Heart and hustle are just two of the components that set Katie Sands apart from a sea of bloggers. Like the name Honestly Kate suggests, Katie is all about authenticity. Clad in the most gorgeous outfits you’ve ever seen, she inspires others to express themselves in their most honest, real form.
From behind the scenes of New York Fashion Week to fitness videos to recipes, Katie shares the inner workings of her daily life with her quarter of a million followers every day. Not to mention, she’s also an on-air style expert and hosts segments for Fox 5 NY. It’s safe to say Katie is doing something right. Here’s how Katie Sands created a full-time job from what was once a hobby in grad school.
Her Campus: What’s a typical day in the life of your job?
Katie Sands (KS): The thing that differentiates working for yourself versus having a 9-5 desk job is that my days always vary. I thrive on structure, so I do try to keep as much consistency throughout my week as possible. Monday and Wednesdays I meet with brands to discuss partnerships, Tuesdays and Thursdays are days to shoot all the content I need to backlog for the next few weeks, and Fridays are always computer days to answer all the emails I missed while I was on the go during the week.
I wake up every day at 7:30 am, earlier if I’m on TV, and go walk outside to get a matcha. I feel that I need to do this to set my mind in place. Then I usually take my first meeting around 9 am. Some nights I have drinks with brands around 6:30 pm and I try to get to bed before 12am if possible (if I’m not reading a great book or binge-watching a new show).
HC: What made you pursue a career in blogging?
KS: I started my blog as a happy accident. I was in grad school at the time for theater production and started posting my outfits to Instagram — which I used as an editing tool — to keep me sane in a very anxiety-driven environment. I have always had a passion for costume design so creating looks was a no brainer and a way to distract myself from my daily school environment. Once I realized that I could monetize my brand, I went full steam into business mode.
HC: What do you like most about your job?
KS: Meeting so many incredibly inspiring entrepreneurs and hearing their stories. It always motivates me to work harder and to stop the noise in my head. No one in this industry has one path and that’s what gets me going.
HC: What do you like least about your job?
KS: The uncertainty of the digital marketplace. We’re all at the whims of Google and Facebook and their ever-changing algorithms. The rules could be upended tomorrow. I always try to prioritize saving all my content and images because I technically don’t own any of my images/videos on Instagram.
HC: What skills are most important to be a successful blogger?
KS: You have to be able to take rejection and still keep going with your day. You must be able to come up with creative ideas on the spot. You must be comfortable putting yourself out there at events, fashion shows, on social media, with big-time CEOs, etc.
HC: What do you wish you knew before you started blogging?
KS: I wish I knew how to code or had some kind of background in technology. I really wish I had set up a business plan before I actually started my blog. I had to work backwards once I started my LLC because I had nothing in place.
HC: When and how did blogging become a career and not just a hobby?
KS: I remember graduating from my acting program and realizing that I was running a small business out of my apartment. I realized then that I didn’t have to get a second job as a temp or waitress while I was pursuing a career in theater because I was making enough to hold me over. Then slowly it became more of a full-time job and here we are three years later. I have an LLC, full-time employees, and an agency I work with daily.
HC: Did you/do you have a mentor or role model who guided you in the blogosphere?
KS: Of course. I have a few women that I consider mentors that I still go to for almost everything! I think it’s really important to find someone (or someones) that you look up to and can learn more from their unique journey. I have a mentorship program starting on my Patreon account this month because I think it is so important to ask for advice/help when you need it. I wish more people were open to this.
HC: Did any skills from your previous jobs translate into blogging and how so?
KS: Before I was blogging full-time I was in acting school studying theater production. Learning how to create a story and character helped my blogging career tremendously. My grad program taught me how to build out the world of your character and bring the audience along for the ride. I credit my background in theater greatly.
HC: What are your words of advice for a student considering blogging?
KS: Go for it! If you have a passion about fashion, beauty, fitness, cooking whatever it may be then share it with the world. You never know who you will inspire by putting your own passion out there.