Work It Wednesday - Emma Courtney

We've been receiving more and more outreach regarding Work It Social and we're thrilled to be chatting with so many incredible entrepreneurs and industry leaders about what makes them truly #WORKIT. This week, we had the pleasure to talk with Emma Courtney and we're telling you, your eyes and ears are certainly in for a treat with this Life & Design Blogger! If you are interested in a potential feature in the coming weeks, be sure to email us at hello@workitsocial.ca. For now, let's catch up with Emma!

1. First off, share a little about YOU. Who IS Emma Courtney?

I am your average, but maybe not so average 24-year old living in Toronto, Canada. I am currently working part-time on my Bachelor of Interior Design, and recently graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Commerce. I have always had a love for creativity and design, so once I finished my Commerce degree, I knew Interior Design was the route I wanted to take. I always say, I grew up in a house where there was always some project going on. My whole family is creative and I think it rubbed off on me! When I was little, I could always be found making crafts, baking or playing any game that let me make my own house. I over-think, over-plan and over-organize everything - I’m a total perfectionist! Though I seem pretty girly, I love travel and adventure and last year I hiked 208km on the Camino de Santiago in Spain! Finally, if you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love cats and more specifically my little white and grey cat Lily!

2. What inspired you to start your lifestyle and design blog?

Honestly, in second year of university, I was sitting with some friends, wearing a simple pearl bracelet that I had made and one of my friends asked how I made it. I thought, this is such a simple thing and she had no idea how to even start. So, my lifestyle and design blog started with DIY’s and baking, then slowly evolved to incorporate design, fashion and décor as well!

3. How would you describe your aesthetic and style?

I would say simple and classy. On an average day, I don’t like to wear too much make-up and even for a special event, I like to have more of a natural look. For style, I like to keep things classy, though my style is always evolving and changing!

4. How do you drive traffic to your blog? Share some tips with us!

I think that my blog really has created a life of its own sometimes! The biggest thing for me has been Pinterest, I will pin all of my images from blog posts and Instagram to Pinterest, post them on my boards, as well as some group boards. Maybe they don’t drive a lot of traffic right away, but later I see them really doing well. It always surprises me to look at where my traffic is currently going, even from an older post. I think if you post consistently enough, your stuff will eventually get picked up and maybe not this season, but this time next year it will end up doing really well! I always find Christmas is the best time of year for my blog, whether it is posts from this year or a few years ago!

5. The key to blogging is consistency, but that's challenging for most people! How do you schedule your time and plan out your posts?

I have a pretty hectic lifestyle – but don’t we all!? Planning ahead is key, one of my consistent posts I do is weekly Friday Favourites, where I do a roundup of my favourites from that week and I try to theme them. I like the photos to be similar colours and match a theme, so what I end up doing is pinning a bunch of things to my secret Pinterest board. Then, once a week I go through them and pick out a theme. I find my Pinterest board key, because I can just be scrolling, not even intending to be blogging, but I am saving stuff that I will later go back to. I also find list making really great, because I will jot down all of my blog post ideas and then try and schedule certain days to get them done, then I schedule them to be posted! Also, it is really important not to be too hard on yourself, because life gets in the way, and we can’t always control what goes on. That is definitely something that I have learned over the last few years. It’s frustrating when we want to pump out a lot of posts but we can’t, and that’s okay. Some days I can do a few posts, and some weeks I struggle to even get one out!

6. What's been the most exciting part of growing your brand?

I think one of the most exciting parts about growing my brand is seeing others being excited about what I post and also the support I receive! I have made many friends through the blogging community, as well as real life friends and family that have been really supporting, and it’s great to see who has my back and who doesn’t! I think it’s also very motivating to keep pushing for more. When I see all of the support and enthusiasm from friends and family, it makes me want to accomplish more and aim higher.

7. Who are your favourite bloggers these days and why?

I am pretty obsessed with Julia Engel from Gal Meets Glam right now – kind of want her life!! She is someone I consistently follow. I love her look, personality and the content she creates is always amazing! Though she doesn’t so much focus as much on the interior design/décor side of things, she is always in beautiful places, and it’s always exciting when she shows the progress of her new home!

8. If people just HAD TO read one of your posts, which one would it be?

This is so hard – I don’t know if I could narrow it down to just one! I have such varying style in posts, so picking one is quite a challenge. My Friday Favourites get a lot of Pitnerest buzz, and this is one of my favourite Fall themed posts, here. Though, it’s DIY posts like this one that started my blog off. Plus, I had the chance to help throw a Bridal Shower recently and was able to share some ideas from that, which I am in love with, too. You can read that, here! See – it’s so hard to pick just one!!

9. Favourite app?

Favourite Blogging app?! Well I love Pinterest, and having a business account lets me see the analytics on what people love. An Instagram app that I love is Command, because it gives detailed analytics about what people on Instagram are loving, and I find that really helpful!

10. How do you #workit everyday?

Planning and scheduling every day! Planning my outfits ahead of time, planning my posts and goals for the day – everything! That’s how I keep on track and get everything done!