We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kortni Smyers-Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kortni , thanks for joining us today. What’s one of the most important lessons you learned in school?

One of the important lessons I learned right before graduating high school was that your work ethic will follow you where ever you go. The type of student that you are can determine the type of adult you will be. I did not always put my best foot forward when it came to academics, and as a result I had a wakeup call right around graduation. While most of my classmates were preparing to begin their freshman year at the University level, I was preparing to attend my local Junior College. I had a coach at the time that reminded me that there was nothing after junior college, so this was it. My mindset completely changed for the better and I only saw myself rising from this. I kept focused on my goal which was attending a major University and was able to graduate in two years with a 3.5 grade point average. This marked the beginning of a new relationship with school. I finally grew into the student I always knew I was cable of becoming. I now hold a Bachelors in Communications Media and a Masters in Journalism. The same worth ethic I applied in Junior College is that same worth ethic I apply in my everyday life now.

My advice would be do not wait until something is at stake to make a change. Do the work now, and watch how well things can turn out for you.

Kortni , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into the fashion industry through curiosity and chance. As a child I always loved to dress up. My mom was, and still is, one of my biggest fashion inspirations. Her outfits always seemed to spark a conversation, or put a smile one someones else’s face. She is the reason I am able to confidently wear bold and bright pieces because she was never afraid to be looked at as different. My brand focuses on budget friendly clothing such as thrifted fashion, commonly known from second hand stores. I grew up shopping and selling at my local thrift stores. I thought it was a fun way to make extra money, and a fun way to find popular things for less. It was always a thrill to go into a second hand store and be surprised on what you’ll find. Like my mom, my outfits began starting conversations and people would always asked me where did I get something that I was wearing from. When I would tell them I thrifted it, they would hardly believe me. I started educating them on the benefits of thrifting as well as the convenience. It wasn’t long before someone asked if I could go for them, and before you know it Kortni’s Kloset was born. I like to actually credit one of my dearest friends for the push. Kayla was my first client and the main reason I decided to take a leap of faith and develop this hobby that I love so much, into a business. I love that I get to do what I love and help make someones day all at the same time. Thank you Kayla!

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

The best piece of advice I want to share about building your online presence is to be yourself. Social media will forever change and evolve, this is inevitable. However, there is only one of you. We do a disservice to ourselves when we hide our best qualities, because ultimately no one can ever do it like you. Build your online presence by remembering your audience is out there, and they want you for you. Following the trends and the marketing strategies may be helpful at times, but when it causes you to loose the essence of why you started in the first place it becomes a stressor more than a tool. Utilize social media with a business mentality and know that it takes time to achieve greatness. Do not rush yourself, and make realistic goals. It’s always a beautiful things to have genuine support, so do not forget about those who support you now while you are on your way to impacting millions. Sometimes the smaller the audience the better, so remember that as you grow through each new stage with with gratitude and appreciation.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn the definition of hard work. Growing up, I thought hard work was actually impossible. Anything with the word hard in it made me frail and unconfident. As I got older, hard work became my new normal, but it was actually detrimental to my physical and mental health. I was finally challenging hard work with an I can mindset, but I accepted the pain that came with it. I had a really unhealthy view of what the actual term meant and went many years burning out thinking this was what it was all about. I now approach the term with gratitude, and love for service. I learned that hard work is not about putting yourself through strenuous task or being team no sleep. It is a mindset shift to where you believe with work, anything is possible. The term hard simply means to keep going even when you want to quit. I challenge any person that finds hard work difficult, to approach the task with gratitude first. Say to yourself “I get to do this” instead of “I have to do this.” This way, you make yourself aware that not everyone has this opportunity, or privilege to do what it is you are doing. It helps takes some of the negativity out of it, and replace it with a more open mindset. Now you have room in your mind to get whatever it is done, and feel proud about it later. All hard work really is, is an opportunity for you to strengthen your mind. Take the opportunity, then say thank you to it. This lesson was a major for my growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kortniskloset.com/
• Instagram: kortnis.kloset
• Youtube: earthkortni

Image Credits
Lelani Lara