Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Dreyfuss.
Rebecca, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
For as long as I can remember, I have had a natural gift for creativity. From a young age, I enjoyed putting outfits together, making the table pretty…those kinds of things. Starting in high school, my friends, their mothers and my family would call me to ask my opinion about what to wear. I never studied anything, it was just a knack I had. Through high school and college, I worked for retail stores and. after graduating college, I worked in the fashion industry and climbed the merchandising ladder from assistant buyer, buyer, director and then vice president. While I enjoyed the work, I could not shake the urge for my own creative outlet. I toyed with the idea of starting a blog for a years and finally made the leap and launched Style & Life in 2014. It was very different than it is now. At the beginning I was trying to photograph (very unsuccessfully) my own stories and I wanted to curate other’s content.
After blogging for 9 months, I got pregnant with my daughter. Getting pregnant was a challenging (3 year) process and I had complications during my pregnancy. Mentally, I needed quiet and space so I quit blogging. After I had my daughter, a love I had never known immersed me and I wanted a different lifestyle. The corporate world was not where I wanted to be. I went back to work but started working on my blog in the evenings and on the weekends. This time it was different. I had clarity about what I wanted to do and a strong sense of purpose. I also knew I had to be in it, which was something I was adamant about previously.
For as long as I can remember, my phone is filled with messages like “Are one shoulder tops still in?” I am having my in laws for dinner…what do I make” “I am redecorating my house…can you help me with it? And I love every question. Helping people feel beautiful or create beautiful times or homes, lights me up in a way that I cannot quite describe. I knew if it were to resonate people needed to know who was behind the ideas so I decided to include myself when I relaunched.
Style & Life is truly a lifestyle (fun play on words) brand…fashion, beauty, food, home…but the other thing I incorporate is kindness and philanthropy. For a long time, I felt that covering topics about fashion and beauty did not pair well with charitable topics but I cannot have a brand without both. Philanthropy is in my blood (my parents founded a non-profit) and I want to use any influence for good. Which is what inspired my well campaign for building wells in East Africa. Part of living a beautiful life is helping others and treating others with kindness, so I cannot separate the two.
I relaunched Style & Life late in 2016 and have seen far more traction that I did when I initially launched. It is still growing and evolving but it is a labor of love. My greatest hope is that my readers find inspiration in the content I am sharing.
I missed having a creative outlet and I knew that I wanted to turn Style & Life into my full time business. Earlier this year, I left to consult for another company in a lesser capacity so I have more time to devote.
For many years, I struggled with self-esteem…I did not feel good about myself for a variety of reasons and so I love making other people feel beautiful. Whether that be in what they are wearing, their beauty routine, in their home or when entertaining, I firmly believe that when you feel your best, you give your best to the world…and then we all win. I find it hard to escape the tough realities of our world…sad stories and politics find you everywhere. I wanted to create a space where you could be inspired…little ideas to incorporate into your life to keep you feeling beautiful.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have been smooth parts and there have been tough parts on this road. Coming up with ideas, writing the content and knowing what I want to do is the easy part for me. Juggling is my biggest challenge…there is so much I want to do to improve and expand in my brand but between full time job, family and blog, I often feel I need another 8 hours in the day.
My advice would be to know is to know what you want from it. Why are you doing this? What is your purpose? There will be things that are easy and things that are challenging…what is easy or challenging for one may be totally different than someone else. When tough times come, you need to know why you are doing this and what your purpose is so that you can persevere instead of giving up.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Style & Life – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I specialize in making you look, feel and live beautifully…from the inside to the outside. Not only do we curate fashion trends, beauty tips and recipes but we provide inspiration for people to be the best version of themselves. Beauty starts from within and that is why kindness is a theme within all we focus on…which is what sets us apart.
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
My parents divorced when I was 5 and remarried when I was 7, which was a dream come true. My father is also a recovered alcoholic (38 years) and he and my mom founded and run a nonprofit that feeds thousands of people a year, provides medical aid builds wells and rescues girls from sex trafficking. I am eternally optimistic because of their example. I firmly believe anything is possible and that people can change. I do everything in my life with that belief, which frees you from the fear of failure and a negative mindset.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.styleandlife.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/styleandlifeofficial/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/styleandlifeofficial
Image Credit:
Erica Dunhill, Kate Baumwell
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
