Life & Work with Jana Meister

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jana Meister. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Jana Meister is a Kansas City based fashion blogger and stylist. She has spent 10+ years working in the fashion industry as a board member and Regional Director of Fashion Group International for the Kansas City Region, the Fashion Editor of Kansas City Fashion Week, a freelance stylist and fashion writer for several magazine publications, and the official stylist and blogger for Summit Fair Shopping Center. She frequently appears on morning news stations including FOX 4 Morning Show, Better Kansas City, and KC LIVE! Sharing her knowledge of current fashion trends and styling tips.

Jana studied Fashion Merchandising Management and Visual Design in Chicago before returning to Kansas City to obtain her Fashion Merchandising degree with a business entrepreneurship certification in 2009. After years of working in retail management and gaining valuable experience, she started her fashion blog called JANA STYLE in April of 2012. She has since collaborated with several fashion brands including Nike, Who What Wear, Off Broadway Shoes, and JCPenney, as well as several local brands including Summit Fair Shopping Center, TIVOL, Beauty Brands, and Lee Jeans.

Some of her biggest blogging accomplishments include a trip to New York Fashion Week as a special guest of Trina Turk, being featured in InStyle Magazine, and appearing on a Macy’s billboard in Times Square in New York City!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Things have not always been an easy road. In the beginning of my journey as a fashion blogger many people did not understand what I was doing. It was hard to connect with brands and blogging was not very understood or accepted as a way to create a career. It took some time to establish my website and social media pages. At first, my blog was a way to build my portfolio of the work I was doing in the fashion industry and to create a space that let people know who I was and what I was all about. I think creating constant content early on really helped me to connect with the brands and people that I wanted to work with. I honestly didn’t think my blog would be the actual career I was creating! So crazy to see how far I’ve come!

Another struggle I have faced over the last ten years is the constant changes in both social media and the retail industry. Having a flexible mentality when it comes to creating content and pivoting ideas quickly has helped me to keep me relevant. I have worked hard to build solid relationships within the marketing and PR industries that allow me to reach out quickly with new ideas and pitch ideas for potential partnerships.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a blogger and influencer over on www.janastyleblog.com, I create content that is focused on fashion, beauty, and lifestyle with a #midsize and #realstyle emphasis on styling clothes for the everyday woman.

My style is a mix of budget-friendly and high-end pieces sprinkled throughout my wardrobe (I have a weakness for designer handbags!) I love dressing up, or dressing down, high heels, and sneaker chic. My style is feminine, classic, and trendy. I think my style is relatable to many women and I try to show what clothing pieces look like on a curvier body type — which is not what you typically see in the blogging world or in the pages of magazines.

I am so proud of the platform I have created with my brand, the connections I have made through my posts, and the business/career I have made out of literally just sharing my love of style and fashion with others. I really enjoy doing this and hope to continue for a long time!

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
After college and in my early 20’s I really worked hard on my dreams of working in the fashion industry, but before that I always thought I would take a different path. I had worked for several years throughout High School and in my first few semesters of college as a vocalist, I always thought I would end up working in the music industry or performing arts. I recorded CDs and spent a ton of time training my voice and performing as local festival and fairs. After I enrolled in Fashion school in Chicago, I never looked back and quit singing and performing.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.janastyleblog.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/jana_meister
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/janastyleblog
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/jana_meister
• Other: www.pinterest.com/janastyleblog

Image Credits
Corey Brown Photography — www.coreybrownphoto.com