#TrynaBeSomebody || Career Coaching

I've been working on expanding the Tryna Be Somebody series to include more tangible content on how to better yourself as an individual professionally.  This episode is the realization of that vision. 

I recently decided to become a freelance video producer! 

I knew it was the right thing to do, but once I officially had my last day with the agency I found myself sort of twiddling my thumbs.  In the meantime, obviously I would produce more content on my YouTube channel but what tangible steps could I do to generate new business? 

I established my LLC earlier this year, but I'm pretty sure I need to draft some contract templates? Right? That's a thing...right? Where do I go for that?

Should I respond to every email I get from some far off country to try a random product I've never heard off? What if it leads to something! What if it ends up being the next iPod? HALLLPP!

And then as if God saw my internal struggles and confusion, I remembered that I knew a career coach. 

We had our first session my last official day at the agency and when I tell y'all I left that meeting renewed and restored in the Lord Jesus Christ! Sometimes all you need is someone to help you work through all the directions your mind is going.  Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder, or freelancing/starting your own business like me. I think everyone can benefit from a coaching session. 

07.29.2017 || I Have My Mother's Face: A Tale of Two Skincare Regimens

I've had a few people reach out to me via YouTube asking if I could make a video about my skincare regimen. As someone with acne-prone oily skin I was a little apprehensive and frankly self-conscious about it.  I've always struggled with acne since puberty and I didn't want the focus to be completely on me.  

I recently looked into the analytics of my channel and realized that most women that follow me are actually older than me.  So, I reached out to my mother to see if she would do the video with me. 

Her and I are very similar physically, a lot of my family refers to me as "little Linda" (that's her name -- Linda) because I look so much like her.  Even though we share a lot of traits we do not have the same skin type.  She also made me aware of the changes she was working through now as a woman approaching 60 with menopause.  I didn't realize that it could affect your skin. 

Check out the video to see our full regimens and if you're interested in any of the products, links are below.  Just FYI, most of them are affiliate links which means if you purchase I will get a commission at no extra charge to you. This helps support this blog along with all the other content I create. 

My Mom’s Routine*: 

Makeup Removal
Lancome: http://amzn.to/2uu2qxo
Neutrogena: http://amzn.to/2utReRw

Cleanse
Dove Soap: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I69SEK0?psc=1
CerVe Cleanser: http://amzn.to/2utWoga

Tone
Mederma AG Facial Toner: http://amzn.to/2gZFlxO

Moisturize
CeraVe AM: https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/cerave-facial-moisturizing-lotion/ID=prod6193881-product
CeraVe PM: https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/cerave-facial-moisturizing-lotion-pm/ID=prod6018522-product

_______________
My Routine*: 

Cleanse
Dudu Osun Black Soap: http://amzn.to/2eKrye0
CosRx Good Morning Gel Cleanser: http://amzn.to/2eKIcda

Tone
Bolden Skin Brightening Toner: http://amzn.to/2uT9g0q
Rose Water:http://amzn.to/2tGKIYJ

Serum
Glossier Super Glow: https://www.glossier.com/products/super-glow
*Get 10% off if you’re new to Glossier by using this code: http://bff.glossier.com/f1jlK

Moisture
CeraVe AM Face Lotion: https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/cerave-facial-moisturizing-lotion/ID=prod6193881-product
Tea Tree Oil: http://amzn.to/2vFpoAl
Shea Butter: http://amzn.to/2eKOn12

Hamilton Perkins Collection || Duffle Bag Review

As you all have seen, I've been traveling quite a bit for the month of June. Before taking off, I was approached by Hamilton Perkins to try out their duffle bag.  

I was interested to try out the bag for a few reasons: 1) I'm always interested in sustainable products, Hamilton Perkins' duffle is made out of recycled materials (plastic bottles and billboards). 2) They're a black owned business based in my family's home state of Virginia! 

I received the bag in the mail the day before taking off for Miami, check out the video below to see my complete review of the bag along with a discount code if you're interested in purchasing ;)

Also, because I'm extra I did a little impromptu photoshoot with the bag...

Let me know what you think! 

Find Your Vacation | A short film about South Beach

While in South Beach I made a short film (I'm debating between calling them film journals or docuvlogs -- let me know which you prefer). Before taking off, I had watched Moonlight and was on my artistic feels. 

It was a nervous experience for me because I actually brought Jeff, my DJI Mavic Pro drone. This was the first time I had ever traveled with him and flown him in a new environment. After watching the film make sure to check out the commentary on my podcast or on YouTube. 

06.07.2017 || Lazy Week

With a national holiday in the middle of the week, it was incredibly difficult getting things done for work. Nevertheless, I still managed to take a portrait of my office mate doing her signiature derp face.  

06.23.2017 | A portrait for Cristina #BlogHer17

Cristina Cleveland photographed by Hallease Narvaez @ #BlogHer17

    I had the supreme pleasure of attending #BlogHer17 this year in Orlando, Florida (shoutout to Jouelzy.com for providing the hook up). I must confess I was a tad nervous to attend. As a producer who often works behind the scenes at conventions such as these it was weird to be an attendee. 

   Thankfully, I ran into Cristina, current managing editor of NaturallyCurly.com and my introvert heart was immediately put at ease.  Having at least one person you are acquainted with can make conventions a lot more manageable. 

As a thank you for being an awesome wingman. I offered to take her portrait on the expansive balcony of the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek where the conference was held this year. 

As I continue to take more portraits and figure out a personal style I find myself gravitating away from styles like the photo to the right. Women are usually photographed like this, smiling, looking perfect. Wind at their back, hair in the breeze -- and it's great (I definitely included this one in the final download links), but to me it's almost too picturesque. Too virginal. Too innocent. For lack of a better word...too feminine. 

The whole point of the #BlogHer17 conference is to be mindful and to also be as independent in your entrepreneurial-ness as you want to be. To me that screams strength. Not necessarily smiling because you have to, or because it's what you should do. 

So I focused on a more centered stance for her and had her look directly at the camera. Relaxed. Confident. Above it all.

06.19.2017 || We Took The Stairs

While visiting the Wolfsonian-FIU in South Beach Miami, Florida. We took the stairs to get to each of their 3 current exhibits. My husband is afraid of heights so I wanted to take a photo to try and capture how that feels when looking down -- continuous, and cold.

06.17.2017 - An Assisted Self Portrait

Generally, getting a good portrait of myself requires a lot of work: I have to figure out placement, timing, posing, all while being in front of the camera. But sometimes I have an assistant (read: my husband, Mr. Hallease). 

A nurse by trade with very little knowledge of photography or video -- he still seems to always get my best self. Probably because the posing I do with him is always genuine. 

Generally, what I'll do is take a photo of him first with the framing I want him to copy.  Then I make sure to set my camera up (adjusting ISO, aperture etc) before handing it over to him.   

Today, we spent another day on the beach and I wanted to get a good portrait of myself while here.  

I explained the shot I wanted, set the camera, and then handed it over.  

"Where's the zoom?"  

"It's a fixed lens love, you gotta come closer to me. You're the zoom."  

"That's weird." 

"It'll make the photo better. Trust me."  

"You know my knees are bad."  

Mr. Hallease

After staying there for a minute (and I assume seeing the difference a fixed lens makes for portraits) I heard him start snapping. 

But instead of trying to stage a smile I just closed my eyes and focused on thinking about the trip thus far. Very relaxing,  and a true (and very much needed) vacation. I opened my eyes to a still contorted Mr. Hallease and I smiled. [CLICK]

I thought about how much photography isn't his thing but he gets how much I enjoy it. [CLICK]

I guess I'll keep him around. 

06.16.2017 - Purple Square

The goal for this photo was to try and get the window of the lifeguard tower directly in the center of the frame.  Ideally, if I had an absurd amount of height (and time) I would also try to raise the camera high enough so the horizon line went directly through the center as well.  

06.15.2017 - So Long Texas!

Heading out to Florida for the week, lets see if this duffle bag by Hamilton Perkins can hang with me. #sponsored

05.15.2017 || Bathroom Selfies

While my wifi was out last week (again) I spent most of my mornings at Indy Coffee right next to UTSA.  Great wifi, delicious caffeinated drinks and beautifully designed bathrooms made for a pleasant work week. 

Weekend Getaway || McKinney Falls State Park

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I’m going to be honest, I never quite understood the allure of camping.  Being only one generation removed from poverty and very much aware of my middle-class upbringing when visiting extended family, when I discussed camping among friends (usually of the beige variety) I would respond with a simple “For why?”

To me, camping was synonymous with “let’s go pretend to be broke for a while”.  Having experienced hot humid summers with no AC in Virginia, sleeping in your underwear with no sheets and every window open. Having also experienced washing and maintaining clothes with nothing but a barrel of water and soap. Having grandparents that still see children as “free labor” and spending summers waking up before the sun rises to help maintain their small home, including but not limited to cutting grass, tending/harvesting/prepping vegetables in their garden for that evening’s meal, helping with wood work, and whatever else. 

Again I would ask, "for why?"

I love hiking, I love nature trails. I love going out and categorizing plants by their latin names (seriously, I took a biology botany class in college that literally consisted of going to different parks and memorizing the latin names of native Texas plants — I aced that ho).  I also love my iComfort mattress and air conditioning. I love coming inside after a long day in the sun and cooking in the comfort of my home. I’m grateful for the privileges I have. 

Slowly but surely, Mr. Hallease has consistently pushed camping into our mix of travel activities. 

It has been met with resistance, but because I love him...I have conceded. 

Our good friends in Austin invited us to McKinney Falls for the weekend. I have frequented this state park many times (again, botany class in college and like I said, I love a good walk amongst the trees as much as the next person). When they initially invited us I was actually excited, because of the recent rain I knew the Falls would be beautiful right now. 

We packed up my 15-year-old CRV and headed out to the park. What’s really awesome about McKinney is its relatively close proximity to Austin proper, so if you realize that camping isn’t your thing a quick 15-minute drive will bring you to Downtown Austin. 

As part of your camp site rental McKinney offers well maintained bathrooms with showers, firewood for purchase, water access, and waste dumping for RVs as well. They have 81 camp sites available for rent, but plan your trip a month or two in advance, the busy season is from March through November. I recommend coming in the fall, that’s hopefully when we’ve had enough rain and the falls are actually…falls. Also native Texas plants tend to be prettier during that time of year, more things are berrying and blooming. 

If you’re not into having only a thinly veiled sheet protecting you at night from the outside but still want to experience nature, they also offer cabins for rent now too! 

Each campsite comes with a fire pit/grill and a wood bench sitting on concrete. They also offer square patches for you to pitch your tents. It’s noted that they prefer tents to be pitched on the designated patches. 

We arrived Friday night and pitched our tent. Mr. Hallease had purchased it from Academy a few months back, and for $50 it’s a good investment. More than enough room for the two of us, our bags and any other items we may want to keep inside the tent with us. (Remember, you’re in the woods — Texas woods at that. Raccoons are a serious thing here. Lock up your food or they WILL find it.)

It was already agreed that we were in charge of breakfast the following morning. Mr. Hallease is gluten-free so before we left we stopped by Trader Joe’s to pick up some ingredients. He’d been craving pancakes for a while so we decided to try their gluten-free pancake mix. We also bought 2 dozen eggs for scrambling and breakfast sausage patties. 

As far as gluten-free mixes go, Trader Joe’s is a stronger contender. My only problem with the batter (as with many GF batters) is the thickness. It doesn’t spread like traditional pancake batters so the pancakes came out more like true pan-fried cakes. Very dense.  

After cooking the sausage we drained some of the fat and used that as a base for the eggs. Being that Mr. Hallease is of the latino variety we’ve always invested heavy in cast iron, we have a 10in cast iron pan and a comal. Within our first year or two of marriage he insisted that we have a comal for tortillas etc and seriously that was the best investment. I use the comal at least once a week to quickly reheat leftovers, toast bread, quickly blacken a jalapeño. It’s a staple. Plus it makes a great pancake cooker, don’t waste money on a grittle. 

Breakfast was a success! 

After eating we hiked to the lower and upper falls. McKinney offers quite a few different hiking trails most around 2 or so miles long. Depending on where your camp site is in relation to your desired trail I recommend driving to it. Especially because it can get confusing where the trails begin and end. Also, McKinney is really good about having ample parking spots at each of the different entrances to the trails. 

We hiked for about 2 1/2 hours across a few different trails so I’m guessing we did 3 - 4 miles. We got back to the campsite and relaxed for a few hours while Diego, who was in charge of dinner started grilling. 

Unfortunately, it is the rain season here in Texas right now and because of McKinney’s location it’s prone to flooding. If you’re local to Austin for the past few years then you’re very much aware of Onion Creek, which floods — yearly. 

Onion Creek feeds through McKinney, as we were wrapping up eating the deluge began. At first we thought it would be a quick pass through and hunkered down, but we soon realized that even if it passed we’d still have to deal with the flood water that was quickly beginning to rise. 

We had to cut the trip short. Mother nature proved the victor and I ain’t even mad about. As a Texan I will never complain about rain. (Also, low-key I love the rain.)

If you’re a novice camper like myself, I think McKinney is a great first step, it’s close proximity to Austin and available amenities make it a great location.  Check out the video to see our full experience.  

On Gabby Douglas' Edges

When you are bending and breaking the laws of gravity and physics edges don’t matter. When you are a two time olympian at the ripe old age of 20 – edges don’t matter. She has transcended a realm of existence where edges matter and the fact that twitter is trying to bring her back down to our level where edges are relevant is laughable because she is better than us. 

Yes, she is better than us. Fight me. 

When you can somehow become an olympian and represent a country with systemic institutional racism – edges cease to matter (yes, I went there). Y’all tried this shit four years ago and I was just as annoyed then. 

People need to decide, do they want a role model or do they just want a model. If they want a model – that’s fine. Just admit that to yourself and leave Gabby’s edges out of it, because again – they don’t matter.

Is it Fall Yet? || J.Crew Downtown Field Jacket

We're halfway through August and I'm already over summer.  The fall always brings more options for mixing and matching anyway, amirite? 

One of the pieces I'm most excited to be sporting this fall/winter (because let's be real it doesn't get that cold here in South Texas) is my Downtown field Jacket by J.Crew. I've actually owned this jacket for over 4 years in Navy as well. I'm pictured below wearing it in their Mossy Brown, or as I like to call it -- brown.

It's such a timeless piece that adds a subtle leg-up to any outfit. Wear it with a classy dress to bring the look down, or wear it with your favorite jeans and heels or flats to bring your look up. I've worn mine for fall nights out on the town, to business meetings, and dinner dates.  It really is a diverse jacket with a long shelf life, which is crucial to me as a young professional.

Do you have a staple piece that it crucial to your closet? Let me know! 

Hallease x Glossier

I’ve finally decided to start dabbling in the artistry that is makeup...

Well not entirely...

It’s more like, sometimes I look just a little bit rough. Too many drinks the night before. Stayed up a tad too late...

You know, just living my life.

Anyway, decided to start using some light makeup to help with those off days.  My goal with my makeup regimen is to achieve 3 things with my “look”:

1. Make it seem like I got a good night’s rest.
2. Make it seem like I drink enough water.
3. Make it seem like I’ve always been a healthy eater. 

To achieve these goals I’ve been using Glossier’s makeup products.  I purchased their tint, concealer, boy brow, and Generation G. 

Glossier made it really easy to figure out my correct shade, they provide an in-depth video library of different women trying each of their 5 shades. They also create a great graph showing a variety of different women with different variations of melanin and what tint should work best for them. 

The game changer for me was the boy brow. I wasn’t expecting it to enhance my eyebrows as much as it did. It really does make them look a lot more full. 

If you’re interested in trying Glossier, feel free to use my code to get 20% off your first purchase http://bff.glossier.com/eavzC and let me know what you think!  

Check out the video to see my live demo of the products

Summer Looks || McNay Art Museum

It's summer in San Antonio, Texas! That means the heat is always on. With the highs regularly hitting the mid-90s now (today's high was 101 -- yikes) it's really important to figure out ways to stay cool and stylish.  

The McNay is one of my favorite museums here in town. Created by Marion Koogler McNay, the museum is her Spanish-style mansion and sits on about 23 acres. There are some great permanent pieces that call the McNay home, including works by Diego Rivera, Pablo Picasso, and Georgia O'Keefe to name a few. 

I find coming to a local museum is a great way to find inspiration for future projects, styles and ideas. 

The Look

I really love to keep things simple, my goal is to exude an effortlessness to class.  All that being said, you don't need to spend a lot of money to give the appearance that you care. Combining solids with fun prints makes any outfit seem more daring than it actually is. Pro-tip: find a color in your print that you enjoy and have your solid match. To revamp the same print, pick a different solid top. 

Top - TJ Maxx $10

Shorts - J.Crew $40

Sandals - Ross $12

Glasses - Warby Parker  

Weekend Getaway || South Padre, Texas

Beach. Relaxation.

The sound of waves as I laid out on the sand, moving only to cool off in the salt of the ocean. This was my first experience in South Padre and frankly, I'm upset it took me this long to make it down. As a Texan by birth -- it's unacceptable. Truth be told, I had very low expectations for South Padre. I had been warned many times about the gulf being...well...a not so great beach (and that's putting it mildly).  

However, Padre was a pleasant surprise. It reminded me a lot of an American Cancun.  A lot of people walking around soaking up the sun. A lot of seafood, and of course a lot of Spanish. Mr. Hallease and I took the trip with my in-laws. When Mr. Hallease was a boy they used to make the trip down to South Padre often during the summer from Laredo, Texas his hometown. 

From San Antonio, the drive is about 4 hours -- which to me, is just on the cusp of being too long of a drive for a weekend getaway.  Still, definitely worth it.

My advice is to definitely AirBnB it up if you can. This was Mr. Hallease's parents first AirBnB experience and for a traditional Hispanic family, it was perfect.  His mother and father are big on cooking and having fruit and snacks handy.  They also prefer to grill. Things you just can't do in a traditional hotel.  

The home we stayed in was a 3bd/3bth house literally a 3-minute walk from the beach.  There are a lot of great condos, lofts, and homes right near the beach so definitely check AirBnB out. 

Because our trip was so short, we kept things pretty simple.  We spent most of our time on the beach boogie boarding and relaxing.  While there we did attempt to fish on their main pier back in Port Isabella (the last city before you cross the bridge into Padre), but alas we came home empty handed (although I do count the Pokemon I caught as a solid win). 

#ClueVoices || Becoming a Clue Ambassador

Early last year I produced a video talking about using a menstrual cup and it was really well received. One of the main comments I got on that video was women of color being excited to see me talk about women's health issues and topics. Check out that video here: 

Fast forward to this year. After decided to get off birth control, I began looking around for a new app to help monitor and track my period. One of my great friends told me about Clue. A tracking app that isn't pink! (They're always pink...)

Clue is a company based in Berlin, Germany that helps people with periods track their menses and also predict it three months at a time. Once I started consistently plotting my data into Clue it began to predict my cycle almost to the day. 

Clue recently started #ClueVoices allowing women to become Clue Ambassadors and use social media to discuss different women's health topics and to normalize menstruation. When I heard about this I immediately thought of the menstrual cup video I had made last year and decided to apply. 

Now, as a Clue Ambassador I want to start pushing out content discussing different topics with my YouTube audience. Education is key to moving forward. There's nothing weird or disgusting about having a period, and if we want to move forward with women's health we need to normalize the topic. 

Check out my latest video in my #ClueVoices series. 

Hallease x Warby Parker

I finally decided to get some new specs, it's long over due. The idea of not having to go to a traditional glasses shop was exciting to me, so I decided to try #WarbyHomeTryOn. 

The company allows you to take home 5 pairs of test glasses to see which you enjoy the most in the privacy of your own home.  Then once you've decided you can log into your account and purchase.  I ended up choosing their Baker model in Sassafras and Glacier Grey. All their styles are pretty awesome though.

Of course I had to make a fun video modeling off each look to give my subscribers some input. 

Not a sponsored video. 

My FitBit Blaze

I'm a believer in the power of the FitBit! 

For Christmas last year, my husband bought me a FitBit Charge HR and I was immediately hooked. I mostly used it to track my step count, as a video producer and editor a lot of what I do for a living is very sedimentary and just having a constant reminder on my wrist to move helped me to become exponentially more active.  

I also loved it for the online community.  Most of my family already uses a FitBit, so we are all constantly participating in Work Week Hustles or Weekend Warrior Challenges.  That is great because it adds an extra layer of competition to your workout routine, you're a lot more likely to stay active if there's some level of accountability associated with it. 

When I heard FitBit was releasing a new product I was VERY excited. I had seen their high end model the FitBit Surge but that price tag really got me.  The FitBit Blaze offers a much more agreeable price point with a lot of great extras that helps differentiate it from my Charge HR. 

Check out this video I produced showing how I use my FitBit Blaze and let me know what you think! 

Not a sponsored post or video.