If there ever was a person that epitomised what it means to be girl boss, than it is Jess. Meet Jessica-Anne Lyons – digital marketer by day, beauty blogger by night, and all around happy go-getter. Despite working the nine to five daily grind (sort of), Jess manages to be impressively productive but equally finds her bliss in the littlest of things. She has also realised that being happy is cool. After all, her life motto is: ‘hustle and heart will set you apart’.
MH: What is your name and what do you do for a living?
JL: My name is Jessica-Anne and I work in Digital Marketing in Melbourne. I also run the beauty website, Taken By Surprise.
Where is your happy place?
My apartment is my little haven – they say there’s no place like home! After a big day, being able to come home to my own space, cook myself a meal and relax is pretty blissful. Plus I’m more on the introverted side of the spectrum, so I really need my solo ‘recharge’ time.
Japan is right up there too though – out of all the places I’ve travelled to, Japan is the one I keep going back to. I’ll be going on my third trip there soon and the culture and adventures that you can have there are just incredible. Maybe it was the ‘holiday happiness’, but I really felt at home there.
How do you maintain a happy, balanced lifestyle?
My job can be pretty demanding on my time so I’ve really had to learn different ways to relax. Little things like being able to recognise when I can actually say no to something that won’t add any value to my time or to my happiness. Definitely say yes to the awesome opportunities that come your way, but being able to say no is so empowering too.
What is a happy day for you? What does it consist of?
I love productive days, whether that’s the high I get after knocking off a tonne of work or spending the day exploring and learning. If I spend a day doing nothing, I really regret it afterwards!
Right now, my ideal happy day would be having a bit of a sleep in, walking to a nice sunny cafe for a late breakfast, and spending the day outside with my boyfriend. My favourite kind of days are the ones where you pretend you’re on holiday – your time is your own, you can follow any kind of whim and they’re the best kind of day for making new memories!
What is the biggest risk you have taken in the name of happiness? And did it pay off?
Not one big risk comes to mind, but I take little happiness risks all the time. I used to worry about being assertive about what I want and how I feel, and keeping that inside made me pretty unhappy. I still get that worry sometimes, but I’m learning to just go for it and say what I’m thinking – you don’t get what you don’t ask for!
Onto style – how would you describe your personal style?
It’s fairly minimalist – having a neutral wardrobe certainly makes getting dressed in the morning a lot easier! It’s currently a lot of black and white printed shirts, knee length skirts and dresses, and the same pair of high-waisted black jeans on high rotation!
Why does this style make you happy?
It makes me feel polished and confident – it doesn’t matter what combination of clothes I’m wearing, because they’re all fairly monochrome, they all work well together.
What do you love most about the ‘Buy The Avocado’ top?
The slogan on the front is pretty cheeky and fun, and it really suits my neutral aesthetic!
What else would you wear this tee with?
I could definitely see myself wearing this loosely tucked into a pair of black, high-waisted jeans, with a huge oversized grey cardigan and ankle boots. That has my low-key weekend style all over it!
Do you have a life motto?
‘Hustle and heart will set you apart.’ This is something that I one day want to have framed in my home, because being hardworking and genuine are two things that are very important to me, and it’s a great daily reminder to do your best.
Lastly, what does happiness mean to you?
Hakuna Matata! But really, having no worries in the sense that you are comfortable in yourself, your place in life and in the relationships you have around you.
