Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Em MacDougal. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Em, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

I learned that no matter the situation, keeping a level head and not letting my emotions overcome me is the best approach. And also, not letting my job become my life and/or identity… My job/business, etc. is a part of me, not the whole me. Having that clear picture helps minimize burnout or, overcome it easier.

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

Hi, I’m Em, the person behind BloomingMagnoliasBlog.com, a life and style blog that highlights feminine style mixed with stories from real-life experiences.

I started this site as a creative outlet from my then-job that involved none. BloomingMagnoliasBlog.com gave me a sense of purpose and fun as I began to learn about the world of blogging and photography while exploring the things that brought me joy. In spite of the many changes in the industry, I remained true to myself and my style, which I think is one of the things that sets me apart. Another would be that I only share things I truly love and have an interest in.

The recent years have been hard on all of us, which is why I started a weekly series where I share 5 [totally random and seemingly insignificant] things that bring me joy each week — it’s become one of my favorite blog posts to write, and I think my audience enjoys as well. My goal is to inspire others to appreciate the little things in life — more often than not, those make a difference in our day-to-day.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Blogging, or any creative endeavor really, comes with challenges and disappointments presenting themselves in various ways. Burnout, lack of inspiration, slow growth, not getting the results you want, perfectionism, getting discouraged, negative feedback — all are things that happen at some point or another, and, let’s be real, they can be [soul] crushing. No matter the industry or lifestyle, we all experience some of these if not all, and I do, too.

I wanted to give up many times, and I still do some days. When that happens, I try to take a step back and think about what I would achieve by giving up. Would I regret it? Would I be happier?
I created this blog myself, without anyone’s help (well, minus my personal photographer, aka, my husband). I continue to maintain and put out that content all by myself — I come up with the ideas, research, execute them, edit, write, etc. Big or small, I think that’s something, and I am proud of it at the end of the day, so really, why give up? We can achieve the things we want, it’s just that… for some of us, getting there takes a little longer.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Canva Pro, haha.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bloomingmagnoliasblog.com
• Instagram: em.bloomingmagnoliasblog