Who's That Gal: Elissa Garza of Style Wire

Name: Elissa Garza
Occupation: Content Creator
Hometown: Corpus Christi, TX
Age: 27
Currently Reading: My timeline… I wish I had more time to read!
Fav outdoor spot in Boston: The docks on the Charles River

How did you first become interested in blogging?

I was in a very unglamorous 9-5 and desperately needed a creative outlet. My boyfriend at the time said, “You have great style, why don't you try this blogging thing?” And here we are almost 5 years later!

When you first started, did you reach out to brands, or did they contact you? How did these relationships develop?

I'm a hustler so I really hit the ground running; from the very beginning I talked up store managers, people active in the fashion scene, started networking, and elevating my content and eventually the brands started to come to me.

We love following you on instagram. Which social platform is your favorite? Which yields the most traffic to your blog?

Instagram for sure! It's such a fun visual platform and with the addition of stories it really allows you to connect with your audience on a more genuine level.

We love that you work with so many local companies. What are have been some of your favorite brand collaborations so far?

Among my favorites was working with Jess and The Handle Bar team; she's such a go-getter and her entrepreneurial spirit and drive is contagious. The same goes for Kristina Tsipouras, I've been following her companies and watching her grow the BBW group for the last couple of years and am grateful blogging connects me with such amazing women. But my absolute favorite and what I find most rewarding is that I'm able to support local charities through my platform; I've been able to raise awareness for charities like Lovin’ Spoonfuls, The Ellie Fund, Dress for Success, and Goodwill Boston through my following.

If you could work with any brand, what would it be?

JetBlue! Cause what fun is looking good if you have no place to go?

How can brands and PR people catch your eye when pitching to you?

Imagery and ingenuity! If there's no imagery, I'm likely to hit delete and keep it moving. And I get a lot of emails, so if there's nothing really compelling or unique about a pitch within the first or second paragraph, it's hard to warrant a reply.

What advice would you give to a budding blogger that wants to work with brands without compromising their voice?

Never post something you're not proud of. I used to share for the sake of getting a post up, but if it's not something you're 100% eager and proud to share, it's not worth the effort. It will only diminish your brand.

How has your success in blogging impacted your career? You have a lot on your plate - how do you balance it all?

It's a challenge each and every day and involves a lot of late nights, early mornings, and multitasking (I joke that the T is my primary office). The flexibility I had when working retail was unmatched, but now that my store is closed it's a serious concern. It will be interesting to see how the blog evolves as I explore what's next!

What’s next for StyleWire?

Very good question! I'm exploring the idea of taking on content creation full time but could very well end up in a more traditional 9-5 role. Only time will tell but I hope you'll all follow along with me as I figure it out!