A few years ago, I battled an eating disorder called orthorexia. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s basically an obsession with health. Everything from gluten-free, vegan, GMO-free, soy-free, dairy-free, chocolate-free, errythang good you can think of is a no-no. Once I recovered from orthorexia, I became kinda obsessed with looking at food on Instagram. That’s when I became super into cooking and clean eating, with an even balance between salad and chocolate. Moderation and feeling good about yourself is key!

During that time, I came across a blogger named Jordan Younger. She runs The Balanced Blonde, a very popular health blog dedicated to many topics similar to what I try and focus on with A Life in the Fashion Lane and my nonprofit, M.I.N.T. Suddenly, I started seeing Jordan transition from her blog to something bigger: her story. She too was suffering an eating disorder, and it happened to be the same one I was suffering. She appeared on shows like TODAY talking about her battle, and now she’s here to talk with us today! I’m so excited!!

A: How was your blog The Balanced Blonde started?

Well, I started my blog in 2013 as a vegan food blog, believe it or not! It was called The Blonde Vegan at the time. As my own lifestyle evolved, my blog and brand ended up changing along with it. I went through a very public transition from veganism to a diet/lifestyle that incorporates more variety and focuses on living label-free, good vibes and balance. Then I transitioned to The Balanced Blonde! At first the blog was a total passion project while I was finishing up college and in my first year of grad school, and eventually I was so in love with it and couldn’t focus on anything else so I dove in to blog full-time!!! It’s been a crazy ride and I have loved every moment of it. Things are always evolving and changing to this day, which I like.

A: What advice do you have for those who want to follow the same path as you?

Passion and consistency. If you are passionate and consistent about your vision, the rest will follow. Make sure your blog subject is something you could talk about endlessly for the rest of time, because that might be what ends up happening! 😉 That is the goal, right?!

Also, Just START! You will never reach your goals if you don’t just begin– I know it’s scary, but it’s so worth it. And remember that change doesn’t happen overnight, but if you are consistent and passionate about making a chance you will start noticing the benefits and you will feel incredible. SO WORTH IT.

A: How did you come up with the idea for your clothing line?

The initial idea for (what was once called) TBV Apparel came to me in the middle of a yoga class about four years ago. I thought of a bunch of phrases for graphic tees and envisioned a super fun line to sell on the blog and even nailed down all the details of the first photo shoot WHILE in that yoga class and before the line had even begun to come to fruition. Luckily one of my dear friends from college is a phenomenal designer and already had experience in the t-shirt printing business, so we created the line together!! We then of course changed it to TBB Apparel, and ultimately decided that the fashion industry wasn’t our thing. We recently closed to store to focus on new ventures and while I miss it – it was a great decision for us!

A: What are some difficulties you faced and how have you overcome them?

So many!!! When I shifted my brand that was probably the biggest challenge. I had a lot of hate coming from a LOT of places so I had to develop a very thick skin. I have since learned that being in the public eye comes with the territory, and I’ve learned that from a ton of inner work, self-care, a spiritual practice, lots of yoga, and basically taking major care of myself from the inside out!

A: What are your goals for the future?

I can’t wait to see where the brand takes me – I am thinking that focusing on podcasting, book writing, yoga retreats and in person events is what my next few years will look like… stay tuned!!! I can’t wait to get to work on my next book.

Xo,

Alexa