Our Friend Shawnaci Shares About Fashion, Life, & Community In This Interview!
Hey ATHLEISURE COLLECTIVE Fam!!
We are thrilled to share one of our favorite fashion icons with you, Miss Shawnaci! We had the pleasure of interviewing Shawnaci for this blog post and hope you get inspired from her like we do! Shawnaci is a fashion and lifestyle blogger that brings so much good to her audience. From sharing her fashion must-haves to speaking on world issues, she is a must follow!
Let’s get into it!
Q: Hey Shawnaci! Tell us more about yourself!
A: Hey AC community! My name is Shawnaci Schroeder, I’m from Chatham, IL which is three hours south of Chicago and an hour 1/2 from Saint Louis. Right in the middle of two large cities. I absolutely love fashion and I am so passionate about finding more ways to look cute while still being comfy. I have always loved being comfortable! In college, I studied English with a minor in Sociology. I have a vibrant personality and do my best to always stay positive. My faith is really important to me and is a contributing factor to that. I am a social media content creator and get so much joy by connecting with the community around me.
Q: What motivates you? Is it your job? Community?
A: My biggest motivation is the community around me. I love my city and gals I have met on social media but I find so often that very few people actually feel a sense of belonging. I love connecting with new friends and encouraging them to go after their dreams while reminding them of how amazing they are!
Q: How would you describe your style? What’s your inspiration?
A: My style is casual streetwear and I wear mostly neutral colors with my outfits. My inspiration comes from my closet more than anything! I love wearing joggers or big t-shirts and finding new ways to make outfits out of those pieces. It really pushes me to try new ways to style them.
Q: What were some of your challenges in the fashion industry and how did you overcome them?
A: My biggest challenge with the fashion industry has been the ability to create trends and not just copy them. It is so easy to see others wearing a cute outfit and wanting to emulate that, but as a content creator, I strive to be a trendsetter as well. To really be creative and believe in myself that I do have the capabilities to create trends, I really have to be confident in who I am and my ability to create. I really had to recognize that creativity should be something that brings me joy and if no one else likes your style, that should not deter my own thoughts or feelings on an outfit that I have created.
Q: What has been your biggest success in the fashion industry? How did you celebrate?!
A: My biggest success in the fashion industry has been my ability to partner with brands that I love and influence others to find value in those same brands. I love working with brands that I absolutely adore and I find great joy when someone decides to shop at the same store because they saw how I styled their pieces. I have had people that typically only shop in store, decide to make an online purchase because they have seen how much I enjoy online shopping… I love providing value to others. I celebrate these small wins with a nice glass of wine and dinner from my favorite restaurant!
Q: What do you think are the current and future trends in fashion?
A: Fashion trends move so quickly that you really have to watch the runway to see what is coming next. I think that different fabrics are really going to become popular. Now we are seeing quilted fabrics and fuzzy/cozy pieces become popular but I think that future fashion trends will really be focused on even more textures.
Q: How do you think your education has prepared you to work in fashion?
A: My education really taught be the value of communication and how networking is so important, no matter what career you choose. Really listening to others and hearing from people that are from all different walks of life in college was something that really shaped who I am as a woman.
Q: What is your dream job?
A: My dream job is to one day have a fashion line of my own. I have so many creative ideas and it would be great to be able to share those with the world.
Q: What is your biggest goal for the next year? What do you hope to accomplish in 5?
A: My goals for the new year are to continue to grow my sphere of influence and really connect with my community, whether that is online or in person. In five years, I see myself being even more creative with fashion and not only following trends, but being able to create trends that really resonate with others.
Q: How do you use your voice and platform in the blogging community?
A: As I mentioned, there are so many women that feel they do not belong or they do not feel a sense of self confidence. I use my platform to encourage genuine positivity and to connect with those gals.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to the world?
A: So often I hear from gals on social media that they are not sure of their purpose or they don’t know if they even have one. There is a quote that really sticks with me that says “The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine”. This quote has two meanings and I think both are true. The first meaning is that your consistency within your daily routine will help you achieve your goals. The second meaning I think is that if you are not sure of your purpose, look at your daily routine and it will help guide your future path. What do you love? What do you do daily that brings you joy? Whether that is communicating with your friends, playing with your dog, or even just drinking a cup of coffee each morning, really focus on those things and how you can create that same feeling of joy within others through those things. When I began to work in social media, I honestly had no idea that I would become so passionate about it. I love fashion and looking cute while being cozy but what I love most is connecting with women to provide value whether that be through sharing my cleaning hacks or putting together an outfit that someone can wear without putting in a ton of effort. This passion of mine just came from my own daily routine of watching Youtube videos and seeing others provide value/connecting with them.
Q: For fun and a little leave behind, what's your favorite coffee drink or tea? What is your favorite way to work out? And what is your favorite leisure activity?
A: Oh goodness, I love coffee but I am not super picky about it. Most people ask if I want to add some coffee with my cream! I do love a good chai tea latte though. My favorite way to workout is to use weights. I workout five/six days a week and I find that the variety of using different types of weights is easier for me to keep up with my consistency. My favorite leisure activity is reading fiction books.
Q: Is there anything else you want to share with the community?
A: The last thing I would like to share is that I truly think that everyone has the ability to follow their dreams. I know it sounds cliche but we honestly only have one life to live. Why should we live it in a way that we don’t absolutely love?
Q: Where can people find you?
A: They can find me on:
Instagram: @shawnacischroeder
YouTube: Shawnaci Schroeder
Pinterest/Tik Tok: Shawnaci Schroeder
Alright that’s a wrap for our interview! Thank you Shawnaci for taking the time to interview with us! We are so happy to have you be part of the AC Fam!
Thank you for reading our blog AC Family!! We will chat and see you soon. If you have any questions for us or Shawnaci, please add them to the comments or reach out to Shawnaci directly!
Cheers,
The AC Fam & Shawnaci
“Add Positivity to the world!”