Mai and Her Self Expression through Fashion

Writer's Notes: Self-branding is one of the things I was told to do while I was taking my degree up at Rutgers. Whether it was putting up a blog, gathering clips for your portfolio, it was suggested to create or do something help you stick out from the crowd by presenting something that's you as close as possible.

Now, I can only say that I know about self-branding from my personal experiences in college and through friends who are bloggers, so we decided to talk to Mai. Currently part of the social media team for Thrillist, she is also our social media gal behind the scenes! But before all of this, she created a blog to up her name and brand and it just so happens this is what she was #Baonanas for.  And it's safe to say, that she's getting to where she is because of her drive.

Also, it's also her birthday week. Haha. Happy birthday, Mai!

 

What are you #Baonanas for?

M: That's such a loaded question.  Umm.. Generally, I’m Baonanas for just anything. I’m creatively passionate. My blog is one of the main endeavors and so as with my fashion and like my passion for that. But I’ve also grown to have a passion for anything that like drives personal business as far as like social media like working with other creative people.

And then, it also extends through dance, like I mean, that always been something that like I’ve had a side thing for like five years now but that’s always there for me too.

Since when have you been so #Baonanas for these things you do?!

M: For me I think it already started in college and like, since college is a tiny figure out what you wanna do, I’ve started both the blog and then also dance. The blog was a creative outlet just because I did always wanna like dress up or always had these ideas in terms of fashion and then dance was kinda something I’ve always had an interest in since high school. I didn’t really act upon it until college.

 

What would be the most important one? Like between like dance, self-branding, and you know, social media?

M: I think no matter what everything kinda comes back to like if I’m expressing myself creatively in a way I want and that is all kinda reflected on my blog. It started out as just posting pictures of my fashion and it kinda’ grew into me sharing a journey. A creative journey and so that why I like to write about like other things that I’ve grown to have passions for. So for me it’s more like a fashion blog. It’s more like an outlet for me to express all of my like creativity or something.

Walk me through a day on how you come up with creating content for your own work.

M: Where do I start? I guess it starts with what exactly I’m gonna shoot? Then obviously the active, doing a photo shoot. And then from there, its gets a little complicated. Like it’s important that every post has something that I wanna share about. So it’s not just me writing like, “Hey, my day was this” or “Hey, I’m wearing this.” But more like, "Okay, what has happened with me and my personal life like recently that I think it’s important to just share or just have written down, as part of what I feel as important as part of my journey."

So generally, with every post I kinda brainstorm, with just like reflect on like what has recently happened, or what I’ve learned or what I have observed or like just anything. A lot times, I get inspiration from what I read, quotes or something that resonates with me. And from there - it’s like a love hate process with writing. It would take me probably two days to write something and I like editing. On top of that, I have to create content for outside stuff so that I can get a bigger reach or post on other sites that I’ve been trying gain exposure on. 

In the midst of just doing everything in like what the hardest thing in blogging and self-branding?

M: I don’t know if it’s the hardest thing for me but it’s definitely something I’m trying to keep at the back of my mind because as a self-brand, you wanna make sure that whatever you’re putting out there and that you’ve sharing with like the world really reflects who you are like you don’t wanna be a fall off like put stuff out you don’t really believe in behind.

Also you have that struggle where it's like “Whoa, I also wanna make sure people like my stuff” because that’s how I grow, and that’s how I gain like reach and exposure. Sounds like a struggle but it also makes you question, "Okay, is this me? Am I putting a 100% me or am I compromising it so that I only fit in what my audience wants?"So like, and it always like trying to make sure that like a 100% behind I’m putting out.

So where can we connect with you, Mai?

M: So I’m Mai. My blog is Little My sunshine. I am a personal style blogger from the New York/New Jersey area and my main thing is always been sharing my creative journey on a blogging platform. And then, yeah. I’m on Instagram! @littlemaisunshine. And yeah... This is awkward, I don’t know what I’m saying.

My blog is http://www.littlemaisunshine.com!

Lai UmaliComment