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Who hasn’t laid eyes on ethereal—and brainy—beauty Nicole Warne of Gary Pepper Vintage and not been a teensy bit jealous? She’s got amazing personal style, she’s gorge, she’s multi-talented, and in just a couple of years, she’s parlayed a love of vintage and travel into not only a sensational blog, but successful career.

The Gary Pepper girl’s motto is “The glass is half full.” I don’t know what Gary Pepper girl Nicole’s glass is half full of, but whatever it, is, I’ll have a glass of that, thank you!

Tell us a little bit about Gary Pepper Vintage.

Gary Pepper Vintage is an idea I had back in high school, which was launched in late 2009. It’s an online vintage boutique that specialises in vintage one of a kind clothing and accessories that are sourced from all over the world (www.garypeppervintage.com). I started this as a small project which I ran alongside my full time job, interning and studying. After two months I quit my job and took Gary Pepper Vintage full time, four months later it was published in some of the biggest Australian magazines and six months later it was established as a company with three staff members. What started as a small idea has blossomed into my life long dream and I’m very blessed to call this my work.

How did you monetize Gary Pepper Vintage?

When I opened my store it was hosted via eBay, which comes with user friendly options and weekly updates about sales. I also have Google Analytics linked to my blog and website which gives me a good indication of how many visitors I have and where they are from. In regards to consulting and ads, I am still a small company so believe it or not but I don’t have this in my budget, so everything you see is a result of my initiative and hard work.

How has blogging affected your career?

My blog is just as important as the stock I sell. It provides a clear insight into my life and helps my customers relate to me on not only a personal level but also on how I dress and my sense of style. I am confident every customer I’ve ever had is a reader and follower of my blog. I have been offered so many amazing opportunities purely because I’ve been perceived as a “blogger,” which is amazing to think about.

What are you working on now?

I recently launched my own e-store which has been six months in the making. It’s been a tedious and long process but I couldn’t be happier with the results. This project is something that is taking 100% of my time and focus right now. I plan to expanding the line and working on exposing the brand on an international level.

What is the most important piece advice would you give aspiring bloggers?

Look at your blog as a business. It helps to have a plan. Think about branding, how you would like your blog to look, what your content will focus on, what projects you can do, how can you keep your readers interested, but more importantly how you can gain exposure for your blog. There’s nothing better than a visually pleasing blog to look at. They say when we meet strangers we judge and make our own assumptions within the first 30 seconds, so think about this as what people will see when they first “meet” your blog. And of course, be yourself.

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