Meet Jessica Dowd of JessicaGracefully in West Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Dowd.

Jessica, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
After moving across the country with my husband, our six month old baby boy, two dogs and two cats in November 2017 with the Air Force I found myself stuck at home (literally because we only had one car) and needing something to keep myself busy. I never planned on being a stay at home Mom but the timing worked out that it would actually be the best option for us. I started first with my blog Mom Life Exposed which eventually grew into my ‘Instablog’ through my Instagram account @jessicagracefully. My masters in anthropology has some connections to marketing and I have always had a love and interest in photography, both of which have been very useful in creating this brand around my life and my babies. I have been having so much fun over the past few years documenting our life and sharing my version of motherhood, pregnancy and life as a woman in this day and age.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Basing a business around your life and creating a brand with you as the center is going to have its ups and downs. Also, relying on a social media platform you have very little control over is going to create some difficulties as well. It took me over a year to get to a point where I was actually making money from my work. I have also tried many different things, some failed while others were abandoned. It has been a learning process on a personal level as well as from a business standpoint and it is an ongoing evolution.

Please tell us about your work.
I consider myself a content creator. Whether that be photos, videos or stop motions, I share my life in the most creative ways I can. I incorporate products and services into this content organically and with fun concepts!

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My husband has supported me in this endeavor even when he couldn’t always see my vision. He’s been a great ‘instahubby’, always willing to take and retake a photo for me! My family has also been supportive even when they didn’t fully understand exactly what it was I was doing! social media influencers and content creators are a fairly new concept for the average person like myself. We all have seen actors and singers as influencers for years but this age of social media has opened up a door for other people to create an audience that they can influence as well. This community of moms and women has been so supportive and I have made some amazing connections with so many women as mentors and mentees!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.momlifeexposed.com
• Email: jessicagracefully@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/jessicagracefully

Image Credit:
Elif Oner Photography

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