Daily Inspiration: Meet Kirsten DeYoung

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirsten DeYoung.

Hi Kirsten, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started Diary of a Dirty Blonde in August of 2016 as a way to document the trips I was taking for work. I am a Sr. Managing Consultant focusing on supply chain processes, helping major corporations implement SAP. Pre-covid, I used to travel every week, Monday to Thursday. I’ve always enjoyed getting to travel for work, even if a majority of the places I get sent are not glamorous. For a while, I got lucky, working for global companies with operations in Amsterdam, Germany, Ireland, Italy and NY. I had always loved following bloggers, and a coffee table can only handle so many Shutterfly books, so one Saturday, I decided to take the plunge and created my first ever website – Diaryofadirtyblonde.com. I had so much fun documenting everything I did on my trips and sharing my posts with friends or family who were planning a trip to somewhere I had been.

In my posts, I included information on where I stayed, activities I did and what/where I ate. As I ran out of trips to write about, I decided to venture into other areas such a fashion and lifestyle to keep my new found hobby alive. Five years later, I’m still blogging and still loving it! Starting a blog is one of the best decisions I have ever made. You simply can’t beat the blogging community and the amazing opportunities you get presented with! It has also taught me a lot about myself and has grown my confidence level in all areas of life. I am so excited to see what my next chapter in Dallas has in store for me!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I would say my biggest challenge right now is time. Being an observer of the blog world for so long, you take for granted all the hard work and effort that goes into making a post, video, or even taking a simple photo. To be honest, it is a lot harder and more time-consuming than I ever imagined. But I believe if you have a true passion for something, you will make time for it even when it seems like there is none (which for me mostly ends up being late at night after work).

Another one of my biggest challenges was my self-esteem. In the beginning, to say I was self-conscious about my blogging career is an understatement. I would turn bright red if someone saw me taking photos and constantly worried about what people thought about my newfound hobby. However, this obstacle has ended up causing me to learn so much about myself. If blogging teaches you one thing, it is that you can’t care what other people think – period. It’s nerve-racking putting your life on social media, especially today when people are not afraid to tell you that they love and or hate what you’re doing. Blogging is not for the faint of heart – but 100% worth it for those who can accept this “I don’t care” attitude. What I always think about is that most people are afraid to be extraordinary and follow their dreams. Anything worth pursuing will not be easy, but if you put yourself in the 1% that tries, you can achieve anything you imagine!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I work full time as a senior managing consultant, focusing on the supply chain process, helping companies implement a warehousing system called SAP EWM. But my blog is a fun side hobby for me to be creative and curate stories about things I enjoy, including but not limited to travel, fashion and beauty. My wish is to inspire others to also live a stylish well-traveled life. I think one thing that sets me apart from others is that over the years, I’ve spent less time curating stories and really try to focus on what I’m doing in my life at that particular point in time. I’m single, 30, randomly moved to Dallas this year and can’t wait to see what new adventures I have ahead in this next decade of life.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The biggest shift I have seen recently is from posting static photos to making more video content. Obviously, during covid, Tiktok became an extremely popular app, and it’s important that influencers adapt to these new platforms. I must admit I have been slow to the trends, mainly because of time, but it’s fun getting pushed creatively when new trends come out. Hopefully, when things slow down with my full-time job, I’ll be able to start making more videos. Especially in the travel space, I think it’s such a powerful way to share a story or help your audience feel part of your trip. I personally spend way too much watching travel videos and trying to plan my next adventure! So much good content out there!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: Diaryofadirtyblonde.com
• Instagram: @diaryofadirtyblonde
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Diary-of-a-Dirty-Blonde-240456439717198/