ABOUT ME

Alright, I told you all I am pretty much an open book...so, let's DIVE IN. I was born and raised in San Diego, CA and grew up in a small country town named Ramona. I should let you know, I use the term "country" loosely, because I never felt like it was COUNTRY.  But after surveying my San Diegan friends for the past 28 years, they all seem to think Ramona is VERY country. I loved every second of it though!! It gave me that small town vibe, but we could also drive 15 minutes west to be in Poway, a more suburban area, or you could drive even further east to get to a more secluded town called Julian! My high school years were interesting to say the least. I went to Poway High and BOTH my parents taught there...YES, you read that correctly. My Mom was a Physical Education teacher and my Dad was Design Mix Media, Jewelry and Fine Arts. Oh, and did I mention I have a brother and he was only one grade above me as well? So, day in and day out it was a family affair going to school. I love my family so much, but when I was younger we definitely had a rocky relationship. Mostly, because as a young adult you think you know everything and it takes some growing up to realize, you in fact, DO NOT know everything. Our relationships now are so much stronger than I could have ever imagined, but I digress...

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So, my journey then took me three thousand miles away to the East Coast for college because all I wanted was to get as far away from home as possible. I was lucky enough to receive a full-ride Division 1 NCAA Volleyball scholarship to attend Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT. When I say I would go back to relieve those years, I truly would in a HEARTBEAT. I loved that school and the fact that I got to play volleyball there as well, was a dream come true. Every day I wake up thankful for the people I met along that journey...My roommates, my coaches, my teammates, my professors, my friends and the entire strength & conditioning staff. Each person I made a connection with along the way taught me something new. Fairfield was also the first place where I found my passion for Media and Communications. After four amazing years, I was able to walk away with a degree and a tournament ring for winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference my senior year! I'll still never forget graduation day watching the school fade away in the rear view mirror as I began my adventure back to California. 

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Once I moved back here things got tricky...I moved back in with my folks because I didn't have any type of money to get me on my feet and I started looking for work ASAP. The only thing I wasn't prepared for, was to NOT get my dream job right off the bat. I ended up working part-time as a volleyball coach and part-time at Costco. Once I started excelling and moving up within Costco, I started pursuing it full-time until I was a Front End Supervisor. Let me tell you all something, I've never had a job as difficult as Costco. I like to see the positive traits in humanity, but working there tested me every single day. On the bright side, I met people there who became lifelong friends because we all were like a family. I give MAJOR props to every single Costco employee—you're all the real MVP's!

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After four years of working there I finally got to say bon voyage and start another uncertain adventure. I went into the world of Accounting. WEIRD, RIGHT?  Not because Accounting is weird, but because I had no passion or interest in it...This was another moment in my life where I constantly thought—what are you doing with your life? I had such a strong desire to get into the world of Social Media and Marketing, but I continually found myself "settling" for a steady income. So, about one year into my two years of working in Accounting, I finally decided to market myself...which is how Sun, Smile & Style was born!

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I turned my Instagram profile into a business account and made it public so that I could hit the ground running and start creating content. In the meantime, I had met and fell in love with my now fiancé all because I was dumped by my ex-boyfriend in a parking lot. Haha yeah you read that right...after I was dumped, I was ready to go out every weekend, RAGE and enjoy being single! Turns out, after one (non-sober) evening out in North Park, I had alllllll the butterflies and feels for a guy I met at a bar. Tyler and I talked more over the following weeks and once we started dating things couldn't have felt more perfect. The only thing missing was my career! So, each day after I would work my full shift as an Accounts Payable Clerk, I would come home and blog or post on Instagram! Then on the weekends, I would pitch to businesses or online boutiques for collaborations.

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The passion and drive I had to develop my own brand and market myself, is how I was lucky enough to get an interview for a Marketing Coordinator position at a hotel in Del Mar, CA. After my phone interview and in-person interview, I was offered the job and yet again, couldn't have been more excited for how perfect everything fell together. After about 9 months of working there, I was offered a promotion to a Marketing Specialist role and then things really started to click. I've never felt more challenged and excited to go to work everyday!

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If you're still reading...THANK YOU.

 

You pretty much know my entire life story now. If anyone has any questions about me or my brand, then drop me a message below! Otherwise, explore my site and subscribe to follow along in my creative journey!