Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah “Hanza” Stephens.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As I spent more time in the corporate world, I began to miss doing things with my life that required creativity and deep thought. I felt as though I was beginning to be identified – even internally – by my job and what I did for a living rather than for who I was as a human being.
I had thought about blogging before on multiple occasions, but something had always stopped me. There was a fear in the pit of my stomach that would keep me from actually going all in and publishing anything even remotely personal or self reflective. Influencers can give bloggers a bad wrap as being egotistical product pushers that don’t even care about what they are selling or promoting. The sad thing is, that is not what blogging is about at all. It is tough to tell someone who has never done it before how much work and how many hours of time bloggers put into their personal brand and how intentional all of their work is. It is more than it appears on the surface.
For the past four years, I have practiced writing content, brainstorming ideas, and taking photos. I even bought a couple of domain names… but I never went through with it. I was stopped by the idea of how I would come across to the public eye.
Finally, and I mean FINALLY, I used that fear to propel me to take the leap and I hit submit. And guess what – none of the horrible things I expected to happen when I did happen. Nobody openly mocked me; nobody told me I was bad at writing or asked why on earth I thought I could do what I was trying to do. Instead, I received more love and support than I ever expected.
Now, my goal is to create quality content on a consistent basis while also discovering exactly what my brand is and maintaining my workload from my 55-hour workweek. Though it is honestly exhausting, I am so excited about it.
Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing that is ever worth it is ever easy – of course, there were challenges and there still are. I am nowhere near done building my foundation and the platform of which I am going to use to succeed! I don’t think I ever will be. Right now, I am in the learning stages – what works for me, what doesn’t. Every step of the way has been a new adventure and that is what keeps me going.
My advice:
Go for it! Whatever it is you want to do – whether it is blogging or starting a business or really anything, don’t let perception stop you from reaching your full potential!
This being said, when you are ready to make this leap, make sure to do it logically. Don’t quit your 9-to-5 to pursue your own business without an emergency saving, any clients, and a huge credit card bill. Don’t start a blog without thinking through your name, topics, photos, etc. You need to plan first. The chances of things going well without one are one in a million. None of this is easy. It is a step-by-step process, not a plunge into the deep end.
Also, whenever you do take your first step, reach out to me. I’d love to chat!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a wine and lifestyle blogger in DFW. My specialties are financial advice for young professionals, travel, health tips, and, my favorite, good, inexpensive wine.
As a brand, I am proud of my ability to keep up with the curation of content despite my long and inconsistent work hours at my company. I love my job and what I do, which sometimes makes it tough to shut down one laptop and open the other. I have to remind myself that I owe it to myself to really go all-in on this.
Additionally, I am proud of how quality my content is. I never want to be someone who throws a few words on a page and posts it just because I need to get something out the door. Sometimes, I have to taste five or six bottles of not so tasty wine before finding the perfect one for Wine of the Week. And then, I still have to come up with a photo concept, write the article, plan the formatting, do my SEO… you know the drill.
Sometimes, I write an entire article and then go back and delete the whole thing. Three hours of my life, gone. Sometimes, I get writer’s block.
Despite all of this though, I keep going. I always want to provide the best of the best for my followers and readers. And that is something that will never change.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well-positioned for?
Because of the lengthy oppression of women’s basic rights (remember that the United States is just now about to hit the 100 year anniversary of the 19th amendment), women have developed a bond unlike that of any straight, white male. We cheer one another on and want to see gender-wide success. Our female friendships and inner circles are just as important to us as our relationships with our spouses because of the factor of empathetic understanding. What I mean by this is that most of us, particularly those of us who are straight, have spouses who do not get what it is like to have to fight as hard as we do as women to get to where we want to go.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hanzastephens.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanzastephens/
Image Credit:
Henry Dinh – headshot, photos in blue dress
Noelle Smith – photo in red dress, photo with wine
Toan Tran – photo in white shirt
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