Meet Skye Polk

 

We were lucky to catch up with Skye Polk recently and have shared our conversation below.

Skye, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

This question really resonates because I started my business and creative pursuits as an outlet for dealing with mental health issues. In 2016 my younger brother passed away and shortly after I was diagnosed with cPTSD. I was looking for a creative outlet to pour my energy into to motivate me. I decided to start posting my daily outfits- I had always loved fashion and thought it’d be a good way to get me dressed, out the house, and excited about life again. It worked! I didn’t set out with the intention of monetizing it or turning it into a business, but it happened organically. Brands started to approach me, wanting to work together and in 2020 I took content creation full-time. I still struggle with the effects of cPTSD and since have also developed a chronic illness. It can make running a business extremely challenging, but I’ve found balance. I’m focused on doing things intentionally and slowing down rather than speeding up. I think self-care is one of the most important aspects of entrepreneurship. You can’t take care of business if you aren’t taking care of you first.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I started content creation as a fashion blogger but since have completely expanded my niche. I still share fashion and lifestyle but now also focus on mental health and chronic illness- two topics I’m extremely passionate about. It means the world to be able to connect with my community in a deeper and more meaningful way. Knowing that I have the power to use my platform to help people feel seen is a beautiful thing. It’s what keeps me passionate about my work.

I also now have expanded my business. I noticed a lot of brands that I partnered with were interested in my skill set as a digital marketer, so I started offering social media consulting services. It’s a great and flexible way to supplement my income working from home while balancing a chronic illness.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think patience, resilience, and the ability to pivot have all been key in my entrepreneurial journey. I often joke that the only consistency in business is change. My industry has changed SO much since I first started- from industry standards to new social media platforms and algorithm changes, I’ve had to consistently refine my skillset and pivot when necessary. What goes up must come down, there will always be slow and challenging times in your journey but you can’t let it defeat you. You have to be willing to go back to the drawing board and ask yourself, “what’s in my control to change the outcome here?”

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

I mentioned slowing down instead of speeding up and that has been key. I think we get caught up in this idea of hustle culture and that to be successful you have to constantly be working. I’ve realized it’s quite the opposite and about finding more moments of balance and slowness. We can’t operate from a place of success and authenticity if our nervous system is in a perpetual state of fight or flight. The best decisions come from a place of groundedness and to be grounded we have to take care of ourselves. I realized that slowing down didn’t fulfill my fears of my business falling apart, but instead gave me more clarity and joy.

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