Some Things You May Not Know..

Recently I've received a lot of personal/random questions about myself on Instagram so I thought I would put some bits together so you can get to know the girl behind the keyboard a little bit better.

I love when people write to me and ask me questions, mainly because I do it all the time to other people I follow but also because it's nice to know that you have an interest in my life so please keep the questions coming!

Here's a few questions that I've been asked over the past few months along with some of my own bits thrown in.

THE BASICS

What's your middle name?

Elizabeth, I'm sure you could guess that.

Do you have any nicknames?

A lot of my family and friends call me Zozo. Elizabitch is quite a common one too.

Saoirse and Caolan (2 of my close college friends) they call me Palmer all the time, which makes me feel like I'm part of a sports team but I'm not going to lie they've called me worse so I'll keep it.

What age are you?

I'm turning 25 in August and to be honest it scares the life out of me.

Where are you from?

I'm from Tramore, which is a seaside village in the southeast of Ireland. I love going home and I wish I got to go home more often. Growing up I couldn't wait to get out of Tramore as I'd consider myself more of a city gal but I definitely miss home a lot, especially the beach.

Did you go to University?

Yes, I have a double bachelor degree (global business and spanish). It was a very intense course with 2 years in Dublin and 2 years in Madrid. I struggled a lot with college not because it was difficult but because I didn't enjoy the course itself. Don't get me wrong college was some of the best years of my life and I made friends for life but sometimes I wish I did something in photography or digital design as I am definitely more creative than technical.

What do I do?

This is a question I've been asked a few times recently and to be honest I'm quite nervous to answer it. Recently I've had a hard time trying to figure out what I want to do, if it was up to me I'd be blogging full-time but I've a long way to go yet.

Getting a job that you like is so important and there's no point being miserable in a role you hate, at the end of the day we spend 5 days (or more) a week at work so why not do something you love?

So to make a long story short, I've quit my job and I've taken on some temp work which is so handy and this gives me time to put more hours into my blog plus it's totally stress free! I'll figure it all out eventually but for the mean time, I'm just taking it easy.

What is my dream?

I would absolutely love to be a full time blogger but I know I have a long road ahead of me, which I don't mind because I'm enjoying it so much at the moment. I love fashion and I know this is the industry I want to work in. I would love to get into styling for shoots and fashion shows and I've been thinking about doing a photography course recently too.

I want to live in a lot more cities especially New York, maybe Australia and London (this is next!). I could see myself returning to Spain again too.

I have so many goals and aspirations but right now the main focus is being happy and not putting myself under too much pressure to have my life sorted out.

BLOGGING AND ZOË ELIZABETH

How did Zoë Elizabeth start?

So the idea of blogging came about when I lived in Madrid. Me and my friend Saoirse set up a blog together called 'Zealous' which was actually really cool and could have been really great but after graduating we ended up living in different countries so we had to part ways. I knew I wanted to continue blogging so I thought about creating Zoë Elizabeth for a few months and finally bit the bullet and did it.

The main thing I love about having a blog is that it's mine. There's no rules with blogging, you can make it up as you go along and you have total control over it.

My advice to anyone considering to make a blog is - do it. Don't over think it and just do it. The main thing you have to remember is that you're doing it because you want to, don't worry about what other people think because trust me you'll find other people who will appreciate it if others don't.

How did I get over the fear of people judging me?

I'm going to be totally honest, people are always going to judge you especially when you're sharing your life publicly. The main thing is to have the right attitude and learn to ignore the negative comments. I get it all the time and of course there's been times when its really got me down but you just have to learn to rise above it. It's important to remember the good things people say to you and always remind yourself of the progress your making, celebrate every small victory!

What are my tips to increase readers/engagement?

I think the key to success in the blogging industry is -

1. Be as unique as possible. The industry is saturated with bloggers so you have to be yourself and find your own style.

2. One word, consistency. Someone said this to me when I started blogging and I remember thinking to myself 'well that's going to be easy' and I can tell you now it's definitely a lot harder than it sounds. You can find time to write a blogpost no problem, god knows we all spend enough time on our phones. It's creating interesting, engaging content that can be tricky. Sometimes I sit and stare at my laptop for ages before I can come up with something.

You can create the most amazing blog post and get lots of attention from it but the key is to keep it consistent. Don't leave your readers/followers waiting a few weeks before you even decide to write something else, make a pact with yourself to do one blog post a week and then when you're comfortable add another day. Don't set yourself goals you know you won't complete, it has to be realistic.

What's your top blogging tip?

Personally, I think motivation is the key to success in any industry. You have to have that drive to succeed and of course the passion which goes hand in hand with motivation. Every month I set myself goals and targets I want to achieve and I know they're not huge steps but these baby steps are a move in the right direction.

The key is to envision what your overall goal is then break down each month with steps on how to achieve this.

Pinterest is a great way of keeping myself motivated. I have lots of different boards saved with positive quotes and things that inspire me like fashion, travel, interior design, even food. I also look up to some bloggers who are great for encouraging motivation especially Retro Flame, her blog posts and vlogs are always so positive and refreshing to read.

Well I hope you liked this post because I really enjoyed writing it. And please feel free to write to me if you've any more questions.

I hope everyone is having a lovely week.

Outfit details below.

Besos,

Zoë Elizabeth

Outfit Details

T-shirt - Brandy Melville, click here

Trousers - Folkster, similar here

Sandals - Zara, similar here

Sunglasses - MiuMiu, similar here