Photo credit: Frankie Marin via Damsel in Dior
Jacey Duprie is a journalist turned blogger who started Damsel in Dior in 2009. Two years later she turned the creative project into a full time job. The name is not "a misnomer" as her site explains, but rather "symbolic of a lifestyle --to never feel like a damsel in distress."
With a B.A. in Communications {Journalism} with a minor in Professional Writing from DePaul University, Chicago, her background gives her a certain edge over other bloggers. Creating interesting and engaging content is a skill and hers has attracted the attention of brands like Saks, GAP/Old Navy, and Levis. She's also contributed to Vanity Fair and Forbes among other publications.
We caught up with Jacey ahead of #CreateCultivateATL where she'll be joining us panel. Read through to learn about her transition from journalism to blogging, finding her true calling, and the very simple place she finds the secret to success.
How was your transition of growing up next to cotton fields in Texas and then transitioning to the city as a journalist?
Outside of the heartbreaking homesickness for my family, the transition was a seamless one. Because I have always kept a journal and have considered myself an aspiring writer early on in my life, moving to Chicago just after high school came easy. Yes, there were times when the city annoyed me. The honking horns and fast paced lifestyle were much different than life on the farm. However, it wasn’t a big transition for me because I was simply moving to a city that suited my personality and career path more than living in Taft, Texas.
You have mentioned that at one point, you felt lost while exploring your personalities. How did you find clarity in who you wanted to be?
I find that it is very obvious when you discover what it is that you are meant to do in life. Prior to discovering my true love for writing and working on Damsel in Dior, I didn’t see the writing on the wall. The clarity came when I realized and accepted that this was something I wanted to wake up and do each and every day. My dad always told me to find a career that made me want to get out of bed feeling happy every day. This is that thing for me. I believe that I found clarity when I was excited to jump out of the bed day after day to rush to my laptop and get to work.
Your resume has the likes of NBC, WGN, and E! News, which is pretty impressive. What is your advice to girls that want to follow the journalistic route?
First, I would ask them to take a close look at why they want to become a journalist. Writing for NBC or WGN is no cake-walk. You’ll need to study journalism in college and hit the internships early and hard. I had so many internships in college that I stopped receiving credit for them, but I worked for free because I was so eager to learn. It was actually due to these experiences that I realized I did not want to be a traditional journalist, but a writer and creator. Just because you start walking down one path doesn’t mean you will not end on another, but that is what is fun about exploring careers.
"Just because you start walking down one path doesn’t mean you will not end on another."
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Photo credit: Frankie Marin via Damsel in Dior
Everyone is always given a sugarcoated piece of advice for their career. What is one piece of career advice that you wish you had gotten that you ended up learning the hard way?
Say “No.” Also, the secret of success is found in your daily routine.
What things did you learn in the world of journalism that you have applied to your business with Damsel in Dior (both with skillets and business strategies)?
In my college courses, journalism ethics and standards were heavily enforced. This is a code of integrity that Damsel in Dior has adopted. Damsel in Dior does not accepts products of sponsored posts from companies that would not otherwise post about and all of my opinions are my own. Also, I learned to always proof read an e-mail before sending it and to never underestimate the power of picking up the phone and making a cold call.
"The secret of success is found in your daily routine."
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Do you think the blogging world will remain more lucrative than journalism?
The unfortunate reality of the journalism industry is that the sources are having a harder and harder time holding readers’ attention. Journalism and blogging are both supported by advertising and advertising dollars go where the readers are, which are blogs and social feeds. I think this will remain true because people want reliable and easy information quickly which is what blogs offer.
What makes you stick with it?
It works.
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