We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney Newell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Simplify your style. Empower your mind. That is what the Always Coco Collection is all about. And here is why I created it… I entered the fashion blogging world and it ended up being a bit of a struggle for me. Constantly being surrounded by other fashion bloggers, fashionistas and stylists pushing the latest trends.. I stopped buying anything with intention. And starting buying things because they were telling me too. So what I decided to do was go on a social media hiatus. And everyday for a couple weeks I decided to get dressed without the influence of others. The whole idea was to find my own personal style again. Which turned out to be quite simple because my style is exactly that. Simple. I invest in staple pieces and dress it up with a flare item or fun accessory. This is where the idea of the “Always Coco” piece surfaced. I wanted to create an accessory you could put across a variety of simple looks and wear for almost any occasion and look just as fashionable as any fashionista out there without having to overthink it. And that’s really what this piece is all about, not having to overthink your wardrobe. And more than just helping you simplify your style I’d like the piece to serve as a reminder of simplifying other aspects of your life too. I know as someone who has struggled with anxiety since I was a little girl that I tend to overthink my style, my work, my relationships, really everything. And the biggest thing I have learned from this journey is that we don’t have to over complicate it all. So my goal with this piece is to make a small footprint in the world of simplicity and simplified thoughts and do it through the topic of fashion. With all that being said I will share a portion of each purchase with the National Alliance of Mental Illness to promote simplicity and bring awareness to mental health.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. Our mission is to elevate your style and use our designs to promote simplicity & mental health. Each piece should make your look easy, effortless and stress free. The Problem: We are overthinking fashion and giving too much brain power to creating the “perfect look” Solution: To simplify our look without sacrificing our style. I will offer statement multi-functional accessories and timeless pieces that can be worn with simple style to create fashionable looks with half the brain power. Style should be easy, effortless and stress free. I am excited to use fashion as an outlet to have a larger conversation about mental health. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? It has been a journey. I learn something new everyday. Whenever it feels overwhelming I remind myself it is small steps every single day. That over night sensation you hear about was 10 years in the making. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story? My goal with these pieces are to make a small footprint in the world of simplicity and simplified thoughts and do it through the topic of fashion.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We the Birds Macaroons An intimate get together at the Sol House – for wine, music and deep conversations A walk on the Katy Trail Afternoon ad the DMA

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
You need cheerleaders as an entrepreneur! There will be a lot of wavey moments, ups and downs. I am so grateful for my family and friends who always believed and supported me as I have gotten things off the ground!

Website: https://shop.alwayscoco.com/pages/about
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alwayscococollection/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlwaysCocoCollection
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCam3tDEQNXp9X-tPYpTe75Q?view_as=subscriber
Other: blog IG: @alwayscoco_

Image Credits
@beckleyco

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