It’s really easy to see people on social media or out in the world doing their thing. Then, assume that they just woke up one day and that was their job. That’s hardly ever the case. I often get asked what I did prior to being where I’m at today. So, I decided to sit down and film my career story on how I went from a fashion intern to full-time blogger and freelance art director.
I’m talking about what I did in college and work experience. Also, I’m sharing other life things that led me to where I’m at today with blogging and co-owning my agency, K+C Collective.
Watch the video below or scroll down to read my career story.
My Career Journey: From Intern to Full-Time Blogger and Art Director
Growing Up & College
I’ve always loved computers and fashion. So, it really doesn’t surprise anyone that I know personally that I blog on a computer, about fashion.
I was always playing computer games, playing dress up, or drawing little outfits in a notebook. I’d spend hours getting my Barbie rolls dressed and ready, but never actually played with them.
When I went off to college, there was no social media or digital marketing major. I definitely didn’t know a creative or art director was even a job. Even though I’d always been really artsy, an art degree seemed super limiting, so I majored in Communication Studies with a minor in Studio Art.
I got my first internship in college at Paige Denim as a PR and Marketing intern. Back in the early 2000s ecommerce and online shopping really weren’t huge focus points for brands like they are today. So as a tech-savvy intern, they let me work on the website and that’s where I got my first taste at ecommerce.
During my junior year of college, I discovered Public Relations. So, became obsessed with the idea of working as an editor for a fashion magazine. I love to decide what would or wouldn’t make the cut. I went to grad school and graduated with a master’s degree in PR. Then, got a job at a PR agency in LA – only to realize I absolutely hated it.
So, I quit, and I had to start over.
Work Experience
Luckily, because of my experience at Paige, I was able to get my foot in the door at 7 For All Mankind as the ecommerce coordinator.
That’s where I learned about analytics, email marketing, content strategy, etc. It was also where I really honed my skills at photoshoots. I would cast models for website product photos. Also, I’d help the art department style out the outfits we needed to talk about in emails and on the website. I’d go to different locations to help for website shoots. I absolutely fell in love with all things photoshoots.
I got a job opportunity to work at J Brand. It had been on my list as a “dream company” to work at. However, I didn’t get to do photoshoots there. I quickly realized then how much I loved that aspect of my job. I knew any job I ever had after that had to include photoshoots in the description.
When I left J Brand, I’d been working in the fashion industry for over five years. I was a bit burnt out from the industry. So, I decided to go the beauty industry working as the ecommerce manager for Dermalogica, a skin care company.
How my Blog Charmed by Camille Began
Even though I didn’t necessarily want to continue working in fashion, I missed it, and that’s when I started my blog, Charmed by Camille. At the time, my blog was a hobby and a creative outlet to still feel connected to fashion even though I wasn’t working in it anymore.
At Dermalogica, I ran the website and produced email campaign photoshoots while growing my blog and social media channels. I ended up getting promoted at Dermalogica. It’s a leading their social media and producing all of the content for the U.S. market.
Over time, a handful of brands started to partner with me and pay me for partnerships through Charmed by Camille. I realized that I could maybe turn my blog into a business, so I started taking it more seriously.
Whenever I wasn’t at Dermalogica, I was working on writing blog posts or shooting content for Charmed by Camille. I was basically working two full-time jobs.
Eventually it became really hard and exhausting for me sustain this. I felt like I was at a crossroads where I had to give up one or the other. However, I had this entrepreneurial itch that I wanted to take a bet on myself because I knew deep down that I could “do it.” (If you want to read my full-story on why I quit my job, check out this post.)
I had experience with PR pitching. I knew how to read analytics, I knew email marketing and I was already doing social media for myself and a brand. Also, I knew how to budget, I had all of these skills that I’d contributed to big brands… why wouldn’t I be able to do all of that for myself?
I gave myself 3-6 months to see how blogging went. Years later, I’ve never gone back to corporate America.
How I Started my Agency K+C Collective
K+C Collective is a content agency I co-own with my business partner Kelly, and we shoot photography, stop motion, and short videos for beauty and lifestyle brands.
While blogging, I had picked up a few freelance jobs and content consulting roles. I had worked with Bliss, a skin care company, on some blogging projects and they ended up hiring me as a freelance content producer.
Kelly had been hired as the photographer for the shoots, and that’s how we met.
At the time I’d been vaguely toying with the idea of starting some kind of marketing agency, but I had no idea where to start and it was falling flat.
Kelly and I had a lot of the same goals. One day after a shoot we decided to create K+C Collective. We weren’t even two weeks into the business when we got our first client. We barely had a logo and we had to scramble to find a lawyer to create a contract. But it worked!
I’m really proud of myself for figuring out my passions, taking skills I’ve acquired over the years, and morph them into my own jobs. You really can create a life you dream of if you work for it.
So that’s the very long story about how I went from fashion intern to full-time blogger and art director! I hope you enjoyed my career story.
