Between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, stay-at-home mom and University alumna January Rizzo runs her fashion and lifestyle blog.
After her sons Pierce, 9, and Reeves, 7, go to school, Rizzo’s weekdays consist of morning workouts with her personal trainer, eating a quick lunch at home and completing blog tasks. Her blog work ends by 4 p.m. when her sons return home, then she helps with their homework and cooks dinner.
In 2013, Rizzo began blogging as an extension of her friendships with women who enjoyed sharing their daily looks on Instagram. Since then, she has expanded her brand and now has nearly 40,000 Instagram followers.
“I am always aware and thankful that my schedule is somewhat flexible, as opposed to those ladies working outside of the home who are coming home in the evenings to then run their blogs,” Rizzo said. “So, while trying to squeeze in everything around my children’s school schedule is tough some days, it’s honestly such a blessing to be able to do and be both a mom and blogger.”
Instagram played a role in Rizzo’s growth as a blogger, she said. She not only learned from other bloggers, but also made friends with women blogging throughout the country and used them as a “support system.”
To ensure consistency, Rizzo uses Sundays to plan the week’s posts. She uses the open, naturally-lit studio space in her house to do work. She also keeps her new pieces that need to be included in future photoshoots, hung and labeled on a rolling rack in her studio.
In addition to full-time blogging and motherhood, one of Rizzo’s main hobbies is working out.
“I began taking some weight classes at my gym, got to know those ladies on a weekly basis and haven’t stopped going,” Rizzo said. “I slowly built up what I was able to accomplish and that turned into a full marathon a couple of years ago, which felt like such an accomplishment for me.”
With a background in apparel design from the University, Rizzo’s first love was women’s wear design. Although designing isn’t her first priority, Rizzo said she hopes to revisit designing and incorporate it into her daily work along with her blog.
She describes her style as “clean lines, polished, colorful, contemporary [and] a little bit southern.”