The Bolet Collective Origins

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had a creative spirit. Growing up, I would make enormous magazine collages across my bedroom wall that I would add to throughout the year and sit next to my dad with my colored pencils while I tried to mimic his artistic capabilities in my own drawings. In high school, I used my graphic design skills to design promotional material for my school’s art department and even designed my own campaign posters when I ran for student body President. In college, I pursued my liberal arts degree with gusto and did a variety of extracurriculars to fuel this side of my heart. I was a lead in my first theatre production as a college freshman, I was a news anchor for the local alternative music radio station, I competed in pageants and designed my talent costumes and performances, I wrote for an online publication called “The Lala” and covered influential pop culture moments, and I was constantly attending musicals and shows. (I almost got kicked out of a production of Legally Blonde because I literally could not stop myself from singing along. Whoops.)

In short, I loved doing things that pushed me out of my comfort zone, allowed me to work on my verbal and written voice across various mediums, and gave me the opportunity to design or create something from scratch. As I transitioned to the “real world” and focused on my career in corporate America, I found these creative opportunities happened less and less. While I channeled this energy towards my virtual communications (I design fun email invitations and newsletters), my apartment decor, and my fashion sense, I always toyed around with the idea of creating my own brand.

For years, and I mean years, I scrolled online and watched others cultivate their voice and their story virtually. I pinned over 2,000 pins on Pinterest, saved and archived hundreds of Instagram posts that inspired me, and this little seed in the back of my brain stayed present but not active. It was only in quarantine of March 2020 that I finally decided to just go for it and create a WordPress account. What I didn’t know was that I was about to embark on a deeply personal journey that would stall any opportunity to work on things that were outside of my immediate level of daily upkeep.

Nearly seven months and a newly healed mindset and heart later, I nervously logged back online into WordPress. I had a new vision, a new drive, and a new found love for my creative spirit again. As I pondered what this little corner of the internet was intended to do, I reflected on what I loved about my favorite influencers and content creators. For me, it was the older sister gene. You know, maybe she was the oldest sister of a friend growing up or the effortless senior in your sorority or the cool older girl in your college class that passed down handy advice and made you understand things so you didn’t feel so clueless all the time. The influencers I felt myself consistently drawn to were a community of relatable, educated, witty, fashionable, and honest women that shared their life experiences and advice. It was the kind of women that I would’ve aspired to have had as an older sister at different points in my life.

With this in mind, I decided to cultivate my blog focused on encouraging and inspiring women to seek personal empowerment, professional development, and the luxurious life that happens in between. I wanted to create a space where I could talk about my experiences, my do’s and don’ts, and my overall perspective on things. This unique blend of the personal, the professional, and luxurious is important to me because I believe in the active pursuit of these three elements to create a beautiful and balanced life.

In terms of content, sometimes you’ll find light hearted advice or guidance on certain life stages or daily moments. Sometimes, these blog posts are catered after conversations I’ve had with my younger brother and sister. Sometimes, they’re catered after the conversations I wish I could’ve had with my younger self. At the end of the day, my words aspire to be thoughtful and made with good intentions. Over the last few months, I have worked hard on designing my website, brand, and vision to reflect a valuable and thoughtful experience.

Welcome to The Bolet Collective. I’m so happy you’re here.