Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Shar.
Hi Stephanie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I graduated from high school in 2005, then from college in 2009 with a bachelor’s in communication. I moved from Michigan to Los Angeles, California, after graduation. It was there that I discovered the world of blogging and began my fashion site, The Loudmouth Lifestyle, in 2010. In 2012 I bought my first smartphone and started using Instagram. I fell in love with my online community and met amazing internet friends, some who became real-life friends that still stay in touch. My online brand evolved over time as I became older, got pregnant, and had a baby. I even had a short-lived mommy blog called Baby Loudmouth for a time. Eventually, I changed my brand name to Own Your Bold, quit my day job to become a full-time content creator, and started coaching other bloggers. I started writing e-books, creating e-courses, and teaching webinars. In 2015, I started a direct sales business and worked my way to the top 1%. I earned cars, trips, diamonds; you name it. In 2016, I became a single mom and moved back to Michigan. My podcast, Thank You For Laughing, came about in 2019. I no longer have a blog, and I’ve stepped down from my direct sales position, but I’m still very active on Instagram and record new podcast episodes regularly. I now reside in Rochester Hills with my son.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Entrepreneurship is never a smooth road, and if someone says it’s easy, they’re lying. The hardest part is standing out when there are so many other talented people doing the same thing. You have to practice a lot of positive self-talk and create your own confidence. You need to be sure of yourself because no one else is going to do it for you. It’s also important to choose collaboration over competition and help others in your space. Choose to be inspired and encouraged by those around you instead of jealous and comparing.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
My main focus right now is my podcast, Thank You For Laughing, where we make light of life one episode at a time. Whenever I see something missing online, I create it, and that’s what I did here. Society talks about the quarter-life crisis and the midlife crisis, but no one seems to be there for women in their 30s who are in between. I wanted to open up a space for women my age to talk about the ups and downs of money, mental health, motherhood – all the things people seem to shy away from. We face the tough stuff, but we also walk you through it with a smile. It’s possible to keep your head up and keep laughing even when life is hard. That’s why I’m here – to help people feel less alone in their struggles. We’re all in this together.
What does success mean to you?
Success, to me, is being healthy, happy, stable, and secure. Mentally, physically, financially, relationally. I don’t need to be rich and famous, but I think it’s safe to say that we all want to be comfortable and be able to provide more than enough for our families – while hopefully having fun doing it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://open.spotify.com/show/1VCBOKk05mOvAshhmDSUIl?si=uBC7iYbNSwSzPM-PQpvmkQ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ownyourbold/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.loudmouth
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieshar/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ownyourbold
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/theloudmouthful
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/thankyouforlaughing/
Image Credits
Tiarrah Sova
