We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Daniels a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jessica, appreciate you sitting with us today. Maybe we can start with a topic that we care deeply about because it’s something we’ve found really sets folks apart and can make all the difference in whether someone reaches their goals. Self discipline seems to have an outsized impact on how someone’s life plays out and so we’d love to hear about how you developed yours?
As a content creator I focus on fashion, fitness, and lifestyle. Being a woman who was once 350 pounds, my decision to lose weight wasn’t influenced by societal pressures or low self-esteem. The desire for me to change my life was due to uncomfortableness. While in a heavier body I was not able to maneuver in the way I wanted to. Clothing didn’t quite fit the way I wanted it to. As a result, I felt like a shell of myself. In 2012 I made the conscious decision to start my weight loss journey. I have successfully lost over 105lbs. There have been hiccups on the road. I’ve lost and gained and lost and gained some more. Weight loss is not always linear. The key to my self-discipline is that I promised myself I’d never be 350 pounds again. With that being said I have completely transformed my lifestyle. Besides no longer eating beef, pork, chicken, or dairy products, I also try to limit my sugar consumption. As well, I work out and strength train 4/5 days a week. This is the best I have ever felt! and that keeps me on track.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I like to refer to myself as a jack of all trades. Currently, I am focused on building up the “itsme_gorjess” brand and looking to expand my modeling. My journey started on Instagram years ago where I used my platform to document my weight loss journey. I have always been into fashion and decided to combine the two. I also wanted to emphasize that you did not need to be a size 6 to look in clothing or have fashionable clothing options. A few name changes along with strategic branding gave birth to the platform I have today. Outside of being a content creator I still work a 9-5. I specialize in diversity, equity, and inclusion facilitation. I currently own my own corporate housing/rental arbitrage company, and I just graduated from ASU with a master’s in Legal Studies with an emphasis on Criminal and Employment Law.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Being a content creator isn’t easy. There is a stigma that all you do is take pictures and videos. There is a misconception that there is not much work or thought that is put into it. When it is the opposite. You must come up with your content creation plan, pick out and style clothing. Coordinate brand shoots and or shoot your content. You have editing and so much more. This is a very watered-down version of some of the things that are put into it. If this is something you are interested in, the 3 skills/gems I would say are.
1) Don’t give up. It took me years to find my groove and build a following. It does not happen overnight.
2) Know your worth and *ADD tax but be reasonable. This is on a case-by-case basis. In content creation, you are often expected to work for free most of the time. That is not to say you shouldn’t pay your dues and get your feet wet. However, it is okay to charge brands for the work that you do and create.
3) Be YOU! Nobody can do you like you. Don’t feel compelled to be like anyone else. Find your niche and build an audience from there.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am looking to collaborate with more local brands in Arizona. Among those with which I have worked are Shein, Walmart, Goli, Rebdoll, Shapermint and many more. I would love to collaborate with more fashion brands local to Arizona. As well, I would love to work with more Arizona-based businesses, whether it be fashion, events, vegan eats, beauty, fitness, gyms, etc. One of my dream collaborations would be with One Stop Nutrition. They have become a regular in my fitness and health routine and I absolutely love their shakes. If you are a local AZ business or just someone interested in collaborating. Please feel free to DM me on Instagram- “itsme_gorjess” or please see an email to [email protected] for all inquiries.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: itsme_gorjess
Image Credits
Marika Pratt
