the COTERIE: Pure Wow Interview

First of all I would like to say how honored I am to be your #GIRLCRUSH! I'm really blessed to do what I love everyday and to be encouraged and supported by the best mentors and teachers (especially UNLEASHED Founder, Kara Ross). This business is HARD, it's not always glamorous. You  have to have a tremendous work ethic, passion, and positive attitude. You will fall down a million times, what counts is how you get back up. 

Our favorite kind of success story: Girl moves to New York after college. Girl struggles through years of unpaid internships, fiscal hardships and feeling like an outsider. Girl finds her niche and takes the damn world by storm.    

Perhaps this explains our crush on Jaclynn Brennan. In addition to chronicling her adventures in food, fashion and travel on Blazers & Bellinis, Jaclynn also proudly holds the title of full-time vice president & creative director at UNLEASHED by Kara Ross—a non-profit organization that empowers craftswomen around the world. One healthy dose of #girlboss inspiration, coming right up.

On how she beats stress. “I wake up at 6 a.m. every day to work out (and I am totally not a gym kind of girl), but I've set my mind on a goal and I go for it. After I work out, I meditate, usually for 20 to 30 minutes every single day. This is my sanity. After I meditate, I say my mantras. These are statements I use to speak to my inner self (I change them once a month). I look at my vision board and then get dressed so I feel like a rock star. I have been making vision boards since I was 12 years old with my mom, and creative visualization is a huge part of my beliefs. One more thing: I can't live without music all day, every day. My beats are part of my outfit!”

On the best parts of NYC living. “I live in West Chelsea, otherwise known as Hudson Yards. It is a magical place with so much inspiration and innovation happening all around me every day, I love every minute of it. Top three things to do include: taking a stroll on the High Line, boxing classes at RUMBLE in Chelsea, or visiting some of my fav galleries on Tenth Ave. Some of my usual spots include Chelsea Market (gotta have those tacos at least once a week!), drinks at Bathtub Gin (my local "speakeasy"), and I’m semi-obsessed with crazy cool nail art, which I do downtown in Nolita at Bisou.”

On a lesson she’s learned the hard way. “BE YOURSELF: This is something that sounds so easy, but it's not. Finding myself was hard enough, and having the courage to authentically be yourself in any situation or environment is sometimes scary and tough. But it is the best advice I have ever received. Not everyone is going to like you, you can't please everyone, but you can always be true to you."

Check out the full interview HERE> https://www.purewow.com/fashion/jaclynn-brennan xo