Twinning #LikeaGirl: An Interview with Leslie and Lindsey
Leslie and Lindsey Philip run a lifestyle and fashion blog together called #SmartBlondes. They work to empower all women to believe in themselves…and help them look fabulous at the same time. In addition to being a blogging powerhouse, Leslie and Lindsey also volunteer together and share a love of cats. Continue reading to learn more about them and to be inspired by their insightful advice!
1. Hi, Leslie and Lindsey! Tells us a little bit about yourselves.
Leslie: Hey Unicorn babes! To tell you a bit about myself, I am the Co-Founder and Marketing Director for a fashion brand called #SmartBlondes that I operate with my twin sister Lindsey. We have been alive for a little over a year and we’re loving every minute of it! I am a fun-loving, crazy cat lady and I attend coffeeaholics anonymous regularly (kidding lol…but really coffee is like the Holy Grail.) I LOVE Public Relations and marketing because it’s my way of helping people. I earned my BA from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU in 2014 and went on to work for various Winter Olympic sports quickly after. Not many people know that I am a creative writer and am working on a series (that’s quickly turning into a Saga) of fiction books. Charity is something that I’m also big on, I volunteer for Lost Our Home Pet Foundation and am looking into becoming a career mentor for young women.
Lindsey: Hey there babes! Here’s a bit about myself. I’m one half of the blog #SmartBlondes that I run with my twin sis, Leslie. I’m the operations and financials side of the house. I love what we’re doing and where we’re going. I’m currently in the process of finishing up school for my esthetics license. Yayy! I also love to give back so I volunteer with Lost Our Home Pet Foundation in the cat room. Just another cat lady trying to help all the cats of the world.
2. Where are you currently located?
Leslie: We are located in Phoenix, Arizona.
3. What was your inspiration to start your blog, #SmartBlondes?
Lindsey: We started #SmartBlondes because we wanted to inspire women through fashion and beauty. We’re also really big on female empowerment and want to inspire women to do what they love, fashionably of course. 😉 We are pretty trendy and wanted to show people something different. Our motto is: look good, feel good, do good. Simple as that.
Leslie: Our brand is a movement as much as it is a lifestyle. We are a brand founded on the belief that every woman is unique in her own way, a unicorn. (We refer to all of our followers as the #UnicornArmy.) We want women to feel empowered in whatever they do, we just offer some style and beauty tips along the way 😉 What inspired us to create this blog was hearing what other women go through and we realized there wasn’t really a defined voice coming from the curvy woman’s perspective.
[clickToTweet tweet=”‘We want women to feel empowered in whatever they do.’ —Leslie Philip #missmillmag” quote=”‘We want women to feel empowered in whatever they do.’ —Leslie Philip”]
4. What’s it like working with your twin sister?
Lindsey: I love working with my sister! We definitely squabble sometimes, like most siblings do, but ultimately we’re on the same page with the brand and we have a lot of fun together. We both bring different strengths to #SmartBlondes. Les can see the big picture like five years out and starts planning for that. She’s also a PR and marketing wiz so she’s always ahead of the curve with our marketing material. I am very task/operations oriented so I take one opportunity at a time. Together we are one brain!
Leslie: Working with my sister is the best! She is someone who understands me better than I understand myself! She’s my best friend and business partner. This is a journey that I wouldn’t go on with anyone else. We each bring a different skill set to the table; me with marketing and my headstrong tenacity. Lindsey brings an operations brain and consistency for brand management. She’s the pepperoni to my pizza!
5. What motivates you to continue the work you do?
Leslie: What gets me out of bed in the morning is a really nice cup of coffee (hehe.) But in all seriousness I strive for more because I want women to feel like they have a voice, can accomplish anything they set their minds too, that people can look past the young person and just see the person for who they are. A dreamer, hard worker, driven, full of great potential and promise. Strong girls grow into smart, independent women and I would like to have a hand in that.
Lindsey: The thing that keeps me motivated to continue the work that I do is the positive feedback from our followers. #SmartBlondes is very unique and we strive to empower women to just be themselves and make no apologies.
6. Five years ago, did you imagine you’d be where you are today?
Leslie: It’s funny you should ask that. I have always known I would go into business for myself, I just thought it would be opening a public relations firm. I’ve always enjoyed helping others, but the fashion element and starting #SB a year ago was something I didn’t think my sister and I would actually do together. We’ve dreamed of doing just this ever since we were little girls. So we took the next step and made it a reality. I’m glad I didn’t see this coming five years ago, it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life thus far!
Lindsey: If you told me five years ago that I would have started #SB with my sister, I would’ve said you were crazy. Five years ago I was in nursing school and just loved fashion on the side. I wasn’t much of a risk-taker then. But now I would say the risk was well worth it and I love what I do.
7. What advice do you have for fellow Millennial women?
Lindsey: The one thing I can say to my fellow Millennial women is to stay true to yourself and never give up. If you dream it, figure out a strategy and make it happen. Truly, you can do it if you just face your fear and try.
Leslie: The advice that I can give my fellow Millennial women is to know who you are and what you stand for. You will make mistakes along the way, but own them, it’s all a part of the journey. Never ever lose your tenacity. This is something that people will try and push out of you or want to change, but your ability to believe in yourself even when you think no one else does, will carry you through. And always know that a couple of #StyleUnicorns got your back 😉
[clickToTweet tweet=”‘If you dream it, figure out a strategy and make it happen.’ —Lindsey Philip #missmillmag” quote=”‘If you dream it, figure out a strategy and make it happen.’ —Lindsey Philip”]
8. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Lindsey: We’re just two fashion-loving cat ladies putting their own spin on what’s trendy in today’s fashion world.
Leslie: We are West Coast contributors to Millennial Magazine so look out for some articles with them and we have just launched another avenue to our brand called #SmartStyling. #SmartBlondes is a movement where any and all are welcome! Once you’re a unicorn, you’re a unicorn for life! #UnicornArmy all day. So, check us out babes!
Thank you for your time, Leslie and Lindsey!
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