Meet Valerie Hatcher

Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Hatcher.

Valerie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always loved fashion. I think it started as a little girl dressing Barbie and my other dolls. My mom was very fashion forward for her time and actually still is today at the age of 77.  My love for fashion and style has continued over the years. I’ve dabbled in many different areas, to include, Stella and Dot Independent Stylist, Mary Kay Beauty Consultant and co-owner of an online boutique. I am also a certified Image Consultant.

I’ve blogged off and on for more than ten years. I started before blogging was as popular as it is today. I took a break at one point because, in addition to working full time, my son played select, high school and later college basketball. As you can imagine, that kept me pretty busy.  I’m not complaining, as I loved that time of life and actually miss it now that he has graduated from college.

Fast forward to today, during my time away I continued to have this burning desire to do something in this fashion/style/blogging space. It just wouldn’t go away. So, about a year ago I started blogging again. It’s totally different today than ten years ago but I’m committed to this journey.

I’m a little older and hopefully a little wiser now.  My mission is to inspire women in their “mid-life” to live life with style, class, and confidence.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I can say it has been more difficult than I imagined it would be this time around. Blogging is different now with the social media component added to the equation. This creates an entirely different dynamic.

I’m older than many bloggers so it’s important that I remind myself that it’s going to look a little different for me; the story I tell is going to be different than theirs and that’s ok.

I work full time in the Corporate world as a Human Resources Professional. I love what I do, having a seat at the table to strategize with and be a thinking partner for members of our Executive team as it relates to the people side of the business.  With that being said, my daytime gig keeps me pretty busy.  After a long day at work and a long commute home, it’s time to step into my blogger life. So, time management has definitely been a challenge for me.  I’m still figuring out how to juggle it all; researching and writing the blog post, social media post, photo shoots which are either with my son who is a photographer, other local photographers or sometimes I’m my own photographer.  I also can’t overlook the time needed for continuous learning related to the many aspects of the business.

I am a very impatient person by nature so I have to constantly remind myself that it’s going to take time, it’s not a sprint. So, has it been smooth? No, not really but most importantly, it has been fun and that’s what matters.

Please tell us about I Am Valerie Hatcher.
I am an over 50 life and style blogger.  Actually, while we are a growing demographic, there aren’t many bloggers for the over 50 woman. My goal is to encourage women in their mid-life to age with style, class, and confidence by sharing my life and style story, fashion finds along with styling and beauty tips. You know, the things girlfriends talk about.

As a 50+ empty nester, I know that as moms we’ve spent much of our lives taking care of and raising little people. Those little people grow up to be adults and they leave the house, leaving us not only as empty nesters but sometimes just plain empty.  Often times we may not have paid as much attention to our bodies as we should have and/or may not have kept up with the latest hairstyle and fashion trends.

I have an eye for style and love putting together outfits not only for me but others. I enjoy shopping for others and giving style advise, even to strangers in the store who ask my unsolicited opinion. haha

I love to connect with people and have a sense of humor. I hope that through my social media post and captions, I bring a little humor to someone’s day while allowing them to see the real me.

My message to my mid-life girlfriends is that it’s time to get our style back!!  It’s ok to age with style. Style is very personal and there is no mold that we need to fit into. We can wear what we want to wear as long as it’s right for our bodies, looks good on us as and we feel comfortable in it.  It’s important that we enjoy this next chapter of life; that we take the limits off and live our best lives.  It’s our time now!!

I’m most proud of putting myself out there to try to navigate in this new social media age. I have connected with some really awesome bloggers who have been willing to share best practices.  My family has been a great support. My son has helped me polish up on my photography skills and has given me his hand me down DSLR cameras. I’m pretty proud of the fact that I can be my own photographer when needed. LOL

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Oh wow, I would just start!  I tend to spend a lot of time researching and trying to learn all I can before pulling the trigger.  I strive for perfection but perfection can cause delays.  I have to be good with not knowing everything right away.  So, in the words of Nike, I would “Just Do It.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://valeriehatcher.com
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Alexa Vossler Photography, Jon Hatcher Visuals, The Lockharts, Audrey ODonnell Art, Jon Hatcher Visuals

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.