This week I’m kicking off a new blogging series to share my blogging journey. I’ve been meaning to start this series for some time as so many of you reach out looking for advice. While every blogger’s journey is different, I’m hoping my story might inspire you to take a leap of faith and chase your dreams. I know it sounds cliche, but I truly believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to – you just have to commit to it. Whether blogging is something you’ve always wanted to try, a weekend hobby or your full-time career; this series is meant for you.

Some of the topics I’ll be covering include:
How I started my blog (today’s post)
How I grew my blog traffic
How I grew on Instagram
How I found my Instagram aesthetic
How I edit my photos (step by step)
How I quit my job and became a full-time blogger

To kick things off this week, I’m sharing all about how I started my blog. I started my blog back in 2012 (almost five years ago to this day) as a creative outlet while I was working as an Investment Banker. Phil and I were living in Los Angeles at the time and one day I discovered the world of fashion blogging and I couldn’t turn away. I loved the idea of creating a visual diary of my daily outfits. I felt like if I started a blog, it would force me to be more put-together and give me a greater sense of creativity – something I felt I was lacking in my finance career. After thinking about my blog name for a bit, I settled on Mia Mia Mine because Mia Mia is the nickname my Grandma has had for me since I was a child. I created an account on Blogspot (now Blogger) and had Phil take a couple photos of me in an outfit that I loved (see it here).

When I started I had no idea people were making money blogging and I certainly never imagined it would be my career one day. It was just a hobby that I enjoyed. As we started to take photos of my outfits more often, we decided to upgrade our camera and bought our first DSLR camera (here’s the updated version of what we used). Our photos were getting better and we were enjoying experimenting with photography. As the industry began to grow and Instagram started to become more mainstream, we really started to take our photography more seriously. Phil took a lesson from a photographer and we practiced a lot! Eventually we upgraded to our current camera (here) which combined with the years of photography experience Phil had gained, really helped elevate the content that we were putting out. I honestly believe the quality of our photography has played such a huge part in my growth as a blogger and I wouldn’t be where I am today without my husband, Phil’s dedication to this endeavor as well!

There were a lot of steps in between that I left out, but I will be touching on those soon! Feel free to leave any questions or topic suggestions below.

xo, Maria

Outfit details: Shopbop Red Striped Top // Gucci Belt (wearing a 70) // Levi’s Jeans (wearing a 24) // Celine Sunglasses // Celine Bag // Christian Louboutin ‘So Kate’ Heels

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