We recently connected with Kelsey Dayhuff and have shared our conversation below.

Kelsey, 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 think the driving factor of being successful is the willingness to keep going. When you look at the “most successful” people, i guarantee you that they have some failures under their belt. That they have gotten burnt out, took time off, fallen, gotten back up again, and kept going. Success means different things to different people, but I truly believe that to achieve success, in whatever terms that means to you, you have to have the drive to keep going. Life is unpredictable and you cannot control the things that life throws at you. But you can control how you react to them. And you can control if you let them bury you, or if you let them strengthen you.

My husband was recently diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. It was a hardball that our family was not expecting and it knocked us all down. I am a content creator and I was just hitting my stride; getting multiple proposals a day, finally able to pick and choose which brands I wanted to align with, and booking more deals than I had been expecting- and then one day we took my husband to the hospital and my whole world changed. We spent months trying to get our bearings back, I ignored all my incoming emails and didnt create any content or work with any brands. I felt broken. My only focus was my husband, our 3 year old daughter, and my 17 year old stepdaughter. I was mentally exhausted. But little by little, I pushed myself to start getting up and doing more. More than I did the day before. More than I did the week before. More than I did the month before. I had gotten knocked down worse than I could have ever expected, but that little voice inside me said “dont give up yet”. My drive is fueled by my family, my faith, and my inner strength. And boy is it true when they say ‘you dont know how strong you are until being strong is the only option you have’. I’ve slowly gotten back up and started creating again. I went through and responded to every single email I had put off. I read and re-read dozens of campaigns and signed with some amazing companies. I am finally excited again for the path that I’m on, even though it may look a little different than I was expecting.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a stay at home mom who LOVES staying home with my daughter but really needed something for myself, a creative outlet I could call my own. I started running an online boutique which I absolutely adored. With the exposure my boutique brought, I was able to work with some of my favorite brands as an ambassador, which led me to the world of content creating. It’s been such a dream to work with brands that I love, that I align with, and that I believe in. I love inspiring other moms; whether it be through fashion, self-care, my lifestyle, or the unpredictable path my journey has taken. I give realistic reviews on products that can truly make your life easier, better, or just more fun! After my husbands cancer diagnosis, i was unable to keep the boutique running- as it was just too much on my plate as I am my husbands fulltime caretaker. Which as now given me more time to work on creating content for the wonderful brands I work with.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building a social media presence is truly about the long game. You have to work at it consistently- slow and steady. I know there are so many temptations to do things the easy way, but that will always turn around to bite you in the butt. You have to be true to yourself and show authenticity because people can see right through a fake persona. The number one thing you have to build with you followers is TRUST. You can’t shill just any product or brand that wants you to, you can’t say you love every single product when you really dont. That may create a surge of success but will then most certainly lead to a downfall. Connect with your audience, get to know them just like they are getting to know you. I have found so many wonderful friendships through social media; women that I have now met in real life and talk to every single day. It can be a magical place if you have the right mindset and find the people you WANT to connect with.

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

The most rewarding part of this job for me is having the freedom to stay home with my daughter while also having an outlet that lets me stay true to myself. Its grounding. I love being a mom; we hoped and prayed for 2 long years for our daughter and I wouldnt trade it for anything in the world. But I dont want to lose myself to the role. I am a mother, but I’m also a wife, I’m also a friend, I’m also a woman. I get to connect with woman that have the same ideals and interests as me, and even some that dont! I get to share parts of my life with them that can resonate and help them through their struggles too. And I get to work alongside and support some amazing brands- and I get to do it on my own time. While still being home to take my daughter to the park, or make her dinner, or put her to bed. I feel like I get the best of both worlds. This may not be my path forever, I dont know what the future holds. But I am so thankful this is where my path is right now and has allowed me this precious time with my family.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kelseydeniseday
• Facebook: Kelsey Dayhuff