The Dazey Lady Contest 

A few weeks ago we had our big Dazey Lady contest! It was amazing and over 100 inspiring girls entered by telling us how they are following their dreams. I was particularly inspired by Juliete of @julzjunkiejewelry because she chose to quit a steady job and school to follow her dreams. What started as a fun project became her passion, and she's damn good at it too.

Check out the lovely video and shoot we did below as well as her entry :) shop her JULZ on www.julzjunkie.com! Also check out the hastag #dazeyladycontest and see the other entries, so uplifting and inspiring! 

 SHOP THE TOPS HERE

Julette's Original entry story:

Hi loves! I'm Juliet, the little 27 year old boss lady behind Julz Junkie. The name starts with my nickname "Julz" and my very first customers would always return over and over wanting more so that's where "Junkie" came in. I figured this was the perfect time to tell you a little about myself for the #dazeyladycontest and how I ended up here.

I worked in Real Estate, Property Mgt and Escrow for around 7 years. I did go to college and wanted to be a Dental Hygienist. That's until one summer I was bored and sick of all my cheap jewelry always tarnishing on me. I've been creative all my life so I went to the local craft store and picked up my first set of jewelry pliers and some chain. I analyzed all the jewelry I had and taught myself everything I know. To be honest it was just a hobby until friends started admiring my pieces. After doing it for a while I noticed how happy I was doing it and started selling pieces on an online marketplace. Every day I would have lots of designs running thru my head and would run home and make them.

At my job at the time I was doodling jewelry designs and losing focus (oops 🙈) and that's when it clicked that I had to go with a different career. Of course my family was a little worried that I wasn't going to start the dental hygiene program and that I was quitting my job, not to mention I had rent to pay. Everyone always said "omg Juliet the fashion world is such a cutthroat business". I figured if I was gonna give it a shot this was my chance and well as you can tell it was totally worth it! Now, my life consist of jewelry 24/7. I also work part-time for a well known Jewelry designer in LA and have learned a lot to apply to my own business. I get home and put all my focus to my brand. I do everything myself and I am very proud of it. Hashtag #girlboss lol Obviously if my lil brand blows up I'll need some help but at the moment I've got it under control 😜 Never be afraid to try something new and go after your dreams no matter what anyone tells you. Don't lose hope because nothing happens overnight, just stay motivated and you will get there. Thank you so much for the endless support, it never goes unnoticed. ❤️Julz

  Quigley is no stranger to the Dazey blog and insta. She's someone who has helped me since the beginning :) I wanted to go a little deeper and feature her as a Dazey Lady!

She's an amazing blogger and model. We met right before I started Dazey on a shoot. She is possibly the sweetest human ever and quickly had become one of my best friends. She's also been a huge help in my business by collaborating on photoshoots all the time and cross-promoting. It's so crazy to think of the people I may not have become close with without Dazey! Read more able this lovely lady below:

1) Dani -First off what do you do!? Would love to talk about what you do for a living and what you passion is.

Quigley -I am a professional player of the game "Dress Up." For real though, blogging is my job... but playing dress up is my art. My excuse for not cleaning my room as a teenager was that I needed my clothing in a pile on the floor because I "needed to see my palette." No joke. Putting outfits together really is a passion of mine, and I love being able to inspire women to take risks with their wardrobe too. Clothing is so much more than fabric; it's a way to express your unique identity and make a statement! I also help brands with art direction and consult on social media... this is really fun because I love helping small business owners build an identity for their brands and visualize who their client is and how to reach her.

2) Dani -What inspires you and get’s you excited!?

Quigley -This sounds really cheesy, but runway shows really inspire me. I can get lost in a sea of screen grabs and Pinterest boards from my favorite runway shows. 

3) Dani -Where would you want to be in 5 years from now personally and professionally?

Quigley -In five years, I would love to have my own line and also be able to do a bit more traveling as a blogger! I will probably be writing a musical or a book or something like that. I definitely see writing and public speaking in my future! I want to do a TED talk too. :)

4) Dani -What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

Quigley -Being a Dazey Lady means wearing many hats! No pun intended. A Dazey lady does it all... she takes risks and lives big. She doesn't get in her own way and goes out of her way to help lift others up. She is a symbol of community and love!!!!

XXX Quigley

 A Dazey lady is a dreamer and a doer. Someone who's not afraid to share their ideas and talents with the world, to be both vulnerable and brave. Brianna Conroy is certainly one of these girls.

I first saw Druzy (Bri's band) by chance, I was walking around my neighborhood and they were randomly playing an outdoor live show. Entranced by the beautiful vocals I ended up staying for the whole set. After I found them on Spotify and played them on repeat the following few weeks. Fast forward 6 months, I randomly get an email Bri the lead singer asking me to design their logo! They had no idea I was already a fan and happen to find me by chance :) I've been wanting to feature a musician Dazey lady for awhile now and knew Bri would be perfect. 

Her and her bandmate Luc (also boyfriend, aww!) came by my apartment yesterday for a shoot. I also was lucky enough to get a private concert from the duo and filmed it for you guys to enjoy as well. Below I have their lovely live acoustic set, some photos of the songstress, and some Dazey Lady Q's to get to know her better. There's even a sneak peek of our equALLity tee soon to be released ;)

Be sure to take a listen on spotify here: spoti.fi/1MRCIo1

1) Dani- First off what do you do!?
Would love to talk about what you do for a living and what you passion is.
Do these two things collide?

Bri- I am a singer-songwriter in a synth-pop duo called Druzy! Creating songs is my passion first and foremost, but since I started Druzy and have been growing along with it, I have fallen in love with being an artist as a whole. Im not just creating music- my partner and I are creating imagery, doing photoshoots, connecting with other musicians and fans, and coming up with business ideas that all make Druzy this brand that I love working on and building up everyday.

2) Dani -What inspires you and get’s you excited!?

Bri - New music is one of the biggest inspirations for me. When an artist I looks up to comes out with new music and it's something I'm into, it gets me so excited. Lately, though, it's really helped my creativity to get out and do things. Doing something in LA I've never done before, going to that restaurant I've always wanted to go to, going out and spending time with friends, etc. It's easy to get caught up in the routine of staying home and working all the time- I have to feed my creativity.

2) Dani - What inspires you and get’s you excited!?

Bri - New music is one of the biggest inspirations for me. When an artist I looks up to comes out with new music and it's something I'm into, it gets me so excited. Lately, though, it's really helped my creativity to get out and do things. Doing something in LA I've never done before, going to that restaurant I've always wanted to go to, going out and spending time with friends, etc. It's easy to get caught up in the routine of staying home and working all the time- I have to feed my creativity.

3) Dani - Where would you want to be in 5 years from now personally and professionally?

Bri - I would love to build a larger audience, reach and connect with as many people as I can from my music. Touring the world is another dream of mine as well as collaborating with other artists and creating music consistently.

4) Dani - We chose you to be featured as Dazey Lady because we are inspired by your talent and what you are doing with it. What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

Bri - Being a Dazey Lady means pursuing my passion without limitations.

Had to snap some photos of the duo together, Luc needed a little face time too! Let's just call him a Dazey dude haha ;) They keep their relationship status a little on the DL but I thought it was just too cute not to highlight as well!

Again make sure you check these guys out on Spotify and their Instagram @druzymusic.

Our first Dazey Lady video interview! Everyone meet heather, this gorgeous creature manages to maintain 2 business while being a very involved single mom.

She's always been an entrepreneur and has rich wealth of experience to show for it. With all this knowledge she found herself consulting friends and family an realized she could do this for a living! West side consulting was born. On top of her consulting business she owns an adorable mobile boutique "The west side collective truck" that carries ethically made american goods, including Dazey! She was actually the first boutique to carry Dazey :) She found me on Instagram at the very beginning. When she came to pick up the stock we chatted and clicked instantly. There's a calmness and warm aura about Heather thats hard to explain. She's a beautiful person inside and out and  has been so helpful to me in my small business adventures. I'm so happy to call heather a friend and an official Dazey Lady! 

Hear from Heather youself, below is our video. There's also some epic photos of her in one of our most popular and now sold out "the best vibes" tee.

 My blog series on Dazey Ladies continues! A Dazey Lady is an everyday girl who's taking steps to pursuing their dreams. Weather it's practicing photography in their backyard, or running a multi-million dollar corporation, both are considered Dazey Ladies to me :)

This gorgeous creature is Nikki Joiner (@nikkiijoiner). She is a SoCal artist and self proclaimed lover of cacti and coffee! I first stumbled upon her instagram because she included a Dazey tee in an adorable "closet essentials" illustration on insta, you can see it here! I thought "Wow this girls good!! Plus she's so stinkin' cute, why does she not have a million followers yet!?" I had to meet her and shine a little light on what she's doing. She's just in the beginning stages of becoming a girl boss and I know she's got a bright future ahead. Read what she has to say below!

1) Dani: First off what do you do!? Would love to talk about what you do for a living and what you passion is.
Do these two things collide?

Nikki: I currently work 2 jobs, one full-time and the other part-time, to help pay for school and car loans while creating/selling artwork on the side. Working gives me a solid source of income so that I can support myself and be able to create without any money worries! There's definitely a collision between working and doing what I'm most passionate about. Working takes a ton of time out of my day and the only way I can make the most with my art time is to get up early, and keep a schedule with daily and weekly goals I want to accomplish. Sometimes I even plan my day by the hour! Super geeky, but it works for me!

2) Dani: What inspires you, get’s you excited!?

Nikki: Instagram never fails to inspire and excite me! I've connected with so many creatives, and my feed is always full of inspiration. I also try to make it a habit to get out of the house and explore new places on my days off, and those are always exciting.

3) Dani: Where would you want to be in 5 years from now personally and professionally?

Nikki: In 5 years I'd like to have my own little art studio that has awesome natural light and white walls, and just a short walk away from a coffee shop. I'd also like to be better at managing my money and business, and to be consistent with another social platform like blogging, or maybe YouTube. Professionally, I'd love to have a job that's creative and challenging, where I can set my own schedule and hours. I'm honestly not sure how to answer this section. All I know is that I don't want any debt, I don't want to clean up after people for a living, and I want to be my own boss.

4) Dani: What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

Nikki: For me, being a Dazey Lady means going out and making it happen, one step at a time, even if you don't think you're ready. Basically you have to be Tim Gunn and tell time that you've got to "make it work" 'cause you only have 24 hours to work with. 

 Dazey LA is all about connecting with like-minded creative babes pursuing their dreams. I like to call them Dazey Ladies ;) They are the wind in my sails and true inspiration and behind Dazey. I've been lucky enough to meet more than a few on my journey and decided I wanted to start highlighting them on this blog!

They are everyday girls from all walks of life, just like you and me. I admire them because they have chosen to share their creativity to the world at some capacity, that's what makes them a Dazey Lady. 

This is Ashley of @dancingwithflyingcolors! She is a blogger and dabbles in many forms of media including video. I've asked her a few Q's and taken some photos below so we can get to know her better!  

1) Dani: First off what do you do!? Would love to talk about what you do for a living and what you passion is.
Do these two things collide?

Ashley: I'm a fashion/ lifestyle influencer aka blogger but I like to think I bring more of a lifestyle to my viewers and people really get an idea of not only what I wear, but where I love to go and what I love to do. I do a lot of freelance jobs which is supper stressful but keeps me on my toes. I used to work a lot in fashion/restaurants but had to quit the full time job to do what I love. I also majored in Film / Media studies in college so I started a youtube channel that gives me the ultimate creative outlet to keep inspiring myself and others. 

2) Dani: What inspires you, get’s you excited!?

Ashley: I'm inspired by loads of things. By fellow girl bosses who make their dreams happen, by other bloggers who are just killing it! By nature, by conversations of strangers on the street. Store displays, I really just get inspired by the little things.
In a world where I sometimes feel like everyone is doing the same thing and it gets supper rough to keep thinking of new ways to get inspired, I try to block that out and stay positive. I just feel like my main goal is to inspire others so I try to think of new ways of doing that.

3) Dani: Where would you want to be in 5 years from now personally and professionally?

Ashley: I've always hated these long term questions haha. I don't even know where I'll be next week and thats the beauty of freelance and not having a set schedule. I know where I want to be next year and all of the goals I want to achieve. So in 5 years I hope I'm traveling more, inspiring more and making awesome videos. I feel like so much has change and will change and I love change so i'm excited about the future! Also started writing a novel so fingers crossed that will be out and published in 5 years. Haha.

4) Dani: What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

Ashley: Honestly I'm stoked. Dazey ladies to me are the kick ass girls who don't wait around for their dreams to come knocking on the door. They are the ones who make things happen for themselves and or others. They are the ones who don't let people tell them how "lucky" they are. They tell them it wasn't luck it's because they don't sleep and work every damn second of the day because they LOVE what they do. Thats at least what a Dazey Lady means to me!