216. Behind the Highlight Reel: Living In The Greys with Mary Lawless Lee #FabulousFriends

My guest today is Mary Lawless Lee. She is a mother, writer, entrepreneur, and digital media personality dedicated to living creatively, chasing curiosity, and exploring the world through the lens of fashion, family, travel, and design. Happily Grey, her now-iconic fashion and lifestyle blog, serves as a loving space for readers to connect with Mary's life experiences, and their own, journeying together through life's highs, lows, and in betweens.But she’s not just an influencer OG. Adding a retail space and – now, a book – to her resume, she’s a perfect example of someone who seems to juggle everything at once with ease. Her new book, and this conversation, tell a different story. Her radical honesty and grounded mindset root her in reality, and helped her escape struggles with an eating disorder, perfectionism, people pleasing, and a toxic marriage. Thank you, Mary, for spending some time with our community today. We also cover…00:01:40 — Turning a Passion Into a LifestyleGrowing up in east Texas and going to nursing schoolWorking for 7 transformative years in the cardiovascular ICUJournaling as a meditation practicePaying $50 for her first blogging websiteEarly days of HappilyGrey.comBuilding a community and lifestyle brandExpanding into skincare – nemah.comSide hustle status for 3.5 yearsDay-to-day of life as a bloggerBuilding a team from scratch and forging her own pathThe importance of brand culture and collaborationMaking a good (and bad) brand deal00:18:14 — Nēmah Skincare & Happily GreyMarrying her clinical background with digital marketing and motherhood Developing products that are authentic to youInvesting in safe, clean formulas Happily Grey by Mary Lawless LeeLife is not all black and whiteFinding freedom in the in-between00:24:49 — Mary’s Personal Growth & EvolutionStruggling with perfectionism and people pleasingUnpacking Mary’s experience with an eating disorder Recovery is a never-ending journeyAccountability, honesty, and giving up control Having gratitude for your physical selfWorking amid the perceptions and expectations of social media Gathering tools and building a support systemVulnerability seeds connection Happily Grey by Mary Lawless Lee Career and life advice for following your passionsResources:Read: shophappilygrey.comBook Tour: shophappilygrey.com/pages/mybookNēmah Skincare: nemah.comInstagram: @marylawlessleeWebsite: happilygrey.comConnect with Kelly:kellyleveque.comInstagram: