Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessi Afshin. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Jessi Afshin is a fashion blogger turned public figure. As one of the first fashion bloggers ever, Jessi launched her fashion blog while attending University of Texas with a major in fashion merchandising; working for Kendra Scott and interning under Camille Styles. She launched her fashion blog full-time upon graduation but found the fashion and social media industry to be extremely purposeless and discouraging. But as her faith grew, her business grew with her. She transitioned her business away from vanity and more towards ministry and now owns, designs and operates a coveted comfy clothing line and shop called Shop Darling (trademarked). Each sale on her shop helps support women under 19 who are recovering from a life of sex trafficking–via Austin’s The Refuge. Jessi authors encouraging posts on her faith-based blog, My Darling Diary (trademarked), and is the speaker and author behind the Podcast My Darling Diary (trademarked). As a writer, dreamer, creative, influencer, designer, manager and sister – she continues to use her secular platform @jessi_afshin as a launching space to spread good news and encouragement in the fashion and blogging world. She gets married in April 2022 in Cabo, Mexico to her fiance – and continues to use her platform and wedding as a way to spread encouragement to single, dating, engaged and married. Her soul focus is encouraging women in a discouraging world – social media.
I walked away from posting on my account of 300,000 Instagram followers for 500 days because I wanted to learn the real me – not the person everyone wanted to see. This was my biggest and most sharpening trial ever and happened in the middle of my 20’s! I wanted to grow into myself offline, not on stage. I then got back on it December 2020 to show up as the new and stronger and real me to encourage women and be a light in a dark place. Social media is a hard place to work, and I am constantly growing on how to become a better leader and encourager.
My shop warehouse is located in south Austin where I employ family members and I live in downtown Austin where I create a lot of content for influencing.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have dealt with so many obstacles throughout the last decade pursuing a career in fashion and social media world. I have been betrayed by business partners, lost friends, been misunderstood and judged from speaking online from followers. Although lucrative, the blogging industry can be an emotionally destructive burden and hurt the sustainability of the “public figure’s” mental health; the pressure to always be “on” compete with the over saturation on the industry and continue to show up on social media has been incredibly difficult. I walked away from posting on my account of 300,000 Instagram followers for 500 days because I wanted to learn the real me – not the person everyone wanted to see. This was my biggest and most sharpening trial ever and happened in the middle of my 20′! I wanted to grow into myself offline, not on stage. I then got back on it December 2020 to show up as the new and stronger and real me. Pursuing ministry and giving back to the nonprofit world (in a materialistic world) has also been a challenge (knowing who to work with) but extremely fulfilling. Our heartbeat is to give to those in need, period! Trolls, comparison, finding people you can trust, social climbing, etc. are just some of the problems that come with the politics of the girl world in social media. Nothing is as it seems behind the scenes!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a social media public figure – shop and brand owner of Shop Darling, podcaster behind My Darling Diary, writer and leader behind two accounts (@my_darling_diary & @jessi_afshin) intentionally created to encourage in different ways, a fashion influencer, and a fiance!
I am known for my strong and unique voice among social media – encouraging girls to find purpose, identity, and life outside of the scroll of the feed. This theme is constantly woven throughout my podcast, my shop, the captions and words on both my Instagrams and more. After six years of singleness in a social media world, I also speak into relationships and encouraging girls to know their identity and worth in a challenging 21st century dating landscape.
I am most proud of my shop and brand – an extremely successful brand that has had multiple pop-up shops in Nordstrom Barton Creek and makes cozies that give back to girls under the age of 19 who are recovering from a life of sex trafficking at Austin’s The Refuge. Our encouraging sweatshirts are being worn on the sleeves of thousands of girls sweethearts! Our heartbeat is to give to those in need and encourage the girls on social media in between!
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I do believe that risk taking is associated with success. I believe risk can lead to rejection – as it has for me – but in turn, those trials have created a stronger leader in me and a sharpened character. If you don’t ask – you don’t have. If you don’t try – you won’t know. I am a big believer in acting in courage, however – only stepping in wisdom. I think some risks can be foolish – so I take a lot of my decisions to my mentors and counselors before taking risks. And I always step in discernment and wisdom, never fear.
Contact Info:
- Email: jessiafshin@gmail.com
- Website: www.shopdarling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my_darling_diary/ , https://www.instagram.com/jessi_afshin/
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-darling-diary/id1552487207
Image Credits
Jillian Savage, Jayda Iye
