Everyone teaches you how to chase your dream, but no one tells you what to do when it’s gone!
Well GIRL, Austen Tosone lost her dream job… TWICE!
But with great resilience in very difficult times, Austen capitalized on her own strengths, and now works as a blogger, Youtuber, and beauty content director for Jumprope – an app for women who create content around beauty, fashion, fitness, and beyond.
Growing up, Austen’s childhood was filled with creativity living in the shadow of New York City. But it wasn’t until a couple of months before college that she really tapped into her gifts. The summer before college, Austen started a blog to document her outfits, and her casual hobby soon turned addictive – she loved taking pictures and posting them!
Fast forward to after graduation where her passion transformed into working at NYLON magazine, where she ran the fashion news section. This job perfectly combined her strengths and interests, and she grew deeply attached to it. Everything had finally aligned and her path ahead seemed bright… that was until NYLON folded and Austen got laid off.
She felt beyond blindsided to lose her dream job after only a year. She had finally MADE IT…
Austen gave herself one day to cry it all out: the anger, the unfairness, the devastation. However, she couldn’t stay in that headspace for long; New York Fashion Week was well underway and it wouldn’t wait for her to finish wallowing. The next day she forced herself to go to the shows and connect with people in the industry.
After utilizing her connections, Austen soon began working for another magazine, but after only eight months, it too folded. But just as she had done before, she spun the situation into something positive and used this second layoff to jump into the world of freelancing. But this switch was jarring. Unlike in Sex and the City, no magazine paid her 50 cents per word for her writing. She had to figure out HOW to actually make money and provide for herself.
This struggle turned her time freelancing into the most formative year and a half of her life!
Her hard work REALLY paid off in September 2019 when her connections aligned with the “perfect” job. Doubtful, she sat down with the co-founder of Jumprope, and after a great conversation and trying the app, Austen accepted the position!
It seems third time’s the charm after all!
Today, Austen remains intentional about who she surrounds herself with, both in person and online, making sure to have a circle of people that uplift and empower her. But Austen also recognizes that inspiration often resides within. She says we all have the ability to educate and empower others, if we can just let go of our fear and START.
This year, Austen has several goals for her brand. She aims to hit 10K subscribers on Youtube (and you can be one of them by checking out her channel here!), wants to grow her email list, release another ebook, and learn more about SEO to improve her blog.
Clearly, Austen has ambitious plans for 2020, but by surrounding herself with supportive people and constantly looking for new ways to gain inspiration, there’s no doubt she will succeed!
If you’re ready for the push to FINALLY start THAT project, check out Ditch the Clique – a community for connective conversation, empowered resources, one on one accountability, and SO MUCH MORE!
Listen to Austen’s FULL story by streaming our FREE podcast “The REAL Women of 20(20) Podcast” HERE and on ALL podcast streaming platforms!
Austen Tosone, Blogger, Youtuber, and Beauty Content Director for Jumprope
@austentosone
austentosone.com
You Should Tell Them – Ditch the Clique's REAL women podcast
who is the author, April?
April Hooper is a public relations student at Messiah University, minoring in marketing and gender studies. She always has a coffee in hand and is rocking a thrifted outfit with handmade accessories. When she graduates, she dreams of living abroad, owning as many cats as possible, and writing for a living.
rachelkgrimstyle.com 