are indeed complicated, we can be insecure, needy, and all around catty even when we project a vibe of "I'm cool with everyone". If all you're doing is linking to drive their PageRank up and what they've contributed to helping you is redundant {as in the information} then move on. Don't feel bad or the need to explain, or even justify why you've outgrown them. I've always maintained that 99.999% of networks eventually turn to huge cliques and the very people who make the rules don't follow them, because for some reason it's always about who they're cool with not what's beneficial to the network. I know some do a very good job of hiding this, but look closely at the structure and work from there. To me joining network is as important as choosing which blog platform you will use.

If you're going to join a network don't do it because everyone else in your blogging category is doing it. But do it because you've researched said network and found them to be a perfect fit. Some won't need to be a part of anything and that's perfectly cool. My rant isn't against networks it's against those that no longer benefit you. You can build e-relationships by emailing bloggers, commenting etc, you don't need a network to do that, just like you didn't need a network to say "hi" to girl or boy who became your best friend. So just remember this before joining by default.

Some networks have a plethora of helpful information, but honestly the ones which helped me had very little do to with fashion, go figure. If you want to be a part of said network look at their members and make yourself a pros/cons list. Visit the very best blogs you love and see if they have a badge or are indeed forging ahead at their own intergalactic pace. Networks should be reciprocal period.

Final Thoughts:

I've spent 3+ years in this blogosphere and while I may not boast in every single post who my e-friends are, or those I've helped get into fashion week, or events, know that I have them and maintain a beautiful close knit of one-table sitters. But at the same time because of all these years of blogging, I've seen all kinds of leeches. The most amazing kinds are the ones who blogstalk {not this kind} you know watch your every move only to duplicate it in some way on their blogs. There is nothing more draining than e-friending someone only to learn they were always only it for themselves. Only in to become your blog doppelganger.

Now, I know it's hard to feel like you're not a part of something, but I've never been one for feeling like I "need" to be a part of something. I say yes make friends, be a part of networks but be sure it's reciprocal. If you're exerting far more energy then said e-friend or network then it's time to reevaluate the relationship. It's time to make your own path and beat to your own drum, not the sounds or path of others. This is life. It may seem harsh or selfish but remember you must at all times protect your integrity and sanity. Some things and people just aren't worth it. Some will be wolves dressed in sheep's clothes. Treat your online world like you do your offline world.

At the end of the day it's individuals who have a collective thought that get things done, not those who have cliques and cool kids table. I assure you sitting alone at the table can be Zen. It's perfectly OK to be analog girls/boys in a digital world {thanks E. Badu}. You truly don't have to bend to the personal brands, networks, or social media pressures. Just remember all the hard work you did before any of this existed and again keep moving forward. Choose and align wisely.

With love,

Ms. Shoo/Starship Guider/Member of the One-Sitter table. ;)

Part 2 | The Business of Fashion Blogging

So I'm back and I need to do a bit of ranting and commentary, which means this will be long. Yesterday on twitter I was a bit upset because I keep running into this same problem over and over. At some point you do get tired of the constant content lifting. The constant lifting by so called fellow bloggers who have never spent 15 minutes googling journalism ethics. I guess this bothers me more because from a writer's perspective you're taught never to take credit for someone else's work. You're taught to cite your sources or be laughed at. In fact in college this is so ingrained in you {thank you NYU} that you're taught to even CITE yourself within your own essays. So of course it leaves me wondering what happens when people come online? Why do the rules change when you're online and playing journalist?

I'm not perfect. I've spoken of having someone help me and them lift 2 items from a website and never cited the website. This person in turn left a comment {oh it was a snippy one lol} because lo and behold they she followed my blog, which is how I was alerted. I immediately fixed the problem by removing those two posts and apologised to the blogger. I even blogged about how easy it is and that it can happen to anyone. But the removal and me outing the issue was because I don't need anyone else's content thus why I cull my own. But it's clear to me that many do need others content, thus the lifting. It's happening at an alarming rate, even by some who claim they would "never". And don't get me started on this so called "online magazines" that do it. It's mind boggling.

Everyone is competitive now, especially in fashion blogging. They all want to be in the "tents", "in fashion", on the "scene", "at the shows", in Vogue, lawd help us all. But few behave like the fashion people I know. I have friends who I've known for years that work at several magazines, designers who I've come to know, I've interned at 2 magazines. So I know a little about what's expected and what isn't. Everyone wants to replace the Vogue's and Elle's of the world, they want to take Anna off her perch. They want to be authorities and adored. And it's becoming silly, because with the current standards for blogs that's not going to happen anytime soon. In order for you to get big you need to act like the big boys and girls do. If you're in this for the long haul then do the following: Use photos from someone's website? Cite them. Use a collage from someone's website? Cite them. Found a designer on someone's else's website? CITE THEM. What is with right clicking and giving no source at all to the designer or photographer if that information is on the website you pulled it from? What is so hard about saying at the end of your feature "found via x, y, z"? If you want to say "courtesy of" then by all means do so, but I tend to reserve that for features where the designers actually did courteously give me images, but that's my standard rather than a universally adopted one.

I remember my Bantu feature, do you know that someone from Vanity Fair emailed me thanking me for citing the author in my feature. See what a little citing can do? I was flattered but it let me know that just perhaps if I had to fall back on my writing career, this would be my tome to show a potential employer. It also proved that the hellish time spent interning paid off. I remembered the basics. I knew the article was online and I wanted to cite the author properly, well in blog standards lol.

But Some are lifting and thinking "well they're not well known, so no one will notice that I lifted, Tina Kalivas {featured 2 times}, Diana Brinks , or that D_luxe {featured 2 times}, or the Alaia/Baruch feature, and countless others  from this blog, they will totally think I discovered them by my fairy fashion blogging skills". That's what some think but you're wrong because nine times out of ten someone finds out.

I refuse to look at my stats daily because I get a bit concerned when I see the same few IP addresses spending HOURS on my blog going through all the archives, never leaving a message, never sending an e-mail just culling I think, and that's crazy to me. In my over 3 years of blogging I can tell who is an actual reader and who is about to content jack based on my stats, hilarious I know. Hey I want you to explore the archives and share, but CITE your sources please for the sake of sweet baby Jesus in the manger, cite your sources!

All of this has left me coming to the conclusion that blogs will not replace mainstream media for a while, we are just not there yet. Most people are either chasing their 15 minutes or too competitive and want you to believe they are just master researchers, or they think you won't ever find out or notice. It's sad that I'm ranting about this again but not all is fair in the game of blogging, especially fashion blogging. I'm always floored by the amount of WWD articles that are reprinted/posted in their entirety. Seriously I could've sworn those folks over there had set rules on sharing their articles. Sigh.

I have terms of services/usage too. But they seem to be ignored. These people who constantly ignore the basic tenets of journalism are the very reason why mainstream media will be around much longer than the doom and gloomers think. How can one medium replace another when ethics go out the window?

Now, do coincidences happen? Of course they do. Will we all run into the same material? Yes we will and thanks to bad and over enthusiastic PR reps this happens a lot too. So how can you say who is stealing from who? Well, some of it's obvious down to the IP address and others well they like to wait 2 or 3 weeks, perhaps even a month then share, but I tend to go with my gut and know the repeat offenders. I am not saying citing your source is the holy grail of blogging, but when your blog is more than a hobby, when you take the time to actually research content, cull it together, and actually WRITE about a designer, product, or item rather than pimp it, then yes it's the holy grail. How can we ever be taken seriously when half don't take it seriously? It's not hard to right click and perhaps NAME that image AFTER the blog you took it from, or that designer, that way you never forget.

What is so wrong with citing your sources? Hell even Gawker cites their sources, even if they are tearing them a new one. What's wrong with providing a link to where you found that designer etc? It even happens on Love + Dreams {and she's a baby blog}, again people will spend hours on it, and suddenly it shows up on their blog. And it's not just happening to me. I see so many of my fellow bloggers being ripped off. But I'm sick of fighting this battle alone. When will we adopt some standards around here? Just because you can start a blog doesn't mean you should. And if you do then do the research, show you're not a novice. Again I am not perfect or trying to stifle but this shit is beyond flattering at this point. I don't do all the research for my health, clearly this is more than a hobby for me. The archives are there for a reason, yes let's all share but let's all cite too!

Some are afraid of the FTC jumping in and monitoring Blogola {I didn't coin this phrase} and I'm like FINALLY. Because there is a fine line being crossed these days and it does look like someone needs to come in an penalise those who keep crossing it. To even think that it's OK to be compensated in some form or fashion to basically be pimped by a brand is just flooring to me. And please don't try to disclaimer me with "I'm still totally unbiased" sorry and no real offense but I don't believe you. That's like me saying "oh look guys Manolo Blahnik asked me to pimp his shoes BUT know I'm going to be totally objective in my write-ups on him. Yeah . . . OK. Last I checked advertising needs to be clearly stated, you know like in magazines where it states "advertisement special" lol. The point is the level of pimping on blogs and in these features is at an all time high, perhaps because it's a recession, but it's sad.

And you know what all of this takes the fun out of blogging and because of the lack of standards and over competitiveness, some still don't take blogs or online media seriously. But every day I log on I try to remember I'm a writer and designer first who blogs about fashion and culture. It's another medium in which I can express myself but my personal and professional ethics won't go out the window, just because I'm online. But honestly this one little nagging issue is taking the sugar out of my coffee and makes me want to shut it down completely.

Review | The Towering World of Jimmy Choo

I've come to the conclusion that I'm drawn to salacious fashion stories. It started with the House of Gucci book, which made me feel bad after reading. One because it was enthralling and two because of the sadness of it all. So naturally I was drawn to The Towering World of Jimmy Choo by Lauren Goldstein Crowe and Sagra Maciera de Rosen. With this book there is no murder, but there is plenty to grit your teeth at. Ever since the NY Times aired the inner creative office drama between Jimmy Choo, Tamara Mellon, and his niece Sandra Choi, I've held a secret desire to know more, and a bit of loathing towards the ladies in this saga.

My loathing wasn't because I've ever met either of these ladies, it was because I had read so many stories, which painted them the villains and Mr. Choo the victim. I had immediately sided with Mr. Choo and I felt like shoe designers everywhere were being attacked when he was no longer allowed to use his name commercially. After reading this book, I'm convinced that my loathing was a bit misplaced. I can't be upset with these women, it's business, even if I don't like it as a creative. Despite my natural affinity towards Mr. Choo, I can't say who is "bad" in all of this. They did invest in his vision and he was a part of the process. And after getting a glimpse inside and checking the authorial intent, I'd say the demise of Mr. Choo was him not minding his business and ensuring he wouldn't be on the losing end of the fashion brand stick. It's said in the book by other designers that they tried to warn Mr. Choo about protecting his name, and I can only believe this because they do talk to Mr. Choo or quote him and he doesn't discredit anyone. I still feel "bad" for him, that will never change. I can't imagine not being able to make money off of my own name, which is why I call this book a cautionary tale. 

If you're not familiar with the battle over Jimmy Choo, or how this brand went from just Mr. Choo and his niece Sandra in a rundown London building catering to socialites and starlets alike, to a multi-national brand, then read this book. And just in case you're not aware Jimmy Choo the designer has nothing to do with Jimmy Choo the brand. He also can't use his birth name commercially, because again he didn't mind his business. Let me add that Mr. Choo didn't walk away empty handed, he did leave the table with more than enough money to keep him and his family afloat for a while. But I get the sense from Mr. Choo that he's truly not as happy as he could be. How can you put a price on passion or what you love doing? He seems like he only wanted to design shoes and of course have women around the world wearing them. At the print of this book he was still running his couture shoe business, that may very well be shuttered, but I haven't read that it has. 

This book is for all designers, be it shoe or fashion, hell if you're thinking of entering any industry where a brand can be created read this. Read this before you take a loan against your intellectual property. And although a good amount of the book spends way too much time giving you the back story on Tamara Mellon and her family, particularly her father. It's worth every penny and actually goes a step further than most books like this. For example Tamara's father Tom was a part of the whole Vidal Sassoon empire, so if you're in beauty and plan to make a product and sale it, read that section the most, because a lot of how they did it is shared. You'll be surprised just how close a hair empire is to fashion — I was.

And while I call the Jimmy Choo story a cautionary tale it should be noted, it's also a success story. This book solidifies that at the end of the day fashion is a business and you need to mind yours or end-up like the Jimmy Choo's of the world. And I don't mean that in a derogatory way. I have loads of respect for Mr. Choo, but despite fashion being a form of art to me, I am reminded daily that it is indeed a business. There are plenty of these tales Mr. Choo isn't the only one — think Jill Sanders, Helmut Lang, etc. Anyone who doesn't get this at the core may be doing themselves a disservice. I'm not saying worry about business more than the creativity, but it doesn't hurt to learn the basics of business so you know where you're going with your brand.

Ask yourself a few questions; do you want outside investors? If so, how much stake are you willing to give up? Do you need outside investors? Do you believe in reinvesting and no debt? Do you know what that is? Do you really want to use your birth name to launch your brand? How much money will you need to further your brand? What does being independent mean to you on a business level? What's your mission statement and or vision? These are important questions and it's only the start. And if you're too creative to be bothered, then do yourself a favor and find a business partner who not only believes in you and what you're creating, but your vision. Be sure he or she breathes and eats your brand, because they will be just as vital to the success of your business as you are.

I've been blessed with one such person. I use to shrug off balance sheets and profit statements until he came into my life. He's helped me embrace them and he reaffirms to me daily that I'm still the creative force, but I need to know how my business is being run and how to run it if he leaves. Again I say there should be no excuse for not taking care of your creative business house, and if you need a reason then definitely read this book, or google the aforementioned designers for a reminder.

The Business of {Fashion} Blogging Part 1

Last summer I started to think about where I wanted to take SheBreathes, because quite honestly I was getting bored. I knew as a writer it made sense to form my own media company. So when the idea of doing personally sponsored giveaways came-up in my brainstorming sessions, I knew as a small business owner, that I needed to think long and hard about what that meant. I thought about the tax benefits of forming a legal entity for my online spaces and the headaches. I was also thinking about taking in some advertisers and knew the possibility to earn money was there. In the end I decided to create a media company, which now houses SheBreathes and any sister site. It was pretty painless and without fanfare.

Do I think every blogger should create a media company to house their online property(s)? Yes and No. I think it truly depends on the blogger and their overall plan(s) for their blog. I also think if said blogger is earning a substantial amount of money from their blog, or plan on earning money from it then yes they should look into the tax benefits in creating/forming a company for their blog. But beyond the tax benefits, I thought about the protection afforded to businesses {side note: I know some people think they're protected by being a Sole Proprietor, but you're not legally or financially}. I also had to ensure that this wasn't merely a hobby for me, but a business. I factored in how I run the blog, how often I post, how long I've been blogging, to the monthly costs to maintain it. And since I see blogging as yet another medium in which I express myself, it wasn't a matter of "why should I?" but "why not?!".

I did do a bit of research on why bloggers should/shouldn't form legal entities, and I found reasons that ran the gamut from protecting one's personal assets to raising capital, to not wanting to be bothered. I urge you to do as much research as possible if you are thinking about it. Some people simply just want to blog and most will never need to do anything more than that. Now of course if you're a designer with a blog hosted on your design website, I can only hope you've formed a legal entity but some designers never do, which I will save for another topic. Because if it's not JUST a hobby then you need to really think about forming a legal entity, again more on this later.

I remember being worried that I wouldn't be seen as truly "indie" but that hasn't been the case, and if it is for some then I call it a difference of what's considered "indie" and what isn't. I'm still very much one person with the help of two awesome contributors and one intern. I remember recently receiving an email where the person alluded to SheBreathes being "one of the big blogs" . I chuckled to myself and shook my head. It's such a silly way to label a blog, simply because a magazine may mention it, it has more visible readers, or the blogger made their blog a legal entity. You know what I consider "big" blogs? The Huffington Posts, Glam Media, and Sugar Inc companies of the world. They raise dizzying amounts of money and have a much larger presence than most of us, but I'm not comparing here or even saying these companies are bad, honestly they never factor into my mind unless I see traffic from them {smile}. I'd just like to bring perspective into the picture. In the end do the people who read our blogs care if we're big, indie, etc? Perhaps. But I'm almost certain that most are looking for a connection more than anything, something they can relate to.

It seems that fashion blogging is one of the last to adopt the idea of making their blogs a business, but I get why, most don't want to lose their authenticity. But I think if you remember it's a backend thing, and leave it there you won't. If there is a real need to take your blog to a new level then do it, and trust that your readers will know that you're still as authentic as the day you first started blogging. Just because you filed papers with your department of state doesn't mean you've suddenly lost your blogging pass or integrity.

Now, a few pointers because I'm all for making informed decisions — to me that's the only way to do things especially when it comes to business. A few pointers for the US and the US only:

My media company is an LLC. The LLC affords me the flexibility and is less of a headache than incorporating, besides NY allows one member LLC's, which means you can be everything lol. See the links below to learn more about the pros + cons of both. Please note that each state has it's own set of rules, for example NY State requires you to PUBLISH your LLC notice within 120 days from the filing date in a local publication, in the county your business is in. So many people form their LLC in another state thinking they can avoid this, but if you're doing business in NY, you must register your newly formed out of state LLC with them, and you still must publish the notice no matter where you formed it. So save yourself, time, money, and headaches and get familiar with your states rules. There are also annual fees, so again do your research. Don't assume and don't just take my word for it. I know about NY State because I live and do business here. I am almost clueless about other states, but I know California is as about as expensive as NY lol. Also be sure to check with an accountant about which is the best entity for you and which tax election you should choose.

While my focus is on LLC, there are other entities, and Nolo, is a good place to do research about legal entities, etc. Problogger has a very good article about this very subject. I found an awesome blog from the Problogger article, called TaxGirl, which you should be reading!

I always suggest that people form their legal entity in the state they're in and if you do form it in another state, know the rules of your state for foreign business. Because nine times out of ten if you do business in that state on a regular basis, you'll need to register in it. Again lawyer + accountant. They will also help you decide if your blog is a business or a hobby, same goes for any business really.

Remember you don't need to pay anyone to form a legal entity. In fact I did mines all by myself, with the blessing of my business accountant + attorney. But I also knew the process from running my own design firm. Novice or not you can file the paper with your state department yourself. You don't have to pay all those middle man fees to have it done, because it's a pretty painless and simple process. Just be sure you've done all the research before filing the articles of incorporation, or the articles of organization — in fact make sure you know the difference between the two. But if you absolutely don't feel comfortable filing the paperwork yourself, then by all means use your attorney, or a place like Legalzoom or Amerilaywer.

Now, I'll get into legal entities for designers etc at a later date. But let me state this now, for all my creative people out there, be it designers, writers, painters, illustrators, etc if what you do generates an income for you, please seek a team. A team consists of a lawyer and an accountant. I know thinking about attorney fees stop most, but utilise the resources of your local Universities that have law schools, I sure did thank you very much NYU. And for my creative people in NYC contact the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts  to find an attorney to advise you on your journey. Please don't go making/creating products without protecting your personal and creative assets. If it's more than a hobby, then get yourself a professional team. Don't forgo one because you think you don't need them. I've seen so many of my creative friends lose in the end, because they didn't take all the steps necessary before jumping in. Don't be one of them, seek these professionals they're invaluable. Again a longer post coming on this soon, because I know as an independent designer money is a big concern, but trust me designing clothes for example or accessories really shouldn't be done without one, but I'm digressing.

Just remember that thinking about your creativity even your blogging as a "business" isn't a dirty thing and let no one tell you that it is. It also doesn't mean that if you form a legal entity for either that you somehow won't be "keeping it real" — that's utter ignorance. I assure you since LLCing nothing has changed  on how I blog and the same goes for how I design. I know we're "creative" and business may not be something we immediately embrace, but be just as vigilant about your business as you are about your art.

Dreams Into Reality | The Studio Series

Welcome to my one of my favourite new sections of SheBreathes. It's my favourite because I love sharing. What is The Studio you may be asking? It's really where I get to share some advice, and tried and true gems I've picked-up along my journey as a small business owner/entrepreneur. There will be no "get rich quick" schemes, or some magic wand that will get you inside the fashion business or business world in general. I can't instantly help you make millions. It takes time to build and you'll need drive and some tools to get you started. A lot of what I will share worked for me, but I will also bring in others to share what's worked for them. For me the best people to learn from are those who have done some if not all of what you're trying to do.