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The FFIAs Awards: A Celebration of Excellence and Impact

The FFIA Awards were nothing short of magical. A vibrant, affirming space filled with innovators, change-makers, and culture shapers. It felt like a family reunion… with old friends, colleagues, and mentors all in one place.

From the red-carpet moments to the powerful conversations happening between cocktails and awards, it was a weekend of recognition and reconnection. The energy in the room was electric, and I felt honored just to be in that number.

When My Name Was Called

I knew I was being honored… it wasn’t a secret. But when it was time to actually walk up and receive the award, it was surreal. Not gonna lie, I felt a wave of imposter syndrome rush over me. Especially because I’m still very much in my rebuild era, a phoenix rising from the ashes.

But also? It was also overwhelming to be amongst some of those who I look up to- who were also honored! The 2025 FFIAs Awards Honorees were an esteemed bunch (Susan Moses, Liris Crosse, Suzanne Ujáque-Guzmán and Simone Gordon?!), and I was recognized right with them! Eek!

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As I walked to the stage, flashes of the past few years rushed through me: the 10-month acquisition deal that collapsed and took my business with it. The silence. The stillness. The moment everything I thought I was building? Fell apart.

But I also remembered what came after. The rebuild. The reckoning. The resilience.

Sharing My Truth: My Acceptance Speech

The speech I shared that night wasn’t just for the room, it was for every entrepreneur who has faced the fog of uncertainty, the fear of starting over, or the shame of a so-called failure. Here is my FFIAs Award speech, in full:

“Standing here as Entrepreneur of the Year feels surreal, not because I didn’t believe in the work, but because there was a time not long ago when I wasn’t sure I’d still be in business.

Ten months. That’s how long I waited, paused, for an acquisition deal that ultimately fell through. And when it did, it took the foundation of my business with it. But what looked like failure turned out to be the beginning of my most powerful chapter yet.

The truth is, even before that deal, I had been growing The Curvy Fashionista, but I had no real idea what I was growing into. I searched for tools, mentors, resources… but it’s hard to find what you need when you don’t yet have the language for your vision. Still, I tried. I made mistakes. A lot of them. But what I’ve learned, especially through the many entrepreneurial podcasts and stories that kept me company, is that success isn’t about never falling. It’s about failing forward. Failing fast. And most importantly, learning and keeping it moving.

That mindset is why TCF will be celebrating 17 years this December.

I didn’t give up.

Sure, there were moments when I retreated into myself, to heal, to rest, to reflect. But I never stopped. And through the BOMESI accelerator for Black digital media publishers of color, I got a lifeline, and a mirror. I dove deep into the business of media, rebuilt from the ground up, and did the inner work to grow into the leader I am today.

This award isn’t just about bouncing back. It’s about building forward, with intention, with clarity, and with a commitment to center community over clicks. Through The Curvy Fashionista, I’ve created a platform where plus-size voices, stories, and style are celebrated, not sidelined.

To every entrepreneur who’s navigating the fog, the fear, or the failures, I see you. Keep going. And to my team, my community, and my readers… this honor is ours.

Thank you for seeing me. And thank you for seeing the vision.

We’re just getting started.

What This Award Means to Me

This FFIAs award isn’t only about recognition… but let’s be real, it is about that, too. To be recognized by my peers is such a humbling, affirming feeling, one I didn’t even realize I wanted or needed until it came. It cracked something open in me.

This moment was about learning how to be proud of myself. About giving myself permission to receive, to sit in it, to honor how far I’ve come. It was a mirror; not just reflecting growth, but showing me the peace I’ve found, the understanding of my purpose, and the grace I’ve given myself to walk tall in it.

It was about faith. How I’ve wrestled with it. Grown into it. And now, how I delight in it.

Yes, this award is about reflection, but it’s also about reclamation. And I’m claiming every bit of it.

Lessons for Fellow Entrepreneurs

If you take anything from my story, let it be this:

• Growth isn’t always clear in the moment, but it’s always happening.
• You don’t need to have all the answers to take the next step.
• Rest is a strategy. Healing is a strategy.
• Failure is part of the formula, not the opposite of success.

On Gratitude and Giving Thanks

Through this journey, I’ve truly learned what it means to be grateful. Picking up a gratitude journal became more than a habit, it became a healing practice. It shifted my mindset from one of scarcity to one of abundance. Instead of constantly focusing on what I’d lost or what wasn’t working, I found myself delighting in the smallest of things… the quiet blessings we often overlook when we’re too busy surviving.

Gratitude helped me reframe and redefine how I saw my life, my purpose, and my path forward. And in that spirit, I want to take a moment to thank those who’ve been a part of this journey:

To Tawanna and the team at TheFFIAs.com: thank you for this honor.
To BOMESI: thank you for the space to learn, stretch, and rebuild.
To my team, my community, and my TCF readers: this is ours. You held me when I couldn’t hold myself.
To my family. Thank you for your unwavering support in every facet of this journey: emotional, spiritual, financial, and practical.
To my mom and stepdad, Grace and Earl; my sister Krystee; my auntie Gretchen; our family matriarch, my Nanna; and to my close friends and chosen family who held me down, educated me, motivated me, and lovingly challenged me… thank you. I share this win with each of you.

What’s Next

We’re heading into The Curvy Fashionista’s 17th anniversary. With new events, community expansions, and content evolutions on the horizon, I’m leading with more purpose than ever.

There’s more to build. More to share. And I’m just getting started.

Let’s Stay Connected!

If this resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you. You are not alone in your walk and I’m happy to be a support if you need it. Let’s keep building, growing, and showing up… together.

The post It Wasn’t Just a Trophy. It Was a Testimony. appeared first on Marie Denee.

It sounds inspiring, right? Cute. Motivational. Definitely shareable.

But let’s get real… your platform is a tool, not your identity. And if you forget that, it can break you. So, lets talk about it: building a platform without burnout…

For years, I poured everything into The Curvy Fashionista. The wins? Real. The impact? Massive. But somewhere between curating greatness and celebrating others, I lost myself. I hid behind the mission, behind the stats, behind the constant hustle.

That’s the trap: when your platform stops being the amplifier of your voice and starts being the definition of who you are.

When the Work Consumes You

You know what happens when you confuse your worth with your work? You start measuring your value by your performance. You attach your self-esteem to your analytics. You grind for the applause, but lose your joy.

I was publishing like a machine, showing up for everyone else, while quietly wondering if I mattered in the equation.

And I’m not alone. Research shows entrepreneurs and creators experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout compared to the general population. Add in hustle culture… the glamorization of sleepless nights and “rise and grind” and darling, you’ve got a recipe for self-erasure.

Did you know that the World Health Organization officially classified burnout as an occupational phenomenon in 2019? Translation: this isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a literal health risk.

Your Worth Is Not in Your Analytics

Let me say this clearly: you are not your platform. You are not your analytics. You are not the number of followers in your bio.

Your worth isn’t tied to engagement rates, traffic spikes, or whether your latest launch sold out. Those are results, not reflections of your humanity.

As Brené Brown reminds us, “If you trade your authenticity for safety, you may experience anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, rage, blame, resentment, and inexplicable grief.”

Your platform should amplify your voice, not silence it. Building a platform without burnout should be exciting, a joy, not a chore!

How to Keep Your Platform a Tool, Not Your Identity

It’s one thing to nod along. It’s another to actually do the work of separating yourself from your business. Here’s how you start:

1. Check yourself often.
Platforms grow, shift, and evolve, and so do you. Regularly ask:

• Am I building this to amplify my voice, or am I letting it replace me?
• Does this still align with my values, or am I just on autopilot?

Try doing a quarterly “CEO check-in” with yourself. Block an hour on your calendar every 90 days to journal, review your goals, and ask if your business model still reflects the life you actually want. Harvard Business Review has long argued that self-reflection improves leadership effectiveness.

2. Set boundaries.
Every opportunity isn’t the opportunity, OK?! And saying yes to everything is the fastest way to burn out.

• Create a “Yes/No” filter list. If it doesn’t meet at least 2 of your 3 criteria (pays well, aligns with your mission, sparks joy), it’s a no.
• Protect your non-negotiables. That could be dinner with your family, your Sunday rest day, or an exercise class. Treat those like client meetings… they can’t be moved.
• Remember: boundaries don’t keep good things out. They keep your peace in.

3. Ground yourself outside the grind.
When your identity is wrapped in your platform, you forget who you are beyond the brand. Build practices that keep you tethered to you.

• Therapy: Normalize it. Did you know that entrepreneurs who engage in therapy report “better decision-making and resilience.” Me neither, but it makes sense, right?
• Journaling: I now do this daily… Reflect, unload, track patterns. Even journaling 10 minutes a day can shift your mindset. And for me, that was from lack to abundance and gratitude.
• Spiritual or wellness rituals: Meditation, prayer, breathwork, or just unplugging for a walk without your phone. Whatever reminds you that you’re human before you’re a CEO.

4. Build systems, not martyrdom.
You don’t get a medal for being the most exhausted business owner in the room. Systems scale. Martyrdom stalls. Which one is it going to be?

• Hire support early, even part-time. A VA for 5 hours a week is better than you drowning. Learn what you do not like to do, hate to do, or have no knowledge on doing- and hire out for THAT.
• Automate repetitive tasks (think: email responders, scheduling tools, social media posting). Tools like Zapier, Asana, or CoSchedule exist to give you your time back.
• Delegate what you don’t have to touch. Bookkeeping, customer service, or design projects, love, let the experts do what they do, so you can focus on what only you can do.

Remember: your platform is your microphone, not your mask. Build it to work for you, not the other way around.

My Commitment Moving Forward

I built The Curvy Fashionista to create space for plus size voices. But I won’t let that space erase mine.

My platform is a tool. A powerful one. But it is not me.

And if you’re building something bold, hear me: you deserve to thrive, not just survive. Build your brand, just don’t lose yourself in the process. It can be a feat getting back to yourself… ask em how I know. LOL

Because at the end of the day, the metrics don’t matter if you’ve lost your joy. Your platform should be your microphone, not your mask.

The post Your Platform Is a Tool, Not Your Identity appeared first on Marie Denee.

But now, after more than 16 years in this space, I can’t help but think about what I’d do differently if I were launching The Curvy Fashionista today. Not because I regret the path I took, every twist, pivot, and lesson brought me here, but because I know better now. And knowing better means I can help the next wave of creators, publishers, and dreamers do better too.

So, if I were starting TCF all over again in 2025, here’s exactly what I’d change.

1. I’d Launch With My Membership Community From Day One

When TCF started, I was writing to my audience, not with them. It took me years (and two starts-and-stops) to realize that my membership community—the one I’m now relaunching for the third and final time—should have been the heartbeat from day one.

Back then, I thought building the site and posting content was enough. But a thriving community isn’t just “nice to have”… it’s the foundation. If I’d baked that into the DNA of TCF early on, structured spaces for connection, members-only perks, meetups, and real-time conversations, we would have scaled faster, connected deeper, and skipped a lot of those lonely “shouting into the void” days.

2. I’d Start a Newsletter Immediately

If I could go back in time, that email signup form would have been live the second I hit publish on my first blog post. And not only would I start it immediately—I would prioritize it and take it seriously.

Back when Feedburner was hot, then Mailchimp, then Flodesk, and now Beehiiv, I went through so many platform shifts that a lot of data, information, and email flow was lost in the shuffle. That’s years of connection and insights I can’t get back.

Now that we send emails directly from our site, it feels good to be focused and fully aware of just how important and instrumental a newsletter is, not only in today’s social media climate but also in the era of AI. Especially as media publishers face shrinking pageviews, an engaged email list is more than a marketing tool… it’s a lifeline.

3. I’d Take a Media Class (Or Find the Right Resources Sooner)

When I started, I didn’t fully understand the business of digital media. I knew how to write, I knew fashion, I knew my audience. But ad sales? SEO? Pitch decks? Negotiations? That was a whole other language.

It wasn’t until I went through the BOMESI Accelerator that the full scope of what I had built really hit me. That experience opened my eyes to the entire business of media, how content, revenue, operations, and audience growth all fit together and it plugged me into an ecosystem of resources, mentors, and peers I didn’t even know existed or that I desperately needed.

If I had tapped into that kind of knowledge and support sooner, I would have made smarter moves earlier, grown faster, and saved myself a whole lot of trial-and-error learning.

4. I’d Refresh My Business Knowledge and Apply It to TCF

Back in the early aughts, blogging was the wild wild west. It wasn’t seen as a “real” profession. People thought it was a hobby at best, a fad at worst. There were no roadmaps, no influencer marketing playbooks, no “How to Be a Digital Publisher” courses.

Today, there are classes, courses, and even college degrees dedicated to digital media and content creation. Back then? So much of it was pure on-the-job training with quite a lot of trial, error, and Google searches at 2 a.m.

I had a business background before The Curvy Fashionista, but industries evolve. The skills that worked in my retail and marketing days didn’t fully translate (for me) to running a digital brand. If I had intentionally sharpened those skills early, tapping into mentors, up-to-date strategies, and the kind of structured learning that’s available now, I could have avoided some expensive and exhausting lessons.

5. I’d Go to Therapy Sooner

In 2015, I hit a wall. I had a breakdown and finally realized I was battling depression. That’s when I started therapy, and thank God for Dr. April Wells from Wells of Wholeness, who helped me get my mind right. Through our work together, I learned a few of the tools I desperately needed and began leaning into unpacking issues and trauma, both the ones I knew about and the ones I didn’t.

Those tools became a lifeline years later, in 2022, when I faced a personal devastation that could have knocked me out completely. But between therapy and journaling, I found my way through. I committed to doing the shadow work, sitting with the uncomfortable truths, and slowly, deliberately, healing.

Entrepreneurship will pull every unhealed thing you’ve got to the surface, how you handle conflict, how you view money, how you set boundaries, how you treat yourself. I didn’t realize how much unaddressed trauma was influencing my business decisions until much later. Therapy, earlier, would have helped me show up for my brand, my team, and my community with more clarity and compassion from the start.

6. I’d Learn How to Take Care of Me

In the early days of TCF, I worked Sunday to Saturday, no breaks, no boundaries, and absolutely no time for myself. I poured everything into the brand and left nothing for me. I became a little like Smeagol from Lord of the Rings, clutching my “precious” business so tightly that I completely neglected myself in the process.

via GIPHY

It wasn’t until 2023 that I truly woke up to how much I had been ignoring my own needs. I started small—taking supplements, going for walks, venturing outside, even taking pole dancing classes—reintroducing myself to joy and movement. And in doing so, I realized that taking care of myself isn’t a distraction from my business—it’s the very thing that keeps it alive.

If I’d had that mindset in 2008, my growth, and my peace would have looked a whole lot different.

7. I’d Embrace My Path and Walk in It Sooner

I didn’t take the influencer lane and in the early years, that was a challenge. It made me stay in my head, constantly looking for ways to fit in, wondering if I was “doing it right,” instead of recognizing that my lane was different. My lane was media publishing, and that was more than enough.

If I had embraced that sooner, I would have shown up on social without the stress of how pretty my feed looked, how many likes I got, or how many followers I had. I would have stood confidently in my purpose and path, whatever it was meant to be, without chasing a mold that wasn’t mine.

Coupled with therapy, that clarity would have allowed me to show up for myself and The Curvy Fashionista earlier, with less comparison and more conviction.

Voices From the OG Blogging World

I’m not the only one who’s had a long road of lessons in digital media. I reached out to some of my fellow OG bloggers—women who built their platforms in the early days of blogging (before 2015) about what they would do differently if they launched today.

Here is what they had to say:

Alison Gary – Wardrobe Oxygen

“Once I started making real money, I wish I had set up an LLC and bookkeeping. I had an Excel spreadsheet that tracked revenue and broke it down by category, but it was primarily for personal use and it made tax time complicated. I ended up each year owing so much taxes and constantly just trying to catch up from the previous year.

The best money I have spent on my blogging business has been on a bookkeeper and CPA who specializes in blogging businesses and helped me set up my LegalZoom LLC into a C-Corp and set me up right as a business.”

Susan Blakely – Une Femme

“If I were to launch my blog/brand today (as a business venture), I would be more strategic. First, I’d want to be clear about my goals and vision for the business, and about the POV I’m bringing to the table. What makes it unique?

Since I don’t have a background in business or marketing, I’d probably take some time to educate myself about: small business practices (e.g. budgeting, planning, revenue streams), marketing and best branding practices, my target audience & niche, other blogs/websites in my niche, technical aspects (hosting, email, analytics, tech support).

If I had the resources early on, I’d also consider hiring a blogging business consultant, who could offer an objective view of what’s working or not, and strategies for growth.”

The truth is, I wouldn’t change the journey—it made me who I am, and it made The Curvy Fashionista what it is today. But if sharing these lessons means one creator can avoid a few of my mistakes and find their footing sooner, then it’s worth sharing a bit more about this journey.

Because launching today? I’d still bet on me. I’d just bet smarter- this time with my community by my side from the start.

Now I want to hear from you: Whether you’re a influencer, business owner, or creative, what would you do differently if you launched your brand today?

The post Here’s What I’d Do Differently If I Launched TCF Today appeared first on Marie Denee.

If you know The Curvy Fashionista, you know the stories we’ve told, the wins we’ve celebrated, the way we’ve carved out space for plus size fashion to be more than an afterthought. You’ve seen the coverage, the community, the joy.

But you haven’t seen me. Not really.

Because somewhere along the way, I disappeared behind the very thing I built.

I poured everything I had into TCF. Every ounce of energy, every spark of creativity, every late night and early morning was about making this platform bigger than me. A space to uplift others. A light to shine on a community that deserved to be seen. But that same light? I used it to stay in the shadows. I was hiding in the brand.

I let heartbreaks, missteps, mistakes, and friend fallouts make me question my worth. I made myself small because I was afraid of being “perceived” or not enough. I obsessed over the business while completely neglecting myself. I started and stopped this very site—MarieDenee.com—more times than I want to admit, not because I didn’t have something to say, but because I didn’t believe I or it mattered enough to say it.

And here’s the thing they don’t tell you about building a business or brand:
It can become the perfect hiding place when you don’t think you deserve to take up space inside it.

You can spend years building a brand and wake up one day realizing you have no idea who you are outside of it—or worse, within it. Call it impostor syndrome, trauma, or just not knowing how to confidently take up space…. But your girl was lost.

This season, though? This season hit different. Maybe it’s Mercury retrograde in Leo, maybe it’s just divine timing, but God and the universe sat me all the way down. No distractions. No running. Just me, facing myself.

And what I saw wasn’t failure or shame—it was a woman who’d been carrying so much, for so long, she forgot what it felt like to stand in her own light.

So, I’ve been doing the work. The hard, uncomfortable, ugly crying, shadow-work kind of healing. The kind where you peel back layers of old trauma you didn’t even know you had. The kind where you admit that leadership isn’t just panels and photo ops—it’s heavy decisions, chaos behind the curtain, and nights you swear you’re done… but you wake up and keep going anyway.

And now? I’m choosing me. I’m choosing to stop hiding in the brand.

Not behind the brand.
Not behind my team.
Not behind fear, doubt, or exhaustion.

I’m choosing to show up—not just as the founder of TCF, but as Marie Denee. You’re going to hear my voice. You’re going to see me on my own platform, in my own truth, sharing my own lessons—the wins, the fails, the unglamorous middle parts we usually skip over.

Podcasts. Webinars. Keynotes. Essays like this one. This is me, reclaiming my presence. This site even has a new look too!

But I’m not doing it alone. I need you.

I need you to hold me accountable. To remind me that I don’t have to dim my light to make space for others. To remind me that I deserve to be visible in the very vision I built.

And if you’re reading this and feeling that tug—the one that says you’ve been hiding too? Whether it’s behind your hustle, your brand, or just sheer survival mode? I see you.

This is your nudge, your call-in, your permission slip to step out of the shadows with me.

Because the truth is, the world needs us both to show up. Fully. Unapologetically.

And this time? I’m not running.

Let’s do this together.

The post What They Don’t Tell You: How Hiding in the Brand Almost Made Me Lose Myself appeared first on Marie Denee.

Bringing plus size fashion to the forefront, sharing the resources, helping to empower educate, and inspire folks through plus size fashion has always been my north star!

Now, with this lofty goal, I had no direction or idea on how to get there. I could see and understand specific pieces, but I could not see the full picture. So, down the Google rabbit hole I went. After many unsuccessful searches and endless pages of social media and book publishing, I tried my darndest to find information on running a digital platform, and in doing so, I hit a wall.

On Identity, Growth and Opportunity

What was I becoming? What value was I providing? How was I serving the community? A bit of an identity crisis I had… I knew I wasn’t an influencer, I knew I wasn’t a blog, but I could not put my finger on what I was creating! I was confused, yet hopeful…

This confusion showed itself in so many ways! Operationally I was unorganized, not knowing which docs or tools I needed. Not knowing how to properly vet and manage people. I grew too fast- all while striving to get to this goal of being what I now understand it to be, a digital media publisher.

Thanks to the BOMESI organization I have found clarity, direction, and excitement for what is to come with TCF.  TCF is a plus size digital platform! I am a digital media publisher. After finding that proper language, I felt armed with the right tools to search what I was looking for.

Hope, Mindset, and Focus

 Now, this BOMESI Accelerator program also came with a grant by GM and I was over the moon with hope! I was accepted into this program and little did I know just how much I would be shown, taught, and inspired with.

From this BOMESI Accelerator program, my entire life has been enriched. My ecosystem has been expanded. I have new revenue channels to build out and explore. Hello new mentors. I have found community with other Black-owned media publishers who are striving to similar goals and it feels sooooo good. The only thing separating each one of my cohorts is the audience and niche we serve.

I learned soooo much and had my mind blown and refocused! Mindset shifts started cascading! I realized that I had been creating content to create revenue, instead of creating revenue to create content. With the help of my mentor, I was able to realize and understand my new role, also learning what my role is now, as an EIC.

While I understand the business of plus size fashion, I now get to learn and understand the business of media… and I have a lot of work to do! So, I cleared the calendar and got to work…

And now? I have work to do.

• I now get to dive into ad operations. Now that TCF can deliver direct ad deals? AND I have the proper infrastructure to do it? Let’s go!
• Access to syndication partnerships? Sign us up.
• New industry newsletters that I have found that center digital media publishing? I am sopping it up.
• Conferences, panels, and new avenues to learn and make new relationships? Okay! Let me mark my calendar.
• Getting out and making new connections or revisiting old to inform on the updated trajectory for TCF? Heyyyy, boo! How have you been, let’s talk!
• Searching for new tools, that lay and build upon the new foundation we are building. I am a nerd for the newest and latest in tools!
• Reflecting on past mistakes, missteps, and learnings to help me grow and navigate this business. Butterfly season y’all!

All this because of the BOMESI Accelerator program.

My eyes have been opened, clarity and direction focused, and an audacity to continue to blaze a path for myself and the community I serve!

Now, I know there will be additional levels of growth to come and I am ready and here for it, not shying away, nor backing down from its challenges. However, with this amazing resource in BOMESI, it has empowered me to take that next leap and to go all in, smarter, wiser, and definitely more confident.

Let’s go!

The post How the BOMESI Accelerator Helped Me with Foundation appeared first on Marie Denee.

Normally, this type of post would live on TCF. But, as I start to ideate on the business of plus size fashion, nerd out on stats and business moves, I think this feels like a better suited space to place my thoughts… is this okay?

The funny thing is, as brands bring in different folks to run these businesses, the same mistakes continue to happen. No, I am not talking about what they make, I am speaking about the day to day business actions (or inactions) that lead to larger frustrations.

So, I thought to type out a few thoughts and observations that I had here. Thoughts for those retailers who cater to the plus size consumer can (hopefully) take note of.

Know That We Are A Community

You can no longer treat plus size fashion with a “If you Build it, they will come” approach. We have options. Not only do we have options, but we have built relationships with the brands we know and love, who have LISTENED to us.

Not only that, but we have ALSO created our own ecosystems of media, influencers, events, sub niche groups, that have all helped grow the plus size fashion space to where it is today. We have blogger groups, meetups, online communities, and more! We have evolved and found our like-minded friends and spaces that provide support and encouragement.

Even with all of this, we are all connected and are extremely protective of the community. Especially as new brands come in… We acknowledge the role that Black and Brown people have played in laying foundations. We celebrate the intersectionality of those who are a part of the LGBTQ community. We uplift those voices who demand to be included in the sizing discussion.

There are layers to the plus size consumer and you cannot approach or paint us with broad strokes. And here is the cool thing, while you do not nor cannot be all things to all people, you can acknowledge and let those in this space know that you see us, you hear us, and are working to make things work for us.

The Plus Size Space Moves From Community UP, NOT Top Down

It is an interesting thing… In mainstream fashion, trends move from the top down. Marketing messaging starts from the top down. HOWEVER. In the plus size fashion space, things are a bit more grassroots that then finds itself trickling upwards.

If you want to make serious inroads in this plus size fashion space, you HAVE to engage influencers. What does this look like? It can be a few things, but it depends on your current positioning and how the community views your brand.

Either way, your brand HAS to build a relationship with the community, to build or rebuild trust. It has to be consistent, and you have to show up. On social or offline- your presence needs to be felt AND seen.

We’ve seen our fair share of brands’ half-assed approaches to doing plus size, only to not include us in their stores, to quietly remove the collection, or put the onus or blame on the consumer, when they lacked marketing to drive awareness.

Know this and do better…

We have industry experts inside our community.

Stylists. Photographers. Buyers. Merchandisers. Designers. Yes, they do exist. Masterful marketing experts, sharp witted social media stars, and crafty creative directors? Who specialize in plus size and niche markets? Yes, they do exist, within the plus size space!

If you are a plus size retailer and NONE of your executives are plus or are from the plus size space, you have to ask yourself why not? And if you don’t, who are you hiring from the community to give you the nuanced insight to help you and your brand succeed?

And no, not the token plus size person that has no real say on things. You need someone who understands, intimately knows, and who can articulate where the plus size person is spending her time and money- all while being fully empowered to redefine those tropes?

So, before you make a creative or marketing hire, make sure you ask yourself if you are reaching out to those who have studied experience and knowledge that can help you grow, soar, and connect with the community.

We Have Created Our Own Media Because Mainstream Has Ignored Us For So Long

In the same vein that social media has ushered in a democratization of fashion and media, so has it given a voice to the plus size community. We have our own magazines, digital media platforms, influencers, and creatives who have helped shape or redefine our voices.

Scoring a spot in mainstream media is nice, but it cannot be THE ONLY outlet you use. It won’t work. I cannot tell you how many conversations that I have had with mainstream brands who have asked me why their campaign did not move. Not only will the community come back to their favorite plus size influencers or media platforms for the tea, but they will also ask and notice if we are or are not talking about your product.

And there lies your campaign. Stalled because you did not want to engage the very audience your brand claims to serve…

If you want to make lasting change and impact with your collections and campaigns, you have to allocate those ad dollars, marketing budgets, and other resources to the plus size media space.  

Which is also why I have formally pivoted The Curvy Fashionista to a media platform and most recently have added an influencer network of plus size micro influencers to help the community hear your messages.

You want to make money here? Engage us equitably.

Equitably is a key word here. Over the years, we have seen the companies launch their “Curve” or “plus” departments only to give influencers mad free clothes, without paying them for their audience or work. All while paying, featuring, and including the straight sized influencers with 5-figure+ checks in national or social media campaigns.

So how do you engage us? Well, asides from hiring industry experts like myself or others, or paying influencers their worth, first listen and get to know this space. Know the pulse of the market, the community. Know what we are looking for.

Also?

DO NOT FORCE YOUR DATED MARKETING TROPES ON US. 

Allow us the space to be multifaceted, layered, and as nuanced as our straight sized fashion lovers- at the same time, in the same space.

Include us in your ads, commercials, and editorials. We want to SEE that you want us in your clothes. We need to KNOW that you are making a concerted effort to include us in your marketing.

Ignore the Plus Size Consumer at your own peril

We have seen this over and over again. When a brand is disconnected from the community or plus size consumer, does not engage the thought leaders, does nothing to support the varied intersectionalities in this space, dismisses various plus size influencers in this space, when they make mistakes, the community will not let them forget it.

The plus size community wants action. Wants acknowledgement. Wants change.

The same old designs, approaches, or attitudes of yesterday will not work today. Whether that is in design, imagery, sizing, or your online presence. You have to adapt, or you will get left behind. And if the community is calling you out on something, it is not to be taken lightly… We care and want better for you, for us, for our space.

And as community has become a buzzword across all facets of business, it is even more important to connect, engage, and listen to those who want you to win. Because at the end of the day, the reason why the community responds so strongly is because they want more from you. Need more from you. Demand more from you, especially if you are one of the ONLY places a plus size person can go to shop IN PERSON.

These are only a few things that I can think of as we look at where plus size fashion is going and what needs to be done to take it to its next level- for you to play in the $$$ that is to be had here…

What do you think? What do you see missing? Or where do you see brands and retailers missing the mark when it pertains to the plus size consumer?

Ohhhh, and if you are a retailer or brand, and need a bit more help in navigating this space? Holla at me, I am available for consult!

The post What Retailers Who Cater To The Plus Size Consumer Don’t Realize appeared first on Marie Denee.

KNOW YOUR “WHY”

Your what?

Your WHY.

The reason that prompted, inspired, or motivated you to begin this journey. THAT is something that you have to hone, nurture, and hold close to you.

Your WHY is the thing that becomes your North Star as you start on this journey of entrepreneurship that no one really talks about. BUT! It is theeeee most important piece of you that you will need to hold on to, so that you do not lose your way.

It is easy to want to do something you find cool, because xyz influencer or blogger is doing it. It is easy to start down that rabbit hole of comparison or self-doubt when you do not get what you feel you deserve… it is very easy.

See, there was a time where I forgot my why. Not too long ago, actually!

YUP. I forgot who I was for a while. Thought that I needed to change who I am, what I do, or how I did things, to fit in. And for a while, things felt uncomfortable. I started seeking outside approval for a WHY and PURPOSE that did not suit me.

Until I was reminded of my WHY. Until I had to sit with myself and ask myself WHY I was doing what I was. WHY I was moving how I was. WHY I was doubting myself how I was (therapy works wonders).

I lost sight of my WHY.

What I thought I wanted and needed at that time, was far removed from the core of WHY I started what I did. My purpose, attached to my WHY was all out of whack.

For a minute, I thought my successes were contingent upon the approval from others- that they held my future in their social media hands. I second guessed myself, doubted every move at every turn, I was a MESS. It felt like I was in a fog and I needed that light to help me find my way back. Back to my WHY.

So, when I started digging into to the core of WHY I Started The Curvy Fashionista, all those years ago and asked myself where I wanted to go with it- My WHY slapped me in the face.

And now? I have a renewed sense of self. I do not beat myself up for losing sight of things. It was a lesson (or a few) that I learned that helped shape and strengthen me on this journey.

So, when I say to you, know your WHY, this is NOT a cautionary tale, but an advisory one. One that will hopefully help you navigate your journey and path a bit more confidently.

Remind yourself what your WHY is and hold on to that guiding light/principle, your WHY- you will learn that YOUR path will help you find YOUR purpose, one that is extremely unique to you.

Knowing Your WHY will:

• Help you stay authentic to yourself.
• Help you navigate your path to your purpose.
• Show you your next steps.
• Help you build an engaged community and audience.

And so much more…

So… what is YOUR WHY?

Why did you begin this journey?

The post Before Your Start That Blog or Business, Ask Yourself, What is Your Why? appeared first on Marie Denee.

Each year was reflective of where I was at mentally, my personal and professional goals, but this year? I have two. One for my business and a personal one. For The Curvy Fashionista, it is all about Flourishing. Walking in our dopeness, acknowledging it, and moving in abundance.

Personally? It is all about Nourishing Marie. You see, last September, I turned 40.  A hell of a milestone, right? Especially with Rona all around us.

To celebrate, I moved home. To California. To family. To the Beach (woooot! Long Beach).

A change of scenery to usher in this new chapter of my life and a new year.

For the longest time, as a business owner, I worked HARD. BUT, it was not always the smarter way of working. I put myself last. My relationships. Desires. Interests outside of TCF. I neglected those.

I neglected parts of me that had been yearning for attention.

And when COVID happened?

It forced me to reevaluate those things important to me.

All my family, close friends, and loved ones are home. And with daily Zoom meetings with my family, it only highlighted and magnified those things that were tremendously important to me.

So? I chose self. And the minute I landed back home, I heard the word nourishing and knew that this is exactly what this chapter was to represent.

The funniest thing also happened.

A Newfound Freedom

It felt like a cloak or cape I had been carrying has dropped from my shoulders and has allowed me the freedom to show up how I want to. Without explanation, cause, or justification.

And now that I have settled into my new place, got Mocha (my rescue) all situated in her new surroundings, I have the chance to explore, experiment, and find the things that make me happy, that bring me joy, that… NOURISH me.

Will I hop on the freeway to visit my sister and her family, being Tia Rie? Yup. Go to the beach and stare out into the ocean, grounding myself in missing ways? Ohhh yes.

I also find myself exploring what it means to be active, especially as my body is showing its age- there is a yoga spot and a floating spa on both sides of me… so you bet your ass I am going to explore a few new things!

It is visiting, reconnecting with, and loving on my closest of friends. From high school, college, and at the earliest of beginnings of TCF.

It is allowing me the space to ideate and act upon what family means to me. And even the thoughts of what it could be for me…

A New Chapter

In this new chapter and throughout this year, I already know that I will be choosing things that both scare and that will nourish. That will excite and feed my spirit. That will challenge and that will also celebrate me.

I am soooo excited to be at the point in my life and so I ask you…

What do you do to Nourish yourself and what theme will you be embracing for the new year?

The post Nourishing Marie appeared first on Marie Denee.

This is what I have done the past few years…

Walk in It. Bolder. Claim it.

In a sea of resolutions, these can become lost, leaving us deflated or discouraged. However, with a theme, I can approach all things with this mindset! Yes, I will have goals; your girl is running a business…

These goals will be able to be approached with the tenacity, fervor, and excitement of the theme in  mind.

And for 2020?

Your girl has had an awakening. I am feeling more clarity. A better understanding. Feisty.

So with this, I am going with my word for the year or my New Year’s Theme for 2020: Audacity.

Boldness. Daring. Courage. Bravery. Nerve. Audaciousness. Guts.

All of these words embody the vibe and mood that I have for 2020.

As I have been learning how to see The Curvy Fashionista and where it can truly go, I have been cleaning up shop! I have been making some serious changes.

You see… making the shift from blog to digital platform is not an easy one. Especially when you had no structure. I never really knew what I was TRULY building… I kind of was just going with the flow.

Until both myself and my business hit a wall a few years back.

While I eeked by with how I had been doing things, it was not (all the way) right or helpful, especially for the long haul. I unfortunately had disappointed a few folks and even myself.

So, I have made a few serious changes. I’ve restructured the inner workings of TCF. I have made role descriptions, created departments, identified issues that were detrimental to the health of the brand.

I have been on a mission…

And now that I have clarity? I have the confidence to correct, adjust, build, and to think even bigger than before…

So, watch this space…

Your girl is on a mission to take TCF to another level… This also means that the space here, at Marie Denee is about to get even more colorful!

Are you ready?

I am so excited to see where my audacity will take me!

Happy New Year!

And as I asked on IG, I want to hear what YOUR word of the year is! If you have one! Leave a comment below with YOUR word of the year, and why!

The post On Goals, Resolutions, and My Theme for 2020: Audacity appeared first on Marie Denee.

Girl.

How.

But, here I am, 10 years later…

And let me tell you… this journey has been a hell of a roller coaster of a ride. You have amazing days, low days. High months, low months. High years and especially rough ones.

Get this…

I WOULD NOT TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING.

You learn just who you are in this journey. You learn just how STRONG you are. Where you need to apply more attention to. And sometimes, you have to UNLEARN a few things, in order to grow.

I liken this Entrepreneurial journey to having an umbrella.

via GIPHY

Entrepreneurship… Before I walk about how this relates to me, let’s first talk about working for someone else. When you work for someone else, your company is the umbrella. They perform repairs, upgrade the handles, and may even change the colors.

But when you work for yourself?

Ha!

This journey to entrepreneurship is a whole other game.

via GIPHY

You are learning HOW to build the umbrella, without instructions… or if you do have them, there are akin to the Ikea instructions, with pictures only and no words. If you do not build fast enough, you get rained on. If there are holes, you have to find the resources to repair them yourself… and then there is the repair. No instructions, you cannot just go to the store, you do not even really know what you are looking for.

Google becomes your best friend.

But then, you can spend forever reading and researching, getting stuck at the prep space. You may spend all your little coins on resources that either do not perform or apply to something completely different to what you need.

And yet, you still need to repair, fix, or upgrade your umbrella.

How do you stay encouraged and motivated?

As an entrepreneur, you become resourceful. ESPECIALLY, if budget is limited. Especially if no one in your immediate circle knows what the hell a blog is or even understands your why.  You have this little vision or what an umbrella could do, could be. Your family and maybe even close friends, or even your spouse looks at you sideways, questions your every move, and when they see you struggling, they cannot relate.

But you have this dream. This vision.

Social media has been such an interesting blessing and challenge for a lot of us. For those like myself, it has blessed me with the means to build my brand, to chase my dreams, and to take leaps of faith.

BUT. This journey has also challenged me to find out just WHO I am. Standing all alone sometimes, in the rain, with holes in my umbrella. Sometimes bullheadedly, sometimes unexpectedly. But I was there.

With my depression, anxiety, abandonment, abuse, and the drive to follow this vision and dream? How is that for a recipe?

I got help. Therapy works wonders.

I embraced it.

Accepted it.

Walked through it.

via GIPHY

Not only did I understand that my umbrella needed to be completely replaced to a brighter and larger one (brand growth), I had to find other umbrellas who looked a little like mine (networking). From there, I could be smarter in my repairs, changes and upgrades (the tools to learn and understand this growth and what was needed).

I needed to learn how to build a stand (a team) for my umbrella, rather than holding it all the time- my arm hurts and limits my mobility… right? Learning how to prepare for the upgrades and pattern/color changes (budget and finances) was an even greater challenge.

And throughout this entrepreneurship process, I had to learn that my umbrella played its own important role. Learning how to accept those challenges, respecting and understanding this process, and celebrating the successes, required quite a few mindset shifts (therapy and training).

And guess what?

I WOULD NOT TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING.

So, for those of you who dare to chase a dream, own your vision, or have the audacity to build your own umbrella?

Go for it!

You are not alone, and you have more resources at your fingertips than ever before!

It will be a roller coaster ride and it will be a challenge, but the YOU who comes out on the other side? You will learn to love and respect in a whole other light.

Who knows where this path will lead you! This journey may be a stepping stone to an executive role, lead you to innovate a current program or solve an everlasting problem.

You will not know until you step out on faith and find your own umbrella!

The post From Blogger to This Thing Called Entrepreneurship appeared first on Marie Denee.