[Applause]
so I lost my job last week everyone
keeps asking me if I’m okay I said yes I
am but I remind them that I lost my job
and not my dream job I’m a men’s fashion
blogger here in the city of Chicago and
I take pride in what I do and how I
dressed before I head outside every day
at school I would go and I would dress
in a suit or tie jeans paired up with
sneakers or dress shoes the question I
got a lot from professors of students
was Steven why do you always dress up
it was simple I would tell them you
never know who you’re going to meet
downtown it’s true
people judge you by the way you look and
I’m way you appear there’s nothing wrong
with wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt oh
but it’s how it fits and how it lays on
your body fit is key in any outfit I
would tell the guys who engraft graphic
design gaming IT video there one day
they’re gonna have to dress up and be
presentable for any job interview they
go to one of the many keys of success
that I’ve used every day was being
patient patience was very hard for me
patience was something that I really had
to learn in my first year in the
beginning I had to find a photographer I
had to find someone to design my website
and to do my logo but patience was
something that I really really really
struggled with and I keep saying that
because it’s true if something was going
to take me a year I wanted to do it in
six months and I really really thought
that I was gonna make it big in the
first year and swing for the fences but
that wasn’t the case
fun fact about blogs is they last a
hundred days to a year that’s crazy
a hundred days to a year people give up
my next key to success that I always use
every day was being nice
everyone being nice goes a very long way
helps you network it helps you connect
with someone else
and it Broad’s your ideas when you
connect with someone I remember when I
went to school and an advisor pulled me
aside and he said Stephen I have an
opportunity for you I there was
opportunity at Chicago a magazine for
writers he gave me the number I called
him up and I talked to them and I made
sure that the position was still
available they said yes and to be there
in an hour I looked at my outfit just
because I always dress so nice every day
that I was ready to go as soon as I got
there they asked me you know the net of
the normal standard questions of any
interview I must have done something
right on answering the questions because
I got the job on the spot they picked me
out of all the applicants and I was
super humble about that because it was a
great opportunity for me to grow my
writing my second thing about being nice
to everyone is that another friend from
school she called me up and I remember
exactly where I was at because I was
inside Target I was right where the
movie section was and she tells me hey
my website that I write for high-fashion
living is looking for new writers again
I’m throwing my hands up in the air
super excited and not caring who was
around me she said Ford me some of your
work and take it and I’ll send it to the
editor and I’ll call you in a couple
weeks well within those weeks I was able
to write for them and I still continued
write for – let me calm these people
didn’t have to help me they didn’t have
to go out of their way and show me that
they cared about me growing as a person
or growing as a brand and as we heard
branding and marketing is key for any
my third and last final key that has
helped me grow my blog was turning any
situation into something good
haven’t you guys ever gone somewhere
where it’s not what you expect but you
have to make the best health situation
well recently I’ve gone to Las Vegas to
magic convention and I’m pretty sure you
guys are thinking magic I’m gonna pull
the bunny out of my jackets or teach you
guys a magic trick no it’s it’s not that
it’s for the people who are in the
fashion industry who come together who
are buyers who are vendors who really
connect with each other and sell fabrics
and great ideas come from each other I
was more interested in meeting new
bloggers and I was super excited to meet
new bloggers talk to them about hey I
saw your picture I’m a big fan and I
support you they weren’t interested in
me they made me feel like I wasn’t as
good as them that I was someone who was
just trying to be like them and take
away their fame and I felt really bad
after having that conversation with them
I felt disrespected I’m walking back to
my room feeling like I’m not good enough
and you should never feel like that so I
sat in my room for a little bit picked
myself up and said you know what I gotta
make the best out of this situation so I
grabbed my more of my business cards
left my room and talked to every vendor
every business every person that was
there on the marketing / PR team I left
there feeling success because I took
that opportunity and just ran with it
because I was there for myself and I
wasn’t there for them but I need to grow
myself another time where I turned the
situation around was one day I was on my
laptop and I got an email I got an email
from someone I don’t know who but said
my blog sucked that it was terrible that
it was a waste of time
anyone who received that
Mill would have felt bad for themselves
would have probably stopped writing
stops what they’re doing and ruin their
day I was just thinking man this person
has a lot of time on their hands I
remember what my blog stood for and who
it was for was for guys who needed help
and the guys who wanted some advice and
if they were super slim or really
muscular or a little bigger that I was
able to help them and show them what
kind of fits they need everyone keeps
asking me Steven how do you get free
product and I say well you have to do a
number of things I go on LinkedIn and I
talked to anyone who’s in the PR
departments or marketing and I find them
and I make a connection I click connect
if they accept me back I give them the
whole spiel of who I am and what I do
when we’re I’m from and if they give me
their email it’s kind of like all right
they’re gonna send me some stuff but a
lot of people are afraid who are young
bloggers who are growing up and growing
their blog they’re afraid of rejection
and hearing the word no and I’m okay
with hearing no if friends do want to
work with me now I’m gonna make you work
with me later because I’m gonna have
growing my followers and do what I need
to do to prove to you that you should
sponsor me I’ve worked with tons of
great grat tons of great brands Perry
Ellis they had a competition with GQ
styles I’ve been reground by combat gent
for those who don’t know what regram is
is when they take my picture and they
posted on their company or brands
website that was my first one by the way
and I was super ecstatic the crosby
bonobos bonobos was recently and I’m
super proud of them for doing that for
me because I worked for them so I was
surprised that they were able to rebrand
me a suit
company in Canada they sent I actually
went there and bought it but they were
nice enough to regram me unofficial
they’re doing a new line at forever 21
if you guys haven’t seen it already they
are doing a basketball collaboration
I’ve even represented New primal beef
jerky sticks you think of beef jerky you
think that’s a manly thing but it tastes
very good and everyone should have some
but I’m not representing them and that’s
not for you to go by them hair gel
I love hair gel it’s fun and exciting
for new brands that I get to work with
every day Fossil watch giveaway spreads
a box Jackthreads
if anyone’s been to Obama bar good
doughnuts are fantastic
Brooklyn cloth Chicago series things
like this that are in the Chicagoland
area I am all about and representing my
city because like I said I am the only
one who is a men’s fashion blogger here
there’s tons of successful woman
bloggers and they do an amazing job I
just try to keep up timberland Tim
Berlin was an event where I got to
attend to
last year they sent me a jacket and a
pair of boots that I still wear again
combadge n I’ve been reground high
fashion living is another the website
that I told you that I work for still
but after working with all these brands
it seems like it’s impossible to do
whether you have a job or you don’t to
follow your dreams and to keep at it and
if you have a hobby that you love keep
doing it because you don’t know where it’s going to take you thank you
so I lost my job last week everyone
keeps asking me if I’m okay I said yes I
am but I remind them that I lost my job
and not my dream job I’m a men’s fashion
blogger here in the city of Chicago and
I take pride in what I do and how I
dressed before I head outside every day
at school I would go and I would dress
in a suit or tie jeans paired up with
sneakers or dress shoes the question I
got a lot from professors of students
was Steven why do you always dress up
it was simple I would tell them you
never know who you’re going to meet
downtown it’s true
people judge you by the way you look and
I’m way you appear there’s nothing wrong
with wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt oh
but it’s how it fits and how it lays on
your body fit is key in any outfit I
would tell the guys who engraft graphic
design gaming IT video there one day
they’re gonna have to dress up and be
presentable for any job interview they
go to one of the many keys of success
that I’ve used every day was being
patient patience was very hard for me
patience was something that I really had
to learn in my first year in the
beginning I had to find a photographer I
had to find someone to design my website
and to do my logo but patience was
something that I really really really
struggled with and I keep saying that
because it’s true if something was going
to take me a year I wanted to do it in
six months and I really really thought
that I was gonna make it big in the
first year and swing for the fences but
that wasn’t the case
fun fact about blogs is they last a
hundred days to a year that’s crazy
a hundred days to a year people give up
my next key to success that I always use
every day was being nice
everyone being nice goes a very long way
helps you network it helps you connect
with someone else
and it Broad’s your ideas when you
connect with someone I remember when I
went to school and an advisor pulled me
aside and he said Stephen I have an
opportunity for you I there was
opportunity at Chicago a magazine for
writers he gave me the number I called
him up and I talked to them and I made
sure that the position was still
available they said yes and to be there
in an hour I looked at my outfit just
because I always dress so nice every day
that I was ready to go as soon as I got
there they asked me you know the net of
the normal standard questions of any
interview I must have done something
right on answering the questions because
I got the job on the spot they picked me
out of all the applicants and I was
super humble about that because it was a
great opportunity for me to grow my
writing my second thing about being nice
to everyone is that another friend from
school she called me up and I remember
exactly where I was at because I was
inside Target I was right where the
movie section was and she tells me hey
my website that I write for high-fashion
living is looking for new writers again
I’m throwing my hands up in the air
super excited and not caring who was
around me she said Ford me some of your
work and take it and I’ll send it to the
editor and I’ll call you in a couple
weeks well within those weeks I was able
to write for them and I still continued
write for – let me calm these people
didn’t have to help me they didn’t have
to go out of their way and show me that
they cared about me growing as a person
or growing as a brand and as we heard
branding and marketing is key for any
my third and last final key that has
helped me grow my blog was turning any
situation into something good
haven’t you guys ever gone somewhere
where it’s not what you expect but you
have to make the best health situation
well recently I’ve gone to Las Vegas to
magic convention and I’m pretty sure you
guys are thinking magic I’m gonna pull
the bunny out of my jackets or teach you
guys a magic trick no it’s it’s not that
it’s for the people who are in the
fashion industry who come together who
are buyers who are vendors who really
connect with each other and sell fabrics
and great ideas come from each other I
was more interested in meeting new
bloggers and I was super excited to meet
new bloggers talk to them about hey I
saw your picture I’m a big fan and I
support you they weren’t interested in
me they made me feel like I wasn’t as
good as them that I was someone who was
just trying to be like them and take
away their fame and I felt really bad
after having that conversation with them
I felt disrespected I’m walking back to
my room feeling like I’m not good enough
and you should never feel like that so I
sat in my room for a little bit picked
myself up and said you know what I gotta
make the best out of this situation so I
grabbed my more of my business cards
left my room and talked to every vendor
every business every person that was
there on the marketing / PR team I left
there feeling success because I took
that opportunity and just ran with it
because I was there for myself and I
wasn’t there for them but I need to grow
myself another time where I turned the
situation around was one day I was on my
laptop and I got an email I got an email
from someone I don’t know who but said
my blog sucked that it was terrible that
it was a waste of time
anyone who received that
Mill would have felt bad for themselves
would have probably stopped writing
stops what they’re doing and ruin their
day I was just thinking man this person
has a lot of time on their hands I
remember what my blog stood for and who
it was for was for guys who needed help
and the guys who wanted some advice and
if they were super slim or really
muscular or a little bigger that I was
able to help them and show them what
kind of fits they need everyone keeps
asking me Steven how do you get free
product and I say well you have to do a
number of things I go on LinkedIn and I
talked to anyone who’s in the PR
departments or marketing and I find them
and I make a connection I click connect
if they accept me back I give them the
whole spiel of who I am and what I do
when we’re I’m from and if they give me
their email it’s kind of like all right
they’re gonna send me some stuff but a
lot of people are afraid who are young
bloggers who are growing up and growing
their blog they’re afraid of rejection
and hearing the word no and I’m okay
with hearing no if friends do want to
work with me now I’m gonna make you work
with me later because I’m gonna have
growing my followers and do what I need
to do to prove to you that you should
sponsor me I’ve worked with tons of
great grat tons of great brands Perry
Ellis they had a competition with GQ
styles I’ve been reground by combat gent
for those who don’t know what regram is
is when they take my picture and they
posted on their company or brands
website that was my first one by the way
and I was super ecstatic the crosby
bonobos bonobos was recently and I’m
super proud of them for doing that for
me because I worked for them so I was
surprised that they were able to rebrand
me a suit
company in Canada they sent I actually
went there and bought it but they were
nice enough to regram me unofficial
they’re doing a new line at forever 21
if you guys haven’t seen it already they
are doing a basketball collaboration
I’ve even represented New primal beef
jerky sticks you think of beef jerky you
think that’s a manly thing but it tastes
very good and everyone should have some
but I’m not representing them and that’s
not for you to go by them hair gel
I love hair gel it’s fun and exciting
for new brands that I get to work with
every day Fossil watch giveaway spreads
a box Jackthreads
if anyone’s been to Obama bar good
doughnuts are fantastic
Brooklyn cloth Chicago series things
like this that are in the Chicagoland
area I am all about and representing my
city because like I said I am the only
one who is a men’s fashion blogger here
there’s tons of successful woman
bloggers and they do an amazing job I
just try to keep up timberland Tim
Berlin was an event where I got to
attend to
last year they sent me a jacket and a
pair of boots that I still wear again
combadge n I’ve been reground high
fashion living is another the website
that I told you that I work for still
but after working with all these brands
it seems like it’s impossible to do
whether you have a job or you don’t to
follow your dreams and to keep at it and
if you have a hobby that you love keep
doing it because you don’t know where it’s going to take you thank you
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