Today we’d like to introduce you to Kait Miller.
In 2015, I had just finished grad school and was newly married. I moved across the country to Central California to join my husband, Jered. Little did I know, this would be one of the most challenging seasons of my life. For months I applied for jobs with no luck. I was being passed up for jobs that required high school diplomas. I was told I was either overqualified based on my education or under-experienced based on my age. I was a 23 year old with a master’s degree, but I didn’t feel good enough.
So much had changed during this short time period, that I didn’t even realize how much it had affected my mental health. I felt lost, without a purpose…wondering how everyone around me seemed so put together and sure of what they wanted to do. I would later learn, that it was quite the opposite.
A few months later, my husband took a job offer and we moved to Salt Lake City. I thought “this is the answer- I would definitely find a job here”. But nope…it seemed like every door was closing. So my husband encouraged me to start a blog. He has an entrepreneurial spirit and helped me develop a website and create my IG account. Still, I struggled to find my passion and purpose. My anxiety was getting the best of me, and all I wanted to do was figure out my career. To belong. To get past this season of “the unknown”. So I started trying things out…photography, fashion, food blogging, etc. I gave myself space to try and fail. To realize that failing wasn’t actually failure at all.
After being in SLC for three years, and a lot of “going through the motions”, we moved to NYC so I could attend Columbia for grad school round two. I had always been able to count on education to make me feel valued, to give me some sort of purpose. So I began applying to schools and felt like Columbia was a once in a lifetime opportunity I didn’t want to pass up. I took a risk. A risk that would change the trajectory of my life.
This is where everything changed. I was in school for Clinical Mental Health Counseling, but yet again found my anxiety at an all-time high. I was overwhelmed with opportunities for my blog and felt torn between these two worlds I lived in. I realized that I was passionate about mental health, but didn’t want to become a therapist. Here I was, yet again… in another struggle, not wanting to disappoint anyone else. But this time I had tools to cope. I had an amazing therapist who helped me navigate this journey I was on. My blog started gaining traction. One day I woke up and decided to share my story. They say the City will change you- and I am a firm believer in that. I discovered that my passion for my Instagram was to become a mental health advocate. I decided to discontinue my studies at Columbia- the place that changed me and taught me so much about myself.
For personal reasons, we decided to leave NYC after a year, and move to Dallas. My career and my role as a mental health advocate started to fully mesh. I got my Real Estate license and now do an apartment locating in Dallas in addition to my blog, @kaitgmiller. Along with that, I work with brands across the world, strive to normalize therapy/mental health, and also share my journey through the messy parts of life.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I use my Instagram, @kaitgmiller, to walk people through my journey. To share the messy, non-linear parts of life. To show people that it’s okay to know be okay or have it together. I talk about my relationship with my husband and our journey with therapy. I also talk and educate about therapy + mental health.
I am so so proud to be a small part of the movement to normalize therapy.
In addition, I got my Real Estate license and work as an apartment locator under a broker here in Dallas. It has been an incredible journey. Realizing that we are all unique, multi-faceted people who wear many, many hats.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
YES! Networking in Dallas is incredible. People have been so inviting and open. I was terrified at first to leave NYC because there always seemed to be something going on. But influencers and the social media market is ever-changing, but it still gives the most equal opportunity for people to work hard, network, and gain influence.
Also, the real estate industry in Dallas far surpassed anything I could have imagined. The market is growing rapidly and people from all over the country are moving here from major cities. You get a great cost of living and great opportunities. Never in a million years would I have seen myself here. I feel blessed to call Dallas home.
Contact Info:
- Website: withlovekait.com
- Email: kait@withlovekait.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaitgmiller/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/kaitgmiller/
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