Today we’d like to introduce you to Bri Williams.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Bri. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I always felt like something was missing from my life. I felt as though I was meant to be and do more. I love everything, fashion! I’m a small-town girl, so I’ve always had the knack to make something out of nothing. I’m also “that friend” who will tell you she’s only wearing jeans and a t-shirt to a function but walk in with high heels, fedora, and a face full of makeup. I know what you’re thinking. You probably think that I’m that hating friend that tries to out-dress everyone, but that’s not true! At the end of the day in my eyes, it’s literally only jeans and a t-shirt that I threw together because 9/10 I was running late anyway!
One day I was hanging out with my friends and one of them told me, “Bri, if you start a fashion blog, I would totally read it! I love the way you dress.” From that moment, the light bulb went off in my head and every emotion that I experienced previously that felt like I was missing something suddenly started to shift into alignment. It started as solely a fashion blog, “eight: thirty styles,” but as time grew and I grew along with it, my blog changed into so much more. I’ve had years of self-reflection and self-improvement since then, and I am still continuing to grow, but that moment was the start of my revolution.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. The road has literally snatched every wig from my scalp and pulled every piece of edges I have! My biggest struggle has always been me. I wish I could tell you that I’ve gracefully floated through this industry and everything is great, but that’s not the case at all. I’m not sure if this is a “creative” thing or not, but I can be very critical of myself and hard on myself. Operating in this behavior can be crippling in terms of posting content consistently. I’ve always had a voice in the back of my head saying that people wouldn’t be engaged with my content or that it wasn’t good enough to post. Sometimes I would believe that voice. So much so that in 2019 I stopped blogging with no plans to return.
During those months, I had to get to the root of the real issue. There’s always a real issue and sometimes the behaviors that we have and make excuses for are just symptoms of the real problem that’s going on. After lots of self-reflection and doing my very best imitation of my favorite internet auntie Iyanla Vanzant I decided to make a comeback in 2020! I wanted to give it my all and be my authentic self.
Fast forward to 2020, I am making strides with my blog, and I am very proud. There are still days where I question myself or days where I may be over-critical. On days like that, I lean heavily on why I started this in the first place, and it’s not for the applause or approval of other people. I draw strength from the very reason I started. When I remember that, I keep pushing! Even if it means doing it scared to death!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I started my blog solely as a way to express myself through fashion. That will always be a part of me. I love to empower women by letting them know we can look amazing without spending all of our coins. It doesn’t matter if it’s for brunch with the girls or another day at the office. I am a serial thrifter and I keep a coupon on deck, but with a little finesse and lots of confidence, I encourage women to look like a million bucks without spending over $40.
As I matured, I realized that there was something distinct about me that I wanted to share with people. Whether it’s trying to find my voice as a young black professional woman in corporate America or sharing my faith and what it’s like to navigate life as a millennial and a Christian. I wanted to be open and transparent about it all. When I decided to share my life with my virtual family, the chapters of my life’s story became another part of my business.
Through my blog, I am most proud of the transparency that I am striving to display. Showing people that I am not perfect by any means necessary, nor am I striving for perfection. I just want to invite people alongside me as I grow. In my opinion, that is what sets me apart. I’m not trying to coerce people into joining this journey for personal gain. My heart and motives are genuine and pure. I want to see women win in all aspects of their lives – through faith and fashion. I think God gave me the gift of style as bait, but behind it all, I’m only trying to lead people to him.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment so far has been the corporate/creative styling that I’ve been able to do with a media company (JustShayMedia). It was a remake of the epic movie Queen and Slim. I was asked to do the styling for the shoot. It went over really well! To know that I could do my part to not only make it happen but to make it believable through style was a great feeling. It was also amazing that Lena Waithe posted it twice! That really made me feel like I was making moves!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brishantel.com
- Instagram: brishantel_
- Twitter: brishantel_
Image Credit:
JustShayMedia
The Millennium Fashion Show
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