Meet Joey Kaufmann of Life Got Me Like Blog in Chandler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joey Kaufmann.

Joey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Hi! My name is Joey and I’m a 38 year old mom, wife and girl boss entrepreneur! I was a hairstylist and makeup artist for 15 years and I really enjoyed working in the beauty industry! I still currently work as a freelance MUA for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, but I retired from working behind the chair in January of this year to be a stay at home mom!

I love being home and getting to spend more time with my family. I also love that being a SAHM has allowed me the freedom to pursue other areas of interest. I have an Instagram page that I use as a mini-blog where I can talk about fashion, mom-things, women’s issues, and the real stuff that goes into every day! I tell it like it is, and I believe in honesty and authenticity, both of which you will find on my page! (@life.got.me.like)

I started my own t-shirt company called Mia Belle Collective, and with that company, I’m able to connect to people through their stories. My brand motto is ‘Real People. Real Stories. And the shirts that inspire them.’ My first shirt simply says “Be Kind”, and I use only real women as my models who I’ve met and had a story to tell. They are your neighbor, your friend, your co-worker, every size, shape and age. They are people you can relate to and identify with. I hope that by someone wearing my shirts, or seeing someone wearing my shirts, it will help spread love and compassion to other people and through the community, something I think our world is in desperate need of right now. I’m excited to continue to build the brand and to see where we can go, and who we can connect with!

I also am about to publish my first book from a series I am writing. This first book is about my journey living with infertility issues and miscarriage. Society has decided that these are two issues we don’t talk about. Well, I’m here to bust down that door and bring light onto these issues because so many women suffer from them! And usually, suffer alone. In my book, I tell it like it is! It’s real, raw, a little TMI in places, but I feel in order to get the truth out you gotta share it all! And I want women to know they are not alone! So, I’m going to bare it all and do so unapologetically! I want women to say, “Yes! Thank you! You get it!” If I can help even just one woman to feel better and to have peace knowing she’s not alone, then I’ve done what I set out to do.

 (You will be able to find my book on Amazon)

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but what self-started business is? The entrepreneur life isn’t for everyone. To get my businesses going, I had to have patience, determination, and thick skin. I had set-backs financially, motivationally, and some days I wondered if I would finish! I sold things online to save money to pay for business expenses, did side jobs, and worked long hours pushing to get things done.

I’ve been working on my book for three years. I started writing it, but then had to put it on the back burner while we were going through some tough things in our family. We have done foster care for ten years, and at this point, we had an extremely challenging child we were fostering. He required me to take a lot of time from work, and I had absolutely no time for anything personal!

When he left our home in 2018, I was able to focus again on the rest of the family and on myself and the things I had been working on. Then when I was able to become a SAHM, that’s when things fell into place, and I could go full force on my businesses! Now I’m ready to publish my book, and move on to the next one!

Please tell us about your work.
I think the thing that anyone who knows me well will tell you, is that I’m very genuine and authentic. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I care deeply for other people. Those qualities are seen in my book, my clothing line, and my Instagram blog.

To bare it all and be brutally honest is a scary and vulnerable thing for a lot of people, but I think for me it helps me create genuine relationships when people can see the good and the bad.

Life isn’t always cupcakes and rainbows, even though social media makes it seem that way. So for me, I want people to see the real me, my real life, and to know that I’m just like them! Sometimes we have it all together, sometimes we’re lucky if we got pants on and ate a cracker that day.

I’m not perfect, but I embrace that and I think that’s why people can relate to me so well. And I genuinely care about others, and I love helping people. Social media has made it so women are competing with one another, moms are ridiculing other moms, and I just think life is way too short to be a competition! We’re all just doing our best! So if through my books or Instagram or t-shirts, if I can help someone or celebrate their wins, or help them feel good about themselves, I’m going to do that!

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Oh, this is a good question. Honestly, I don’t think I would have done anything differently. Mistakes help us to grow and learn and do better the next time. And I think with my book, it wouldn’t be the same if I had rushed it or even published the first, second, or third version! I like to take each situation as a learning opportunity, even if in the moment I really hate it! Growth doesn’t come from comfort zones.

Pricing:

• Be Kind T-shirt $24.00

Contact Info:

• Website: joeykaufmann.com
• Email: joey.lifegotmelike@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/life.got.me.like
• Other: miabellecollective.com

Image Credit:
Brandon Tigrett – Photographer

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