#WeWantToKnow: Jodi Blk — Lesley Metcalfe

Jodi is the creator of Jodi Blk, a fashion blog with a funky blog name that is aptly suited to her monochrome, black & white style. We chatted recently about all things fashion & blogging and I'm excited to share our conversation with you because she's just the loveliest person – so humble, very sweet and kind, and it's my pleasure to introduce you to her and share her story.

Jodi grew up in Halifax and moved to Toronto at the age of 18 to attend the fashion communications program at Ryerson University. After studying fashion, she went to work as a marketing coordinator for a company that owned and operated beauty stores and boutiques in the US, as well as salons and spas situated within several large luxury department stores. This was during a time when Facebook was a big deal but other social media sites that are popular today weren't really on the radar, and certainly were not being used as a marketing tool for businesses like they are today. Jodi identified early on the potential for using social media to drive the company's brand, so she approached the CEO about creating and managing social media for the company, which led to a role in creating content for multiple channels and engaging with customers. After a few years that confirmed her foresight was successful, she went on to continue her pursuit of a career in content creation and community management, only now as a freelancer. With all of these skills, along with an inherent entrepreneurial spirit combined with a love of fashion, it's only natural that she would create a blog.

Breaking into the fashion industry can be difficult, but Jodi isn't the type to let a challenge stop her. Getting into fashion blogging opened doors for her; she was driven to be self-made and I love her mantra – “I'm going to get so good they can't ignore me.” (Inspiring words, Jodi! I'm going to jot this down on a Post-It note and stick it to my mirror!)

Jodi's fashion goals growing up were to always look extremely put-together and coordinated, and when I read her blog and see her social media posts I can confidently say that, in my opinion, her mission is accomplished – this woman knows how to put an outfit together! I'm being very boastful here, but Jodi modestly confessed that despite current appearances, it's taken her 30 years to develop her personal style – and it's still evolving. She might admit to having had bad style over the years, but whatever trials and errors she went through, it led her to a confident sense of self today, having learned what works for her and what doesn't, and the ability to share her learned style tips on her blog. A great piece of advice that I took away from our conversation that will help anyone who is trying to find their personal style is that when you're drawn to and inspired by a person's outfit, pay attention to each item they're wearing, because when you identify with someone, it gives you the confidence to try those pieces on yourself. I also wanted to know – what's the one accessory that completes every outfit? Without missing a beat, Jodi quickly responded that this would have to be a great pair of black booties – they go with everything from dresses to denim, and she favours a flat bootie for even more versatility.

So, what's next for Jodi Blk? Jodi has exciting things in the works, including a complete site overhaul that makes it easier to navigate and will integrate an easier way for people to shop from a curated selection of the products she loves and wants to share. In the meantime, find out what she wants by following her want.boards on Wantfolio (hint: you can expect that her want.boards will be an extension of her monochrome brand!). You can also follow her blog on Wantfolio so you never miss an update.