Fifteen years. 15 Occasions. 3,590+ Articles. 850,000+ followers, followers, and subscribers from the US, Italy, and the UK to Australia, Canada, Brazil, Japan, and China. This yr’s birthday (Christmas to be precise) marks an anniversary that I by no means dreamed of reaching– marking 15 years (and counting) of The Curvy Fashionista bringing you the newest in plus dimension style information, type, and sources! 

I believed for some time about which course I needed to go with this reflection on the previous 15 years. Not solely have the plus dimension neighborhood and the style business grown, advanced, and reworked over the years, however TCF and I have grown, advanced, and reworked. Do I style a “greatest of,” “high moments,” or a “what I’d wish to see from plus dimension style” strategy? May that presumably seize all the things I’ve to say?

This yr, particularly after the final two years, has been so impactful and transformational for me personally and professionally that it doesn’t make any sense to create a listicle. I’d reasonably share a mirrored image of this progress and the pleasure I’ve about what’s to come back… from the lens of a founder, an Editor-in-Chief, and a member of this neighborhood.

Reintroducing The Curvy Fashionista

So, the place do I start? Let’s first begin with the place I’m– as a result of this yr has been really a blessing in disguise– one I wish to discuss with as my Phoenix elevating from the ashes. This has been a yr of therapeutic. A yr of transition. A yr of schooling. A yr of basis. And greatest of all, a yr that has birthed a renewed pleasure and vigor that I missed! 

I need to admit… it was not till final yr that I actually realized what (and the worth of) what I had constructed. After a failed enterprise deal that eviscerated and deflated any sense of self, I’ve been on a transformational journey that has helped me notice my value, discover my confidence, and supply readability on what I used to be constructing and why. 

It’s been a journey that’s begged me to ask myself, “How am I displaying up for me?!” How might I present up for my enterprise if I didn’t present up for myself? My neighborhood? My family and friends? 

Now that I’ve readability, enable me to reintroduce myself:

Howdy! My title is Marie Denee, and I’m the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Curvy Fashionista. This reintroduction, getting extra private than I ever have, is my approach of displaying up for you. For TCF. For many who assist make TCF what it’s and can be. As a result of darling… this aware confidence I’ve discovered? This self-awareness? This therapeutic? This drive and ambition? I’m sooooo geeked for what’s to come back. 

For my fellow entrepreneurs, you’ll perceive me after I say, “When you’re good, your enterprise is nice” and vice versa! BUT! What occurs if you fully neglect your self? I didn’t even notice that I had been pouring a lot of what I had and knew into TCF that I didn’t take care of the most vital thing- ME. And I didn’t notice how vital I used to be in the equation that’s my enterprise. 

I let disappointments, heartbreaks, misplaced friendships, errors, and the concern of rejection, acceptance, or each dim my gentle. I fell all the approach again. I made myself small. Alongside with the melancholy that led to my remedy journey, I used to be carrying the residue from childhood traumas that I believed I had dealt with. It was there I spotted the want for the neighborhood– the neighborhood I had spoken about a lot. It was the impetus for launching our TCFStyle Lounge. I wanted that. I wanted YOU. However as a result of I fell to date again, I didn’t know HOW to point out up. 

It was with final yr’s divine realignment and repositioning that I actually realized, questioned, and really noticed the many errors and classes that I wanted to handle and the way TCF was in its good place to develop and scale to increased heights. Divine timing. 

When the Pupil is Prepared, The Lesson Seems

I wrote a mirrored image on the BOMESI Accelerator Program, and shared how my new mentor helped appropriate my mindset and strategy to TCF and the enterprise of publishing. It was mind-blowing and eye-opening! It confirmed me an entire new world. 

You see – after I began TCF, I had no concept that this journey would deliver me right here! Running a blog was not a proper profession that you might make a dwelling from. There was no marketing strategy. No technique or group to make it work. It was all natural progress and plenty of leaps of religion. 

After a number of cool campaigns (Evans, Chevrolet, Marina Rinaldi, Nordstrom, and Hole) and awards (The Root 100, Ebony Future50, and the FIIAs, amongst a number of others), I knew the place I needed to go, however I had no title for it or roadmap for find out how to get there. 

I’m chuckling to myself as I write this in hindsight realizing how hilarious it was not realizing what I used to be constructing or what business I used to be really aligning with. And I didn’t have the aware confidence to make all of it occur. Even nonetheless – my massive furry audacious objective of TCF sitting subsequent to WhoWhatWear, The Zoe Report, or Refinery29 was by no means a matter of if I might do it, however how. 

And it felt like the spirit answered my query. 

People say when the pupil is prepared the lesson will present itself, proper? Nicely, this yr has proven that to be so true for me! Because of the BOMESI Accelerator and different divinely aligned of us, I’ve a transparent course of the place I need and must go, the instruments that I would like, and the ecosystem wanted to help me and my imaginative and prescient. Transferring ahead, one of the methods I’m honoring all that TCF is and will be is by now not figuring out as a weblog, however as a style digital media writer.

For the “how”, that is the place the New Voices 2023 Madam CJ Walker PACE Bootcamp comes into play with regards to my private degree up as a enterprise proprietor and founder. 

My private journey has been rather a lot of realizing and acknowledging my errors, studying from them, however NOT beating myself up about it (which is hilariously laborious to do as a Virgo with a Cap moon IYKYK). It additionally means studying find out how to ask for assist and never judging myself for momentarily forgetting that I’m not a Superwoman. It additionally means studying find out how to acknowledge, obtain, acknowledge, and have fun myself– interval. 

What to Anticipate in 2024 from The Curvy Fashionista

Whereas we make this transition, there can be small adjustments right here and there as we tinker with the new instruments and sources at our disposal. You may anticipate to see new matters, deeper dives, and new faces on our platforms. Now, I wish to share how I see TCF rising and what you may anticipate from me. 

This new chapter is all about managed progress, leaning into the newness, and being intentional. In the previous, TCF grew hella quick in sure areas- solely to must contract when it didn’t work or after I had no thought what I used to be doing. So, now? It’s all about schooling, technique, planning, and audacity. 

Since I’m extra conscious of the enterprise of publishing, I now know and see the place now we have alternatives for progress. I need the interviews, the in-depth reporting, the introduction of matters that we love, however by no means understood find out how to roll it out– which brings me to Micah. 

Our Managing Editor, Micah Gause (please welcome her, y’all) is such a breath of contemporary air of course, group, and technique to the workforce. Her content material technique expertise, resourcefulness, and sweetness background, paired with her being a plus dimension particular person dwelling on the East Coast deliver a good looking stability and course to our content material! 

As I discover ways to defer all issues content material to her, I can be engaged on driving the imaginative and prescient of the model. Occasions, partnerships, and this *new & shiny* column. You will notice extra of ME in new methods. Now that I’m again dwelling in Southern California, I’ll make sure that to point out up in ways in which problem my previous Most cancers rising hermit consolation. 

However that is the place I would like your assist. 

As I work on displaying up for me and TCF, might I’ve your help right here? As I study to ask for assist, I feel my first step is asking you to assist maintain me accountable. If I slide again into being quiet otherwise you wish to problem me to point out up extra, please don’t be shy… tag me in! 

I’d additionally love your help in the feedback. Sharing our content material on social. Subscribe to our publication. Reply to our newsletters when you’ve got a problem, query, or want some recommendation! In case you are on X (previously often known as Twitter), cease by and say hello to me @mariedenee! That’s the place I’m THE most energetic! 

I truthfully wouldn’t be capable to develop with TCF if it had not been for each of you studying all through the years. So, for that, I thanks. Thanks for each approach you might have proven up for me, even after I didn’t know, couldn’t, or was afraid to point out up for myself. 

I hope that you’re prepared for what’s to come back as a result of I do know that I *lastly* am. Thanks so rattling a lot. Right here’s to 15 years, and searching ahead to 15+ extra!