Styled by McKenz Turns Five

A curveball is a breaking pitch that has more movement than just about any other. It is thrown slower and with more overall break than a slider, and it is used to keep hitters off-balance. When executed correctly by a pitcher, the batter expecting a fastball will swing too early, missing the ball completely.

Let’s just say, walking into 2020 I thought I knew the game of blogging. I was no rookie; in fact, I stepped up to the plate with four years of experience under my belt. But this year was a curveball—and while most would strike out at this unexpected pitch, I struck gold. Despite quite literally every force of nature working against me, I worked harder. Year five was my year.

If I’m being honest, I spent the entirety of New Years Day in tears. What was supposed to be a day of celebrating all of my successes somehow felt like a milestone marking everything I’d yet to achieve. I wanted so badly to be appreciative of the sweet comments and the floods of DMs I was receiving from you and yet I couldn’t seem to shake the thought that I had spent over a thousand days working towards something that still felt so out of reach.

And so, it was that day that I decided no more. No more sitting around feeling sorry for myself. No more wishing for something instead of working for it. No more dwelling on what I hadn’t done and instead all that I had. So I took off. I have a bad habit of doing all the talking and for once I turned to my audience and really listened to what they had to say. From there I analyzed what was working and created an action plan to fix what wasn’t. I wrote down where I was starting and where I wanted to end up when 2020 came to its end.

I vowed to push harder, dig deeper, chase faster than I ever had before and my god did it pay off. If fourteen year old me could see me now she would be ecstatic—I’m doing everything I’d ever hoped for and so much more.

The December before 2020 I looked my mom in the eye and told her I’d be going to New York Fashion Week in the spring. She asked me how and if I’m being honest, I had no fricking clue. But I booked myself a ticket hours later, telling her I’d cancel the flight if I didn’t find my way into any shows. The first week of January I hit the ground running—calling every hotel, show director, and social media manager you could think of. I gave more elevator pitches in those three preparatory weeks than most people give their whole life. I was told no time and time again—and then someone said yes. If there’s anything this year has taught me it’s that all it takes is one yes.

I found my mojo after that initial yes, getting several more throughout the following days. And just like that, I found myself with a full itinerary for my five-day trip into the city. Despite a few canceled flights and the world’s worst blisters, my trip was incredible. I networked with hundreds of people, sat front and center to view some of the top gown designers in the industry, and styled looks I’d never have worn otherwise. And in the midst of all the chaos the week brought, I received a nomination for College Influencer Of The Year. I have no words to describe the wave of support that came crashing down on me—I was drowning and had no desire to come up for air.

I don’t know what it was but my first Fashion Week was a huge turning point for me–a glimpse into my future and a reminder of just how far I’d come.

In April, my freshman year of college came to a (virtual) end due to Covid and I was left stuck inside with more hours than I knew what to do with and a burning desire to prove everyone else wrong. So for the first time in Styled by McKenz history, I started clocking in forty hours a week.

In four months I watched my entire life flip upside down. From sun up to sun down, I spent every waking moment turning my hobby into my full-time job. I landed brand deals with some of the most well-respected companies in the industry, gained 25,000 YouTube subscribers, published my 1,000 blog post, and achieved every 2020 goal I had set by more than double—growing my platforms by over 3,000%.

I was riding the world’s highest high, week after week celebrating a new milestone. But it wasn’t the rise in the numbers that I was hungry for, it was the feeling of working just that much harder to reach my goals. It was a drug and my god was I addicted.

However, my momentum slowed as I eased my way back into the school year and the rest of the world back to “reality” after months of being locked down. Although it didn’t stop me from finishing year five off strong— just last week I hit 500,000 page views here on the blog. Half a million. 

I am left speechless as I sit here scrolling through old blog posts; so much has changed, and yet nothing at all. If 2020 has taught you nothing else, I hope it’s shown you that life is too short. Too short not to chase your dreams right now. Get off your butt. Stop waiting for the right time, the right person, the right place—I hate to break it to you but if you sit around waiting for the “right” anything you’ll be waiting your whole life.

Do it now. Do it when you’re scared. Do it when you’re uncomfortable. Do it when you’ve got not one damn person in your corner. Do it for yourself. 

It is grueling, it is demanding but it is rewarding as hell and I promise one day you will be sitting in a pretty dress five years after taking that initial leap of faith and all you’ll wish is that you would have started sooner.

It will fill you with more pride and passion than you’ve ever known possible. But it will also throw you off balance. It will test you, challenge you, and rock you to your core. It will make you question who you are and what your purpose in life truly is. It will leave you in tears on New Year’s Eve as you write because it will change your life. 

The truth is you will do a lot of swinging—and with that will come a lot of missing. When this happens do not get discouraged. The thing about following your dreams that nobody ever tells you is that you are bound to fail. In fact, you will fail time and time again and when you do you must not give up. You see, success is not linear. It takes time, perseverance, and grit. But more than anything it takes practice.

And when you swing and finally hit gold, don’t forget to celebrate. Take a second to realize what you’ve just done. Be proud of yourself. Pay attention to whose cheering and whose simply watching. Thank your spectators and do it often, without your viewers you’d be nowhere. Build relationships with your teammates, they will be your backbone as you navigate the craziness. Ride the bench for a bit. That step back will bring you a perspective that is crucial to who you are as a player. But don’t get comfortable there.

Keep moving forward. Keep bettering your craft. Keep challenging yourself to be the best player you can be. Accept the losses but work towards the wins and remember if it is your calling, it will keep calling you. When it does, do not be afraid to answer it.

That’s how you know you’ve won the game.

So now is my turn to say thank you, from the absolute bottom of my heart. Thank you for the unwavering support you’ve shown me over the years—whether you’ve been with me for all five or just five weeks. Thank you for letting me turn my dreams into a reality and for motivating me to be the best player I can be. Thank you for your love. I owe everything I am to you.

And thank you to little ole McKenzie for having the courage to take the wildest leap of faith five years ago today. If nothing else, I hope I’ve made her proud. Cheers to the best fifth year I could’ve ever asked for; I can’t even imagine what year six has in store.

Oh, and don’t be afraid to swing at a few curve balls—mine gave me one hell of a ride…

All my love, McKenz

Styled by McKenz Turns One // Styled by McKenz Turns Two // Styled by McKenz Turns Three // Styled by McKenz Turns Four