Coffee With a World Changer - Kat Harris, The Refined Woman

You know how I know God is good? Because He is continually amazing me with the caliber of people He brings into my life. Introduced by a friend at a church service, I knew that I had to spend more time with Miss Kat Harris. After our brief introduction, I walked away with a few tidbits about her: blogger, photographer, LA|NYC girl, lover of Jesus.

After a couple months of trying to get together (man we are two very busy ladies), we were finally able to sit down over coffee at Intelligentsia for a chat about life, love, dreams, impacting future generations and what it means to be The Refined Woman.

What do you do for a living?
I'm a working woman, who loves fashion, photography, and hopes to encourage other woman to realize their potential and worth.

Three words to describe your life currently.
Focused. Vulnerable. Connection.

Tell me more.
Focused - Maybe clear is a better word. I feel very clear about where I'm going with my life, who I am, why i'm doing what I'm doing. I'm clear with where I am going with my photography business and The Refined Woman. I feel very clear.

Vulnerable - Anytime you step forward to chase your dream it is terrifying. I feel like everything on the inside is flipped on the outside. I have to let go of the fear of failure and judgement, and that is vulnerable.

Connection - Staying connected to myself, staying connected to God, my community, my vision.

Talk about The Refined Woman.
My vision with The Refined Woman is to empower and encourage young woman to embrace their beauty, value, identity and worth. The Refined Woman started as a fashion blog. It is a joint effort between myself and my good friend Emily. It has evolved recently to the point where we still have fashion posts, but they highlight very classic investment pieces. We have felt a shift to share more of our hearts and lives because it is what people are connecting with. The heart behind The Refined Woman is to put content out there that places value on women, and inspires them to chase their dreams while having confidence in themselves.

What are some challenges you face when blogging?
I think that God is always challenging me to think if I really believe what I'm preaching through the posts I publish. The Refined Woman is authentic and embraces her season of life, so that means when I do a style post I can't put sunglasses on because I look tired, and if I'm not feeling super skinny I don't reschedule. Those are the days that I have to take pictures, because it's a sharpening tool. I also recently started a series on the blog called, "Real Sex in the City". It is another one of those things that God was like, "I have an invitation for you..", and it is scary. That series has been super vulnerable but such a blessing.

Give me some steps for inspiring bloggers.
Create a vision. Why are you doing what you are doing, be clear and specific. Through that lens you can make decisions about the direction of your blog. Practical things...find 10 other blogs you connect with, look at them and ask yourself why. Is it the content, color palette, ascetic...why do you like it. Also, when someone comes to your blog what are four words you want them feel through your site. For me it's timeless, intimacy, movement and laughter. So anything that goes up falls in line with those brand words. From there, quality is way better than quantity. Consistency is important, but do it in excellence. What is going to distinguish you in an ocean of bloggers is authenticity and excellence.

Dating in New York City...Go.
I think it is all about the perspective you have about yourself. I eventually realized that I had to shift the way that I processed it all. I've dated guys and it has been wonderful, incredible and beautiful, but in the end we wanted different things. God taught me that you can really really care about someone but they might not be the best fit. In the end love is worth the pain, and I want to keep my heart open to what God has for me.

Let's talk New York City. 

Favorite place to eat. 
Saxon & Parol. Their Old-Fashioned is amazing and the food is incredible. Caracas, I dream of that place.

Favorite place to get coffee. 
Intelligentsia. Toby's Estate.

Favorite place to shop. 
Madwell, J.Crew and Zara. I am a creature of habit.

Finally, do you have any New Year's resolutions?
I think the biggest thing is I've tried to shift my vocabulary this year. Instead of saying, "I have to" or "I need to," I am trying to change it to "I choose to," "I get to" and "it is a gift to." This sort of vocabulary shifts the way you look at the world.

Thank you Kat for teaching me more about being The Refined Woman. I'm inspired and encouraged to be a better woman. Check out her blog here and photography website here.

xoxo
naturally ginger

Pictures c/o The Refined Woman

Coffee with a World Changer - Kait from Madly Mignon

I'm hanging my head with shame (picture me doing that), because it has been months since I put out a "Coffee with a World Changer" post. My main hope of this blog is to encourage, inspire and uplift others to live full and joyful lives. That's why I LOVE this series of blog posts. Their purpose is to highlight individuals who are running their race in an inspiring way.

Here is a little reminder of my definition of a World Changer: Someone who lives their life to the full each and every day with purpose.

Qualities of a World Changer:

Has vision for their future.

Thinks of others.

Knows what they do is bigger than themselves.

Does not seek recognition.

Desires to influence some sphere of life in a positive way.

Today, I am highlighting my friend Kait from Madly Mignon. I met Kait at church a few years back and have always admired her personal style. I am so proud of her and the blog she has created. It is beautiful to see someone doing what they are supposed to in life. Kait and I sat down for a glass of Prosecco, instead of coffee, at the beautiful Mondrian Soho for a chat about fashion, blogging, NYC and all things Madly Mignon.

Three words to describe you.

Creative. Gatherer. Jesus.

Tell me more.

Creative - I'm the type of person who always wants to be doing something different. I think that is why I'm into fashion and the creative part of that. I get to live this out through my day to day job and also through the blog. The blog is my own personal way of being creative. I've been crafty and creative since I was a little girl and don't think I fully tapped into that side of me until I started the blog.

Gatherer. I love to bring people together. I enjoy hosting hangouts for people to meet, connect and create bonds. 

Jesus. My faith is the most important thing in my life. It has been interesting incorporating that into the fashion industry, the balance of staying true to yourself, what you believe in, and not conforming to others. I try to be open with my faith and talk about Jesus when the opportunity presents itself.

Tell me about your blog. 

I've always wanted to start a blog. But I kept thinking, so many people have blogs, I don't have the time and I don't know the first things about starting one. I decided to begin with photography, so I took a class here in New York to learn the basics. Through this, I was able to use the skill of photography to start a blog. You can't start a blog without quality photos. Once I did that, I decided to do a fashion blog, not just fashion but lifestyle too. A blog about me as a person and what I represent in life. I'm also really lucky because my job requires me to travel a lot. It has been something fun to add to the blog and hopefully inspire people.

Madly Mignon. What does it mean?

Madly Mignon means "Madly Cute" in French. It is a part of me. I love everything French and French culture is part of my soul and spirit. Every time I visit it feels like my home. I was just there a month ago and I'm so inspired by its beauty - the culture, art, romance, fashion. It is beautiful. 

Talk about your style.

I don't have the most everyday style. I feel like it is unique and different, something interesting for people to see. Maybe everyone won't wear my full skirts and sparkly tops everyday but it is fun and I like to put it out there. 

Where do you see yourself in a year?

In a year I'll hopefully still be doing what I am currently. I want to grow the blog more and I would love to use it as a means to brand myself in the future. Work is crazy and amazing so I hope to continue with that because I'm so thankful for the experiences it has allotted me. I'd love to do more collaborations with people, working with more bloggers and smaller brands. My goal is to grab smaller brands and highlight them. I'd love to help others reach their dreams.

There are a million bloggers out there. How have you made a voice for yourself? 

Just staying with it. The encouragement from people helped me to keep going when I was not sure. I think my unique style and ability to travel has helped set me apart a bit. I always try to make each post visually pleasing and interesting. At the beginning I met a friend over twitter, Lauren Cecchi, she's a handbag designer. She invited me to this blogger brunch, and I met a ton of other bloggers. One blogger in particular, Marissa from Stylecusp, has really supported me. We hit it off, did some work together, and she helped me get into Reward Style. That has been a game changer. I prayed to get into Reward Style from the start of the blog, it has helped elevate my blog and brand in so many ways.

Advice for new bloggers.

The ability to have high quality photos and edit them well. Brand yourself in all aspects of social media. Figure out your voice, what you want to show people. Also, learn how to create a website.

Favorite places to shop in NYC.

I love vintage shopping in New York. In Soho there is INA. I just discovered Vintage Thrift West in the West Village. Top Shop and Zara are my other favorites. 

Favorite on-line shops.

BaubleBar for jewelry. ASOS. Goodnight Macaroon is a new one I discovered. One Kings Lane for home goods.

Hottest style trend currently.

Fringe. Fringe is on everything. My personal favorite trends are a high waisted skirt and metallics.

Favorite places to eat.

Buvette. Maison Kayser. Tartine. Palma.

Last words.

Be yourself, embrace who you are. Start each day positive no matter what you face. Try to remember your blessings.

Thanks Kait for letting us into your world, it truly is Madly Mignon.

Photos are courtesy of Madly Mignon. Check out Kait's blog here.

- naturally ginger

Coffee with a World Changer - Gracie Gordon

I'm excited to introduce a new post series titled "Coffee with a World Changer"! Living in New York City you have the opportunity to brush up against and stumble upon people doing such unique and interesting things with their lives. I'm in awe sometimes of the visions and goals people have for themselves. I hope this series will show you that you yourself are a World Changer. You don't have to discover the cure to cancer or invent the next hot social media platform to be considered a World Changer in my eyes. We all occupy different streets, you are where you are for a purpose so own it!

Here is my definition of a World Changer: Someone who lives their life to the full each and every day with purpose.

Qualities of a World Changer:

Has vision for their future.

Thinks of others.

Knows what they do is bigger than themselves.

Does not seek recognition.

Desires to influence some sphere of life in a positive way.

I hope these posts will inspire and encourage you to occupy your road of life in the best way possible!

Today I would like to introduce you to Gracie Gordon. I met Gracie about 3 years ago through my friend Jessi (Check out her Blog - Modern Wonderland). We worked together to brainstorm the beginnings of the organization FreelyBe, and have remained friends since. She is the author of the Blog Girl Meets Life and just launch her jewelry line Speakable. I chose to highlight Gracie as a "World Changer" because she is a great example of seeing vision for your life and going after it. I am a huge fan of her Blog and love the heart behind Speakable. Here are some snapshots from our chat at Irving Farm Coffee Roasters.

Name 3 words to describe your life right now. 

Adventure, Faith, Love

One word to describe what you do for a living.

Hustle. 

Tell me about Girl Meets Life.

I have been blogging for 4 years. I started blogging in college because I loved writing and getting my voice out there. It was a hobby and I did not think it would last. But, I started gaining followers and decided to stick with it. It is a lifestyle blog and I cover healthy living, fashion, relationship, beauty, and NYC. 

What is your favorite thing to write about?

I love writing about life lessons. They come to me at the most random times, they are a bit God inspired. I'll sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and know I'm supposed to write about certain topics. 

What is the vision behind Speakable?

I love how much power words can hold...I'm fascinated about how they change the way we feel and think about something. 

How do you come up with the words that go on the necklaces?

I come up with the different themes for the collections...I keep a running list of words that are on my mind and on my heart. I'll then go to my closest friends and ask them which words resonate with them the most and why. Without even trying the words come together with certain themes. These themes are the collections which will be coming out every couple of months. I really want Speakable to be almost a lifestyle; for people to really embrace and identify with the words that they choose. I want the necklaces to start a conversation. 

 

(Photos c/o Speakable)

What is a goal you have for the next 6-12months?

I want to see more collaborations. I think networking and partnering with people is the best way to do business and life - I just love sharing vision and ideas with other people. I would also love to see Speakable necklace being worn all over the world. 

What is the best advice you've been given recently?

A quote I saw on Pinterest..."Create the things you wish existed." Creating something new can be scary, to create something new you really have to put yourself out there and you might fail. I really had to overcome that fear in both my Blog and Speakable...but I realized that if I don't create these things, who else will? 

Favorite shopping spot currently? 

TopShop, Zara, ASOS, Intermix

Favorite restaurant in NYC?

I have so many! For dinner I love Alta, Beauty & Essex, Feast, Pure Food and Wines. For brunch Freeman's, Extra Virgin, and Prune. And then there's my favorite secret find/hole in the wall Empanada Mama. 

What do you like to do in NYC?

I love walking around or riding my bike exploring the city. During the day, when it's warmer out, I like going to Smorgasborg in Brooklyn. At night, I love Comedy Cellar in the Village...never gets old. Lately, I've been loving speakeasies (like Apotheke) and good old dive bars. 

Thank you so much Gracie for taking time to talk about Girl Meets Life and Speakable. Naturally Ginger is 100% you and excited to see your goals become a reality in the near future! 

d.eileen