We can all learn from one another’s experiences, and so we present to you: AccelerateHER Cohort Stories! From what we’ve gathered about this amazing group of women who are part of the first cohort of the incubator program offered in partnership between TWU Center for Women Entrepreneurs and Stoke, AccelerateHER, we knew that you need to get to know them too.
All photos provided by Lillia Whittington
Lillia Whittington is the owner and head content creator of The D. Diaries, a fashion and lifestyle blog that highlights what makes Denton unique! Motivated to give Denton a voice and put it on the map for North Texas and beyond, Lillia’s written about and promoted local events, lifestyle activities and shops plus compiled useful tools like the Denton Guide and holiday shopping tips for locals and visitors alike. Coming from someone who grew up in Denton and knows the town like the back of her hand, The D. Diaries is filled with love for her hometown; anything born from the heart has to be good, and what Lillia creates is indeed delightful.
Tell us a little about your life as an entrepreneur! What does a typical day look like?
Being an entrepreneur means I have the joy of building my day out. So sometimes I build out a full day where I start my first meeting by 8AM and I am creating content for brands or crafting blog posts until 6 or 7PM. Or I have a slow start to my day, go roller skating, read books, catch up on emails on my patio, and just enjoy the slower pace!
You work with a lot of local, small businesses. How do you build these relationships and find people with whom you collaborate?
One of the things I always start off with in each collaboration is a quick back story on why I do what I do. For me, establishing a personal connection is vital to working with my local partners. Before Corona, I would take it a step further and visit most of the businesses on Saturday just to chit chat about the week before and ask if can help promote or talk about any upcoming sales!
What’s your favorite thing about your workspace?
I have plants all over my desk and draped around my apartment. I find that they help the creativity flow through my work and sometimes even inspire me when I am creating content!
What kind of planning and amount of hours goes behind each project that you take on?
Generally, each collaboration I do takes anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks from start to posting date. There’s the initial email exchange and contract, organizing the photoshoots for the products and/or in the business with myself and a second shooter. Once the photos are done, we go into the editing phase, which myself or my PR Director and I edit and craft the content together. Then we submit it to the business for approval, if required in our contract. Once it’s approved, we post!
From there, we engage with the audience who is interacting with the content for the algorithm to push it to a wider audience! There’s way more that goes on behind the scenes, and this is just the typical collaboration! This timeline doesn’t include events, products, and other bigger projects our team does. Those timelines can be 3-6 months of planning.
How does it feel to focus your business around promoting your hometown, Denton?
I love working in a familiar environment, it makes me feel more connected to my work and my community! It also means I am able to provide, in a unique way, real time happenings in Denton to my audience!
What are some of the unexpected things that have arisen on your journey as an entrepreneur?
One unexpected thing that has arisen is that while it is awesome being your own boss and having the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want, having a structured schedule is vital for me! It’s something that I am working on every week, but when I have a structured schedule for my week, I am very successful in my goals. Not every week is perfect, and I definitely still get side tracked, but it’s very much a learned skill for me!
Name a woman, past or present, whom you admire or look up to. Why?
I have so many women that I look up to and that constantly inspire me, but my favorite has to be Iris van Herpen, a Dutch fashion designer who designs using repurposed goods, 3D printing, and delicately handmade fabrics.
She is constantly pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a fashion designer, kind of like I want to push the boundaries on what it means to be a blogger and influencer. You don’t see many, if any, bloggers repping their city with pride, but Denton has a vibe all it’s own and I think there’s quite a lot to say about that!
What is your personal and professional motto?
My dad always told me “Hard work matters, so don’t be normal”. It’s something that I have carried with me through my schooling, my previous corporate job, and now my business.
You can find The D. Diaries on Facebook and Instagram!
