Motivations and inspirations

A little update... A week into my job search and I  landed my first choice job, a sales associate for House of CB's concession in Topshop's global flagship store, Oxford Street.

When I wrote a list of the brands I wanted to work for, House of CB was the first, followed by Victoria Secret, Sweaty Betty, Ted Baker etc... I knew that I was punching above my weight by applying to brands considered as 'affordable luxury' bearing in mind that I had next to no experience in the retail industry, let alone living in London where it is 10 x's more competitive with over 100 people applying for every role. I thought I would be forced to work at the lower end of fast-fashion in an un-inspiring, repetitive job such as Primark.

Nevertheless, I already knew my career goal was to be a marketing executive in the luxury fashion market in 20 years, so there was no harm in applying and trying to get my foot in the door. And I am so glad I did!! House of CB's brand couldn't represent me more... it is glamorous, feminine, creative and daring, so it is safe to say I will fit straight in. My passion and personality came across in my interview, I had done my research (even though I already knew a lot about the brand just from following them on social media) and I clicked with the interviewer (now my manager!) straight away because we had the same interests and genuine love for the brand.

Since sending out all my job applications, I have had interview offers from pretty much all of of the brands who I sent them to. I definitely underestimated myself! As hard as it was to reject them, obviously I'd love to work for all of them if I had the time, I had already just got my first choice and was extremely chuffed with myself. People have always said it is hard to get a job if you have no experience, however I now disagree. If you are truly the right person for the brand and your passion is genuine, brands are willing to give you the experience because you'll be hungry to learn the skills, fast.

I have also learnt that House of CB is an excellent case study for business expansion and digital innovation, an area I am extremely interested in and where I hope to pursue my career, therefore the brand will probably be mentioned a lot in my blog posts!

My two role models currently are Angela Ahrends (former CEO of Burberry) and Conna Walker (Founder, CEO and creative director of House of CB). Both strong, independent women who I feel I can relate to because we all have the same innovative, creative personalities. They inspire me to build a name for myself in the marketing world, to become a pioneer in digital communication, and maybe one day be a role model myself.

--- It is now about a month since my first shift with House of CB, and I had good intentions of writing weekly blog posts but I just haven't found the time. It has taken me this long to find my feet and get into a routine, having no days off being in uni 4 days a week and working the other 3 has not been easy, I admitted got a bit behind on uni work, but I am now catching up.

I have always said I'd rather be busy than bored. A few people have started to say to me 'you work too hard'!, including my friends when I say 'sorry I've got too much to do, I can't come out tonight!'. I just look at it as planning for the rest of my life. It was imperative that I got a job in retail and started gaining experience, and I am actually enjoying the responsibilities of adult life, learning about the retail environment, customers and other knowledge that will eventually be valuable in enhancing my career and working ability. Not forgetting the money I can now spend on even more clothes... believe it or not all the shopping I am now doing doubles up as market research... I am so much more aware of what marketing communications fashion brands are using at the minute!!

Endorphins

Yes, this is is a fashion focused blog. You may wonder why I have titled my first post 'endorphins' because the two don't immediately correlate- but they are both relevant to this. What do they both have in common? Motivation. 

The motivations behind this blog. Summer 2016. I had just finished an incredible first year at London College of Fashion, meeting lots of new people, discovering lots of new places, and achieving things I'd never dreamt of. But. Every story has a but. But I also started to suffered from typical 'student' problems. Over the course of this first year I had eaten (sugar binges!) and drunk myself silly, to the point where I had lost all self-confidence not only in my appearance, but in my ability of reaching any kind of goals. I was at a dead-end and couldn't see myself going anywhere in terms of career success. Of course this was ridiculous, I am at the perfect time in my life to prepare for the future- still 3 years from graduating at one of the most prestigious fashion universities in the world, and living in London; the hub of opportunities. Everyone has always said to me that nothing worth having is easy to get, and that nothing is handed to you on a place. I guess this was the first time I was actually experiencing it, and it threw me. 

Getting myself back on track; my addiction to social media meant I was constantly surrounded by people who were, and are, a lot more successful than me. I 'followed' them because I was envious of their lifestyles. In a way this motivation to kick-start my own journey was good, and instead of being jealous of their success I decided I was going to become one of them. How could I do this? What would make my mind-set more indestructible than ever before? To have my self-esteem back would be a good starting point. 

Fast forward 3 months, after a long summer of eating around 1,200 calories a day (with undeniably a few 'cheat days'  here and there!) and going to the gym 4/5 days a week, my confidence is reformed. Obviously physical changes are easy to track, but it is the mental changes from this process that arguably will and have been the most beneficial to me. Endorphins, as you probably know, are chemicals released when you exercise which trigger a positive feeling, often compared to the effect of morphine. I am a true believer in the saying 'a strong body creates a strong mind'. I now have a positive outlook on everything; I can and I will. I am superhuman. 

Exercise has given me direction. I now have a daily routine, starting my day at around 8am with short, high intensity class workouts with likeminded people who motivate each other. This puts me in a positive mind-set for the rest so I can be productive with my university work for example, and working towards reaching my others goals. Instead of being tired, easily distracted and touch, I have a new-found relentless amount of energy that doesn't run out until I go to sleep (with some little help from black coffee!). I am no longer a slave to hours and hours of pointless cardio. This daily routine has put me back in control of every aspect of my life (in a healthy way, not obsessive!) and I can ensure I am on track to meet my goals. I have found it is important to set goals and to have direction- this could include a daily to-do list, or a list of things you want to achieve that month or by the end of the year. For example, my current goals are: 

• Read more
• Lower body fat %, increase muscle mass %
• Get a part-time retail job
• Be accepted for my placement year at uni, and get a good placement 

These have to challenge you, but will change overtime as you grow, develop, and become more established. To measure my success I have set a deadline, wanting to achieve these goals by December 2016 (2 months). 

I am no longer addicted to sugar and I no longer feel the need to 'reward' myself with it. Yes, I will always enjoy the occasional treat, but I have replaced this addiction with an addiction to endorphins. I LOVE exercise. If you're sad- exercise will fix it, if you're stressed- exercise will fix it, if you're anxious- exercise will fix it. If someone was to ask me now what I think the key to success and happiness is, I would honestly say exercise. 

Thank you for reading, I am excited to share my future endeavours!