LOVEyourself: Shelby Priester

I have been working with Shelby for many many years now.  We actually got connected through another stylist friend who had Shelby on her team for her marketing needs.  We hit it off and soon became working together and she’s been my marketing partner ever since. 

While I know Shelby prefers to be “behind the lens”, I have been pulling her out to be in the spotlight recently when I invited myself to clean out her closet and creating her shopping list for this season.  She was so gracious to open up her closet and her heart to me throughout the process.  It’s been SO eye opening to me to peek behind the lens to see much more of Shelby at her core behind all of her creatively styled looks and her marketing expertise.  She has definitely evolved over the years (fashionably and emotionally) with many life changes.   She is an old soul and a girlie girl that has always loved fashion.  She is always an original in her own style and I love seeing her creations. I truly value her unique perspective on all things marketing, fashion, self worth and life in general.

I’m so grateful to be part of her journey and I feel inspired by her story!

1. What does LOVEyourself mean to you?

To me, the phrase LOVEyouself is one rooted in a true understanding of myself. I am lucky to have a supportive family and consistent group of friends. I started a company at a young age that I still run today. But I also experienced many relationships in both work and my personal life that were not the healthiest on my self worth. Wanting to be the best, or be loved the most, I spent years sacrificing my feelings and molding myself into what I perceived others would approve of. It has taken me a long time to realize who I am is not a job title I hold, or how many people would consider me the person to call in a pinch. To truly love myself I’ve had to discover who I am at my core, and what it feels like to be radiantly settled in my own skin. 

2. Did you have someone that exuded a positive body image for you growing up? A family member, friend, mentor, etc.

This is an interesting question for me. Really sitting down to think about it I’m not sure it was a person I have to thank. The older generation of my family grew up in a time where diet culture was standard. My niece is growing up in a time where filters and perfection are cluttering our phones day in and day out. I grew up somewhere in the middle, and more importantly, I grew up with a love for clothing. As a kid I was always a bit overweight, but I also always felt like the best dressed girl in the room. I’d save up my allowance to buy Free People tank tops and jelly kitten heels. Begged my mom for magazines to get ideas of new outfits, but I never looked at the women on the pages wishing I looked like them. I was always aware that my friends might have worn a smaller size than me, but I think in a way expressing myself through the outfits I put together built my self confidence around the subjects of body image. 

3. Do you tear your body apart vocally?  Do you praise your body vocally?

I think this question is best explained by my time working with Elizabeth. Over the years I have been met with adversity around my body and how it dictates my self worth. As a kid I simply never listened. But over time small remarks (both good and bad) from others about my body piled up. They weighed me down, and caused me to change. So in the middle of a closet clean out, surrounded by mounds of clothing, trying desperately to explain how all the things I want to wear don’t look good on my body because I know my arms are too big or my love handles will be highlighted, Elizabeth pointed out that the outfits I had been pulling to showcase as “my style” and the woman she first met were different. She reminded me that I was always adventurous with my clothing choices, but the items I had been trying to choose now were simple. That it felt like I was hiding. 

And she was right. By listening to what others had said about my body, and allowing myself to repeat it back every time I looked into the mirror, I wanted to hide. Though, not being able to hide from myself, I turned to the next best thing - blending in. I might not have been walking around telling people I’ve gained weight, or I hate XY&Z about myself. But inside I was screaming it all the time. 

4. Are you working to improve your mindset around body image or is it a neutral mindset for you?

Yes! Ever since that day with Elizabeth I have taken a huge step back to reevaluate how I treat myself. I feel body image and respecting yourself is a personal battle that many women go through. It’s been such a refreshing change to not only start to work past those negative feelings, but to realize that the goal should be to celebrate who I actually am, not try to mold myself into something to celebrate. 

5. Do you have anyone that you are trying to set a healthy example for?

For me. I can’t wait for the days of setting examples for my future children, and hoping my stories embark a bit of understanding for them to take forward. But over the past few years of my own healing I am learning how to set an example for myself. How to look in the mirror and not dive into my own imperfections, but instead see happiness. Or better yet, come to a place where those things don’t feel like imperfections at all. 

I heard a quote recently that said most of our bodies will not look drastically different from where we are right now unless we take drastic measures to change them. It struck me as such a great way to look at my body. If I am healthy right now, why do I want to fight my own self to be skinnier? Or tanner? Or more desirable to someone else? I will always love to dress up, and always love putting on makeup or doing my hair. But I never loved altering myself to fit into a body that wasn’t meant to be mine. I hope moving forward I can learn to live with that mindset and let others see that joy.