Fashion Influencer Meghan Guffey on Launching Her Own Brand

Meghan talks about the world of influencers, inspiration behind her own brand, and the importance of building authentic communities.  

Below the Surface is an ongoing series featuring friends of Motif, who are on their path to greatness doing things they love. We sat down with our friend, Meghan Guffey (@meghanguffey)— a content creator and founder of kid’s clothing line, Bea Colette. Meghan lives in Dallas with her 3 children and partner. 

Who are you? Where are you from? And where are you going?

My name is Megan Guffey, and I am from St. Louis, Missouri, and currently live in Dallas, Texas. We love Dallas, we love our careers here, but I could totally see us living somewhere else internationally down the road. Maybe when our kids are older, we'll see. But I feel like the future is very unknown, in the sense that I don't know where we'll be. I think we will always be very career-focused, but mixing in travel as much as we can, too, especially as our kids get older.

What is one question you’re sick of being asked?

Probably “How do you do at all?” Because the answer is: I don't. Every single day, I have a to-do list, and I probably complete a quarter of it. Then I carry that to-do list over to the next day, and then I keep chipping away at it the next day. I think we all need to be a little easier on ourselves, but I certainly do not “do it all.” I really want to clear that stigma of it that I have some crazy superpower of getting everything done because I don't.

How do you see the world of influencers changing, and how does it feel to be one?

I think nowadays everyone is an influencer, especially if you're running your business. The influencer game probably started 10, 12 years ago, but it was not a saturated space, and I give them credit for just doing it because they were ahead of the fold. Nowadays influencers are the modern form of advertising. I think that staying under 100k followers is kind of the way of the future in terms of really being a connected and highly-engaged influencer.

It's going to continue to shift to just the smaller, more leaned-in influencers, and also just having that authenticity is going to be really important. I think influencers will stay around, that's for sure, and it'll just continually evolve.

Can you talk a little bit about your experience in ads and the kind of transferable skills that took you to where you are today?

I started my career at Conde Nast when print was still big and digital was starting to seep in. By the time I left Conde Nast, I was a fully integrated ad sales rep. I ended up going to a mobile ad sales place called Cargo where the whole concept was people spending 95% of the time on their phone versus desktop. From there, I went to Amazon where I did programmatic advertising. I learned that there is a human behind ad sales and that everything's about relationships.

Whether you're the influencer or the ad salesperson, it's really all about that relationship and treating the business like your own. You will go above and beyond because you care more about that lasting relationship than you do about the dollar that's coming in your pocket.

What was the inspiration to start your own company?

I was at Something Navy, and after I was there for about two years, I had my second baby, and I moved to Dallas. I was going to New York about once a month, but I had debilitating anxiety leaving my kids. But I'll never forget this: My WiFi didn't work on the flight back from New York. So, I just started writing. I've always loved European clothing, especially for children, and I just started writing down what I wanted to do in my next few years. I put it away and didn't think about it for three more months. I ended up leaving Something Navy in July. Then, in September, I pulled that doc back up with one of my friends who loves European clothing too, and things kind of went from there. I am so grateful to this day that the WiFi didn't work on that plane flight home, because I never just sit and think, and some of the best ideas definitely come about in those circumstances.

What brings you into a state of flow? What do patterns mean to you in your life? Are there any patterns you’re looking to break or build?

I think habits are so important, and almost more important in breaking bad habits than creating good ones.

I think the biggest thing for me is getting 20 minutes of walking and direct sunlight in the mornings. When I do that, it really just makes me a better person. I'm really trying to not look at my phone for the first hour of the day because it just feels disorienting. Also just not looking at my phone for an hour before bed. I've gotten back into reading a lot, and it's much better than endlessly scrolling on social media, which never makes me sleep well. I think the way you start your day and the way you end your day is really important. 

What brands right now are resonating with you?

Of course, Motif. I really connect with brands that are female-founded. I love to find out when there's a story behind it. Weezie is a great brand. I just want to know that there's a human behind the brand. Mi Golondrina is a brand I absolutely love. It’s a brand that's female founded, she has no outside investment, and she has a slower growth approach. I think my biggest thing is brands that are not trying to have rocket-ship-level growth. We've all seen those brands on Instagram that are getting all this press and they're growing like crazy, and they have quadruple digit growth for the first few years. A lot of them end up plummeting because they have unrealistic sales targets, and they can't keep up with that growth. Brands like Mi Golondrina have had longevity because they evolved, but they're so good with customers.

Feeling like I know the person behind the brand or the team they build is amazing. Brands like that, you just feel a connection to.

What does self care mean to you?

Honestly, I'm not just saying this, but really taking care of your skin. There have been nights where I tried speeding through my routine, but how you end your day is how you start your day. I don't wear any makeup usually, so I feel like a good human when my skin is reflecting how I feel. I think it's something I've appreciated so much more as I've gotten older.

What does beauty mean to you? Who are some people that have influenced your view of beauty over your lifetime?

I think Brooke Shields. I used to get made fun of for having thick hair on my arms. In 7th grade, as soon as I had access to razors and tweezers, I just went to town. I remember my mom showing me Brooke Shields and she said, “Look how beautiful she is with thick, natural eyebrows.” And I remember thinking, “She’s really beautiful.” I’ll always remember that. I would also say Julia Roberts. She’s so beautiful physically, but I’ve always been naturally drawn to people that are less “by-the-book pretty,” and more to people who have unique features that can be beautiful. It’s usually because the personality shines and makes them even prettier. 

What are your expectations from the beauty industry, and from brands in the beauty industry?

There’s so much information nowadays about the ingredients that go into products, so I think it is really important that industries are using clean ingredients so that all these products are doing the right thing. Also, having a daughter and seeing on social media that so many young girls are using filters scares me. Whatever the people in the beauty industry can do to move away from that is what I would love to see, like seeing more celebrities and influencers just wearing no makeup and being okay with it. There’s no harm in wearing makeup, but I just want to see a little bit more natural. 

Can you speak more about your skincare regimen and what you like about the Motif products?

I’ve been using Motif products for about 5 or 6 months. I love how it keeps things simple. I love that it’s a cleanser and serum, and then I’ll do a cream after that.

With a lot of brands I’ve used before, the results happen over time, and Motif’s really is one of the first that with myself and anyone I’ve talked to you can see the results, especially from the cleanser, immediately.

I also appreciate that it’s clean and not having to think twice about it or that my skin doesn’t have to adapt to anything new when it’s already going through so many changes through pregnancy.