Spotlight sat down with style and entertaining blogger EmilyOandBows to hear all about her brand new book Coyne Collection, how she built her website, and more!

Tell us a bit about your background. What were you doing before starting EmilyOandBows? 

I actually started EmilyOandBows in middle school and continued the blog throughout high school and college as a creative outlet. I never thought it would be something that I’d turn into a business. When I graduated my senior year, I decided to try blogging full-time—with my parent’s encouragement—and I’ve been growing the business ever since. We just released a coffee table book this morning and are constantly coming out with new collections. It started off small but now it’s become an outlet for so many different things. 

How did you get into the blogging space? 

I started when fashion blogs were really starting to take off. I was following a lot of girls who would make blog posts and post their outfits online. When Instagram started, I began taking outfit pictures every single day. My mom was like “What is this?” and would not let me show my face. I didn’t start kicking the blog into high gear until college; I took it more seriously during that time. Looking back, I laugh that I was posting on Instagram as an eighth grader. 

You have a large social media following. How has your social presence helped you grow your blog? 

Getting the word out to new faces and audiences and constantly having them see my content directs viewers to all different sectors of EmilyOandBows. Whether my content directs them to the website to buy a hosting gift or to my Instagram for inspiration, it’s about spreading my message. I have a podcast as well! However, creating the book which is a bit more concrete than social media, since its ever-changing, has been a great experience. 

What message are you looking to send with your content? 

My content has become very family-oriented during the years which is not what I started off doing. I am the middle daughter of three girls. My mom is the queen of hosting, fashion, and home decor. I love sharing my family in my content whether they come on my podcast or I show my mom’s tablescape in a reel. I’ve loved leaning into this feminine family-style content. 

What does a typical day in your life look like? 

Recently, it’s been kind of all over the place with my new book. But typically, I spend my days shooting content for myself or brand partners. I always record my podcast on Mondays to ensure it’s up on Tuesdays. I also do a lot of sourcing for my website to make sure that we offer high-quality products. I have a lot of packages in my basement and am constantly making trips to the UPS store. It’s very hands-on and I love seeing my website grow literally out of my home.  

You’ve partnered with some of the biggest name brands such as Nordstrom, Steve Madden, J. Crew, etc. How were you able to establish these relationships? 

Organically! Over the years, I’ve always posted about brands I love and it caught their attention, leading to authentic partnerships. I try to only share content about companies I genuinely love. My followers know that I live and breathe J.Crew, so it was nice for the brand to recognize that and allow me to create something organic for my audience.  

You have a coffee table book titled Coyne Collection out now! What can you tell us about it? 

It was something that happened very randomly. My family and I didn’t set out to write a coffee table book and sell it. My mom, grandma, and I actually started writing it during COVID. My mom had actually published a book when she was younger, so she had an understanding of how it worked. This process went on for a long time, but eventually, my Grandma said “someone has to finish this!” So, we had many different photoshoots and worked with an amazing editorial company to bring our vision to life. The tagline is “A Family Living Life to The Fullest.” It’s an all-encompassing read about style and entertaining. 

How was writing a book different from your other media pursuits? 

I’ve never done this before so it was a lot of figuring out what to do publishing-wise. My mom definitely spearheaded the process and connected us with the right publisher. It was so interesting to see the process of creating the book layout. It was a great experience that I feel lucky to have had at such a young age. 

Lastly, what are your plans this holiday season? 

We love the holidays around here! I don’t live at home but I already helped my mom put the tree up at my parent’s house. We are looking forward to having all of my family together while everyone is in town. It’s very magical and relaxing.