Outfit details: Dress: Privacy Please via Revolve I Heels: Schutz (sold out but they’re called Rosaflor) (Similar here) I Jacket: Blanknyc I Photos by Shelby

If there is one thing I learned from immersing myself in the blogging world this past year, it’s that readers crave more realness from the bloggers they follow. Now more than ever, readers value when a blogger opens up and shows that they are are human. That means real flaws and hardships. As a frequent purveyor of blogs, it’s something I look for when deciding whether or not to follow someone on social media. As a blogger myself, it’s something that I want to come across in my work. It’s why I became a blogger-to connect with other women through my writing. And I think the first step in that direction, is figuring out what i’m doing right and what I can do better.

With that in mind, i’m sharing my number one blogging goal— creating more thought provoking personal essays. For me, it’s always been about the writing. Yes, I love sharing my style and curating outfits, but it always goes back to how these outfits fit into my everyday life.

I want you to come to Street Style Philosophy knowing that you will come away with more than outfit inspiration. It’s important to me to share meaningful content and build a connection. I want to realistically show what it means to be a 30-something woman with a career and a blog, raising a family and living in our current world. I’m not sure what that is supposed to look like but I can share my version and how i’m learning to define it. I want to share my perspective and hope that you can relate and add to the conversation. That can include personal stories of being a mother, building a career and the topic that is always in the forefront of my mind — pursuing your passion when there are an overwhelming amount of reasons to quit.

That means personal narratives that aren’t just about the outfit but also somehow relatable. When I decide to read a blog, it’s usually because the blogger somehow mirrors an aspect of my life that is important to me. It could be because she’s also just had her second baby and i’m wondering what her experience has been. Or maybe she also works in a corporate setting and i’m wondering what she wears to work. We’re all hoping to connect with someone in an authentic real way.

Of course, the outfit posts will go on because I know you all love those too. If i’m being honest, they’re as fun to create and photograph as they are to read about. But this year, my focus is to go beyond that and share more of myself. From a metrics perspective, the posts that get the most engagement are the really personal ones, which makes total sense. People want to connect and relate to the content they read. I feel the same way when I read other blogs. First and foremost, is the blogger being real?

I’ve written about my experience as a mother before and how I felt when my daughter turned one. I’ve also written about what it was like becoming a mom of two. These are the kind of personal posts, good and bad, that you have been the most interested in. They are the ones that have turned into conversations. I’m thoughtful about what I want to write and imagine you, the reader, in mind every time I hold my breath and click on the publish button. I want to write about my personal experiences and hope that these are topics you can identify with. This is so important to me. I personally struggle with how much of myself to share but i’m excited to open up more and continue to build a sense of community with those of you who choose to come here.

My goal is always to create content that I am proud of and that I think adds value to your day. It’s one of the reasons i’m often asking for your feedback. I want to produce something that you want to read and that is meaningful to the both of us. My goal is for Street Style Philosophy to be an informative and meaningful platform to connect with other women.

I’m always challenging myself to think bigger and do better. I can’t wait to share with you some fun projects I have coming up. I really can’t wait to see where we take Street Style Philosophy, together. My believe has always been that if you’re passionate about something and put everything you have into achieving it, good things will come. I’m so excited for this next chapter and I sincerely thank you guys for following along. xo, Tanya