We recently connected with Dani Lynn and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dani Lynn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later?

Honestly, I have asked myself this question a few times though I am a firm believer in the theory that everything happens for a reason and things will happen when the time is right. Would life be different if I had started my business earlier? Would I be further in my career? What would life look like if I decided to take a chance on myself a little earlier in life? Most of us who are entrepreneurs have found ourselves in this position.

I found myself in a place where I felt like a new chapter was budding. A new me was budding. I was a new mom of a beautiful baby girl, and suddenly I found myself with this renewed perspective on how I wanted my future life to look. I not only wanted to pursue this passion of mine not only for myself but for my baby girl as well. As cliche as it sounds, I wanted to show my child that it’s essential to know that that it’s ok to pivot and change paths when she can comprehend what all this entails. I wanted her to know that it’s ok not start where you initially saw yourself. I also wanted to prove all of this to myself as well.

I was an assistant manager at a well-known big box retailer at the time, and unhappy for a multitude of reasons, one of those being the hours which, as a result I was unable to see my newborn as often as I would have liked. During this experience, I knew I needed to change my lifestyle. I knew this had to change, and I wanted to changed. It was here that I decided to dedicate my time to actively pursuing, researching, educating myself, and actively changing my circumstances. I decided to leave the position and work at an establishment that understood motherhood as an essential and allowed me to work reasonable hours. Here I was able to plan my business out, work on more creative projects, and at least have a starting point, and for that I am forever grateful.

Starting sooner likely would have involved less fear, less hesitation, and more daring decision-making. I would have moved to a larger city to pursue my career. Honestly, I can’t say what life would have been for me if this had been the case, but everything happens for a reason. My untraditional path to pursuing my career has given me a perspective I would have not gained if my approach had been different. It has given me a community of people I’m not sure I would have met if this path of mine had been different. It has shown me opportunity can bud from the most unexpected places. For that, I will forever be grateful and take the lessons with me into all of my future endeavors.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hey Everyone! My name is Dani Lynn, and I am a creative director and fashion stylist. I am the founder of LYNN LLC. I have over six years of experience in the fashion industry. I use the skills gained from previous fashion merchandising, retail, styling, and creative direction-based positions to bring further expertise, growth, and success to brands, organizations, etc.

I knew, well, my parents knew from a young age that I would have an interest in fashion. I would make it known when I didn’t think my socks matched my outfit or would fuss with my clothes until I personally felt my look complete; I was as young as four years old. I feel as if I was destined to have a role in the fashion industry in some form, whether in a significant way or a more subtle way. It was always in my path. I remember watching Fashion Television every morning, catching up on the latest runway show, etc. I remember drawing out the wedding dress for a friend as we dreamed of our future weddings. I was a part of fashion clubs in college. I took up photography for years. I even shared a fashion-based youtube with my best friend. I knew fashion was my goal, but I needed help figuring out what profession. I worked retail and worked anywhere from sales associate to merchandiser to manager. None of them fit quite right for me. I even entertained the idea of designing. It was when I worked at a big box store, and styling was a part of my role. I fell in love with styling. I knew this was it, and it felt like home. I enjoyed seeing people’s moods and confidence boost from something as simple as learning what properly fits their body type and works for their body type. I enjoyed helping people gain or find more confidence in themselves. From there, I delved into styling, learned more about the different types of styling of could pursue, and where I could from there. From here I decided to start LYNN and pursue my career as a creative director and stylist.

I am beyond grateful for my past experiences, they have taught me to always think about the consumer, my clients, the details, and how whatever I share with the world will be received. It’s built in my brain at this point. I am specific about the colors I use because I understand that colors hold so much power and are beautiful ways to communicate without using words. I understand details are crucial and will touch every piece of clothing, prop, etc., and communicate with the photographer to ensure it all looks great on camera prior to taking photos. I communicate with my clients as much as possible in order to better understand their ideas, visions, and goals. I include them in almost every step of the way and understand that the final outcome won’t always be on the first try. My goal is to do what I can to ensure my clients are happy with the outcome and sometimes that means being able to listen, readjust and pivot to make sure it all turns out ok.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I have a few specific goals or missions that drive my creative journey, one in particular that stands out the most are showcasing those who are black and/or POCs. As a child growing up, it was rare to see those who look like me in artistic or creative spaces. I aim to work with, uplift, and include as many hands, voices, names, talent, etc. of those who are black and/or POCs.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I have a background in photography and in my earlier moments of figuring out my business, I styled, creatively directed, took photos and promoted the project all on my own. Taking on a project entirely on your own is a sure way to open the possibility of overexerting yourself and missing details because you’re attempting to focus on all of the elements rather than a few. A significant lesson I have learned is that it’s ok to release the reigns. It’s ok to take a step back and handle one aspect of a project or your business while you allow someone you trust to handle the other elements.

Contact Info:

• Website: nnyl.style
• Instagram: @nnyl.llc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-dickens-234419220

Image Credits
Donaven Doughty Savannah Sirois Nick Black