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

Jay, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I’ve mused on the idea of what success is for….my entire life basically. From the moment we say our first word, take our first steps, etc. we’re fed this idea of what success should look like. I drove myself insane trying to live up to someone else’s definition of success; as a result of that, I developed a habit of people pleasing and a pretty toxic negative self-dialogue. Especially with the rise of hustle culture & social media, the constant temptation to compare your success to someone else’s can take a toll on you. And we all know how dangerous that is. You begin to lose appreciation for your own journey and process. You’ll never be satisfied if you keep thinking the grass is greener somewhere else, and I have had to recenter many times and remind myself that the divine’s plan for me is exclusively FOR ME. How can you compare something that was prepared and carved out specifically for you, right?

In a lot of industries, but especially the fashion industry, success is typically measured by a lot of superficial things that are tied to status or “who you know.” Such as, who you’ve styled, what shows you’ve been invited to, and where you’ve been published. It took me a long time to realize that for the first two years of my career I was focused on attaining a version of success that wasn’t even my own. I had a paralyzing fear of being “unsuccessful,” so much so, that it kept me from fully showing up in my craft. It took the fun & passion out of it for me. Creating looks for clients began to feel like a chore, rather than something I once loved doing. I realized that simply doing what you LOVE & working in the industry you feel called to and are passionate about, is really the whole foundation to the version of success that I saw for myself.

Success is personal. It’s the whole process, every step of the way. I think we forget far too often that success is in the journey. It boils down to waking up every day and taking a step closer to your goals. Honoring your passions and waking up every morning & doing your best; whatever that may look like that day. You don’t get to where you desire to be by sitting around, right? Success is a compilation of all that work and all those little steps you took to get you there. I think it’s important to remember to not be so focused on the end goal that you forget to look around and show gratitude for the moments that built up to it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve always been a creative individual who was drawn to the fashion industry. I started getting into personal shopping & wardrobe styling at my first college. I was majoring in Journalism & minoring in Fashion Merchandising when I began posting my outfits on Instagram and Pinterest. I started to pick up a little bit of traction on campus and people began to reach out for styling advice. I did that for a while & then ended up transferring to an arts school where I was able to major in Fashion Marketing & Management.

It was here where I really developed a deep understanding of what the personal shopping/wardrobe styling world looked like and got introduced to trend forecasting. After a semester, Covid hit & business took a bit of a pause. There weren’t any events or shows for me to style, so I had to adjust; that was when my blog was born. I started posting more styling videos on TikTok as well and developed a small following there. I was able to pair my foundation of Journalism with all the new knowledge I had from within the industry.

Currently my blog & personal shopping services are taking a pause. It was time for a refurb & it’s important that I allow my business to grow as I do. This summer I will be relaunching with an entirely new website & new infrastructure for clients to book with. There will be more variety of services and a much more seamless integration with the blog. My goal is to help my clients translate their personality into their wardrobe. Clothes are self-expression and our style is truly a form of non-verbal communication, so I want people to feel confident, comfortable, and seen when they work with me.

My line is projected to launch late 2023 to early 2024. I’ve been working hard and doing the research needed to highlight sustainability, & comfort, while staying true to my love for streetwear & vintage designs. I owe it to my clients, the industry, and Mother Earth to pour into this and develop my line ethically & keep things sustainable. The silhouettes & pieces I’m working on are gorgeous & I’m excited to keep pouring my heart into it.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I absolutely love working in a creative field. It’s so rewarding having an idea/spark of inspiration and nurturing it as it develops & comes to fruition. As a creative who runs my own business and blog, it is beautiful being able to have full creative freedom in my art. I find so much joy in creating a look for someone that they feel confident in. Being able to be the vessel that was used to help someone see themselves in a different light or to help them express themselves is so fulfilling. It’s always amazing when a client has a vision and I deliver exactly what they wanted. There’s something really beautiful about the creative process of styling & personal shopping.

When it comes to my blog, I just have fun with it. I write my opinion and I educate people on how the industry is changing. Keeping up with trends is always fun, but giving people the tools to make them their own is my goal. I write like I’m on FaceTime with my readers and have a great time with my blog & Instagram pieces.

Currently I’m in my design era. I have tapped into a completely new side of my creativity. Honestly, my favorite part about this process is the bumps in the road. I have had to learn how to sketch and translate what I envision in my head onto paper and oh my word….it has been work. But I’m enjoying every moment of it.. Learning about how to size things inclusively and hand picking the fabrics I want for each piece is so cool I’m excited to make it my own, and share a piece of me with everyone.

How did you build your audience on social media?

In college, my free time was spent on Pinterest. I loved looking for outfits and new, fun pieces I could try to find to add to my wardrobe. I had a small following on Pinterest & Instagram when I started posting my outfits. This was during the rise of streetwear, when FOG & OFF-WHITE were all anyone talked about. I was known for always being in sneakers and sweats, no matter where I was at. Eventually pages that post fashion content started seeing my work & reposting it. That helped me grow my following a bit more and I got some traction on a few of my outfits on Pinterest as well. Once TikTok took over the social media scene, I started posting some different types of fashion/lifestyle related content and I would say that currently is my favorite platform.

My biggest advise is KEEP CREATING & KEEP POSTING YOUR CONTENT. It can be easy to look at analytics and obsesses over likes, engagement, and numbers, but just keep creating. The people that connect with your art will find it. If you’re looking to grow your social media, remain authentic. Post the kind of content that you like to engage with; it keeps it fun & you’ll already have a great eye for it. Put yourself on a schedule and just start posting consistently. A big part of the growth is consistency and forcing yourself to remain dedicated to the growth. You’ll find your people & they’ll find you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jaymalloyd.wixsite.com/empath
• Instagram: instagram.com/jmalloyd
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@missmalloyd