Get to know Jen Jean-Pierre Maull: Answering your questions from Instagram

It’s currently 11:09pm on Sunday, September 27 and I’m typing this blog post on my phone. Teagan is currently sleeping on my chest and all feels right in the world. Today I asked my Instagram audience to ask me any question and I would answer in a blog post going out tomorrow (Monday) so I’m making sure to keep my promise.

So let’s get to it. Get to know Jen Jean-Pierre Maull because I’m answering your questions from Instagram.

Before we begin, I have done these before but rarely get any questions. I realize that I share so much and am an open book that many of you don’t have questions. I’m not sure if that’s good or not but it is what is.

Get to know Jen Jean-Pierre Maull, Question 1:

Starting with this question because it’s one of the easiest. I am not a planner at all. I plan to plan but I never actually make it happen. I will say though now that I’m getting more serious about blogging, I’m utilizing a platform called Later to schedule posts here and there and I love it. I’m very much a “feeler” and I do things when I am feeling it and feel compelled to it.

Something may happen in my lifetime or in the day and I think it is a great blog post or even an outfit. So I will write it down in the notes app on my iPhone or I will write it in my journal.

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As far as creative inspiration- I’m inspired by life. I know that sounds so cliche but everything my eyes see are framed like a picture and so I’m always inspired. When I’m deliberate about finding inspiration I live for 90s editorials via google or Pinterest. The rise of the actual supermodels was the best editorial time in my opinion and I always find cool ways to style clothes or take photos by immersing myself in them. Right now, I am VERY inspired by TikTok. There are so many creative ways to showcase the simplest of content and TikTok has opened my eyes to it.

Let me first say this- I am incredibly blessed to have such a supportive husband. While I can’t really remember how he started helping me, I’m glad he did. Jermaine knows how important the blog is to me and he knows I love creating content. He is also a creative— the man can DRAW and he was an advertising genius in high school (won contests and everything) so I believe it’s fun for him as well.

If I remember correctly I just asked if he wanted to learn how to take my photos. He did so I taught him. Recently (like the last 2 weeks) I told myself to let go and stop trying to control every single shoot and to let him just do his thing. For a while I was too strict and controlling on the shoots and it started to turn him off. Now that I just have a little more fun with him, our content has gotten better. At least I think.

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When we have a new collaboration, I always ask his opinion or for his ideas. He has a really cool way of seeing things and piecing things together and I love how different we are in the creative space and it helps. I recently started shared notes in the Notes app for us to write down ideas for future campaigns or shoots abs it’s been fun to see what we come up with.

For those who want their significant other to be more involved I highly suggest having a really good conversation about it. Explain how the support would help you and explain why you want to be a blogger. BUT, don’t force it or don’t try to manipulate it. There is nothing worse than working with someone who doesn’t want to be there or doesn’t see the importance of what you are doing.

I had an ex boyfriend who thought my blog was silly and it was my way of needing attention. He never saw the business side of things or how this was my outlet and my chance to share my gift. He would take my pictures here and there but every single time he did, I would hear in the back of my head what he really thought about my blog and I did not want him to be a part of it.

I REALLY wish I would have been more serious about the name of my blog. I know that seems a bit silly but rebranding was a lot of work and still to this day I cannot shake the Comme Coco moniker. I also wish I would have known the importance of tagging and naming your images correctly. I was all free willy posting things and now that I want to be organized and have it help with SEO, I can’t.

Ohhhhh wee!! This question hits hard! There is NO WAY to stop comparing yourself. It’s going to happen. Everyone does it and if they say they aren’t, they are lying. Still to this day I compare myself and have the “wait I did it better or the why not me” moments.

But what’s different is I recognize when I am doing it and allow myself to feel whatever I feel and then move on to something creative to support and strengthen my business and brand. I don’t allow myself to sit in it.

It is REALLY hard when I see newer folks doing so well or others who may be doing the most basic of things blowing up but then I remember the times I was not consistent or I didn’t go hard for my brand. You often get what you put in end although I have the longevity, my work ethic has not been deserving of major success.

But times are a changin and I’m putting in more work and in a year or so, I should be at the level of success that I strive for.

Y’all know I love camera gear and I LOVE buying camera gear. My self portraits blog post goes into detail on what I use and has all the links but here is my go-to tripod for my heavy DSLR and here is my tripod for my iPhone.

Great question and CONGRATS! My answer is probably not what you want to hear. I did not have any fears of having it together while pregnant because I unfortunately was so sick. For me every single hour, my fears were associated with not throwing up, not dying from choking from my vomit, or not dying because I was so malnourished.

But before I got really sick from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, I kept thinking about not having enough money to take care of Teagan and the household. I was terrified because I heard how expensive children are and I was so nervous. Thankfully, we were very blessed with our registry and thankfully we have not had to pay for daycare (the biggest source of expense) because of Covid and working from home. Once the world opens back up I will have to figure out daycare and that does really scare me!

I will say this: there is no one who is ever “together” enough for children. There are so many variables that we cannot adequately prepare and its really a “figure it out” as you go type life journey in my opinion. After I had Teagan I had the most energy I have ever had even though I was SUPER exhausted. Still now I am full of energy and ideas but I am really tired. Your body will adjust but my one piece of advice is DO NOT normalize being exhausted. Do not try to overdo it like I do and GET YOUR REST!

Also please ask for help. You are STILL supermom even when you ask for help and don’t do it all yourself. I promise you.

Thank you so much!!!! I am not sure if you have certain requirements on dress with your job but I always say you can experiment with color and accessories. If you have to wear a suit, try a bold color or even a bold color shirt under the suit. Experiment with different silhouettes. I have not met a single person who doesn’t look AMAZING in a wide leg pant. Test out the oversized blazer look– I get mens blazers from the thrift store when I want to try different trends. If you don’t have to wear a collared shirt to work, then try a graphic teeshirt or band tee, try a simple crewneck top in a fun material and wear a nice necklace or statement earrings. If it needs to be a button up, try different fabrics outside of just stiff ones. If you need a jacket, try a tailored moto jacket in something other than leather or faux leather. Opportunities are endless!

The biggest thing about style is that it is PERSONAL! Wear what you feel confident in and you will always look great because you will carry yourself a certain way. For me, I know what I like– moto jackets, turtlenecks, wide leg pants, jumpsuits, blazers. Those are my things. I am slowly adding more dresses to my wardrobe and learning what works best for me.

I stopped fighting it and instead just incorporated Teagan into things. With blogging, I don’t have any aspirations of being a “mommy blogger”. But I am a mom and my blog is about my life so she will be a part of it. I still very much want to be about style and fashion and I just take fun pics dressed up with her.

Working from home full time can be hard when she wants attention and I am learning to submit to her when I know she really needs me. Work sometimes has to wait a bit. Before I was a work comes first and now I am 100% Teagan and my family come first. She will only be this small for a short time and as long as I complete my work and it’s high quality, I don’t stress if I have to stop for 20-30 minutes to tend to her needs.

Sometimes I really want to shoot but she may be cranky or napping so I just wait. Often times she is in her stroller watching while Jermaine and I shoot something. We have learned to be far more efficient with our photoshoots and don’t capture a crazy amount of pictured just because. We are more intentional and I think it helps the business far more too.

I think we in the United States are very focused on the grind. Granted we need to to pay bills and provide but it is also an ego thing. We feel better if we are financially successful. But there is so much more to success over having money and accolades and status.

I tell myself this daily. My biggest success will come from being a great wife and a great mom. That is my legacy.

I have learned soooooooo much about myself in this decade of creating. For one, I realized how much I love helping others over making money. YEs, I want to earn for the work I do but I love sharing and helping others elevate too. Time is money but I feel better when I am helping from a place of pure want and love.

I have also learned that I can be petty AF and I have learned to dead that. I now know how to change my words in order to change how I think. I still compare because like I said before, I am HUMAN but I don’t let comparison steal my joy or stop my passion for creating.

Content creating has also made me see that if I really want to do something, I make it happen no matter what. I wont’ make excuses and I will do it. So all those times I did not complete things, I know it was out of laziness and being unmotivated.

The blog life has also made me see that I am talented and I am special. Even if I may not have luxury or dress in the newest trends, I am unique and special and that is so important in the world!

Well that concludes this session of Get to know Jen Jean-Pierre and I hope I was able to help you all out and answer these questions. I look forward to doing another one because I really love interacting with all of you.

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