Fashion...we all have our own view of what it is. Each of us has a style, a look and trends that we like and others we don’t care for too much. But are we all represented in the giant world of fashion? No...unfortunately we are not. That’s in part why I was thrilled to meet Ellen Mason of A Fashionating Life. Not only do I love a good pun, I also love seeing women make spaces for themselves and expanding the representation that we see at large. You see Ellen is a 40+ year old mama to two boys ages 10 and 17, a creative soul and a fashionista. She realized that women in her age group were heavily underrepresented in the fashion industry, specifically the influencer space. It’s not like we suddenly stop wearing clothes or caring how we look and feel so why aren’t there more women 40+ being showcased in the hottest trends, or setting trends themselves? To me that answer was easy. Our society teaches us that youth is where beauty is and the fashion industry is directly related to the beauty industry. But that’s all changing thanks to Ellen and her business partner. They are standing up and saying ENOUGH! Enough under representation of middle aged women. It’s time that women over 40 feel fashionable and empowered to strut their stuff just like they did in their 20s. So you’re probably thinking...why would Alena this 29 year old care about 40 year old women and fashion? Well one day I’m going to be 40, God willing, and I don’t want to be stuck feeling like I cannot still be cute and feel good about the clothing that I’m wearing just because of age. So I celebrate what A Fashionating Life stands for and is working to change. ![]() In the midst of chasing this dream Ellen has run into adversity. Even from her own peers. One woman in her age group told her it couldn’t be done and that this industry just wasn’t for older women. I’d say that woman is probably eating her words because not only are they doing it, this influencer brand has opened many doors for Ellen including a new career with THE EDIT ADVISORY. People, however, weren’t her biggest obstacle. That would be the belief in herself and her vision. It took a few years for Ellen to finally take the leap to start A Fashionating life and she attributes the leap to her husband and friend who is now her business partner. She had been talking about her vision to them over the years and they both told her to stop talking about it and just do it. Their push and her partner’s willingness to join her on the journey was the exact push she needed to make her dream into a reality. What started as a blog with a small community quickly became an influencer platform. A Fashionating Life started to get deals via popular influencer site Like To Know It. However at first Ellen feared the opportunity thinking that she was hacking products at people by sharing with them where they could buy the clothing A Fashionating Life was showcasing on their blog. Boy was she wrong! The moment she started to share where members of her community could find these amazing pieces she got thanks for members who were happy to start learning where they could pick up the items they liked most. It’s truly a testament to what can happen when we just put ourselves out there and go for what’s already ours. Sometimes we get stuck in our own heads and can think ourselves out of an opportunity to provide more for our community or grow. Good thing Ellen got out of her head on this one. Ellen’s passion for fashion is truly inspiring. She took something that she loves, and created a space for it that didn’t exist before. Having a love for what she does makes it so much easier and enjoyable to do it day in and day out. Ellen knows this all too well. Prior to A Fashionating Life she had worked a corporate job that was the polar opposite of who she is. Thankfully with the support of her husband she was able to step away from that life and focus on things that really mattered to her and make her heart sing. And she’s been able to balance her passion with her family life. One of the tricks that she has found works for her to create and maintain balance is to have photo shoots. Rather than to take a new photo every single day. Ellen and her business partner schedule one photo shoot in advance so that they have their content planned ahead and don’t have to focus on it day to day. There really is a power in planning ahead. I took from my meeting with Ellen, that your passions can propel you forward and that’s sometimes all you need to get started. If you too have a passion for fashions, be sure to visit Afashionatinglife.com for your dose of fashion tips, insight and more. Also catch Ellen live for Episode 4 with me on January 25, 2021 at 8 PM EST where we dive further into her journey, and mission. Connect with Ellen and A Fashionating Life online; Blog = AFashionatingLife.com Instagram = @AFashionatingLife Facebook = @AFashionatingLife Mompreneur Mondays is a free promotional event for each of the Boss Moms I feature. My company handles all of the marketing and promotion. We do not require that any of the featured mamas, our readers or viewers pay for this experience. However if you would like to help this initiative you can choose to make a donation via PayPal using the link below. All donations are greatly appreciated and utilized for promoting Mompreneur Mondays.
14 Comments
Ashley t
1/25/2021 07:32:08 pm
I love the mompreneur Mondays segments! These women are always so inspirational and talented.
Reply
Kimmy
1/26/2021 04:34:25 am
Ellen is a true warrior!
Reply
Luna S
1/26/2021 06:15:16 am
This is fantastic! I agree that women of all ages should be represented in fashion and beauty sites/magazines not just young models.
Reply
Katricia
1/26/2021 06:41:35 am
Ellen sounds like an amazing woman! And I’m happy she’s showcasing her fashion for 40 and over
Reply
Gervin Khan
1/26/2021 07:14:39 am
Ellen sounds like a great person and I must agree with her that fashion is not only present on your 20's but this should be present in all ages.
Reply
1/28/2021 12:40:03 pm
Oh man, these Mompreneur Mondays are SO good! I love the work Ellen is doing!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Alena MichelleAlena Michelle is an accountability coach and mompreneur. Becoming a mother opened her eyes to the sad reality that many mothers loose their identities in motherhood. Throughout her own journey to find herself Alena learned that making herself a priority helped her to become a better mother to her daughter and a better wife to her husband. |