Hi, friends. Welcome to the Life with Loverly podcast. I’m Brittany, a wife, mom, and lifestyle entrepreneur here to help you discover your best daily style and encourage you to try new things when getting dressed each day. I took a tiny following on social media and turned it into a community of over one million amazing women, and I am so glad you’re here. I’ll be sharing my heart with you beyond the 15 seconds on Instagram, so we’ll be diving into things like personal growth, friendships, motherhood, marriage, and of course, the business of blogging. Really, this space is here to serve as your go-to resource to building a life you adore while sprinkling some kindness to others along the way. Grab an iced coffee and let’s do life together. I’m Brittany, and this is the Life With Loverly podcast. Hi, friends. Welcome back to the Life with Loverly Podcast. Today’s episode feels like one of those soul-feeling conversations you have over a cup of coffee with someone who just gets it. I’m sitting down with Brooke Jensen, who you probably know as the Broke Brooke on Instagram, a blogger, mom of two, former CPA, and content creator growing her following through sharing her fashion and home finds. I’ve known Brooke for a while and just love anytime I get a chance to chat with her. In today’s episode, we’re talking about how her husband encouraged her to step into the content creation world, what it means to have a style that feels like you, and how to navigate phone boundaries with our children. Brooke is also sharing the reality behind building a brand, and of course I’m asking her about her go-to outfits that keep her going in this crazy season of life. Brooke will feel like one of your best friends after listening to this episode. She’ll encourage your mama heart and inspire your personal dreams. Here’s my conversation with Brooke Jensen. Hi, friends. Welcome back to today’s episode of the Life with Loverly podcast. I have one of my friends who I have known for the last several years and have just loved getting to know even more. Brooke Jensen is on the podcast today. Hey, Brooke.

Hi.

How’s it going?

I am so excited to be here. Truly, I have followed along with you since the very beginning, and so it’s surreal that I’m on here today.

Oh my gosh. Well, I remember when I texted you and was like, “Hey, want to maybe come on the podcast?” I feel like you were like, “I’m sorry, did you send this to the wrong person?”

I asked my husband, I was like, “Why did you want me?”

Well, after this episode, our listeners will understand why I asked you because you’re full of lots of great information and I’m just excited to dig a little bit back into the starting of the Broke Brooke and all of this. So it’s going to be a really great episode. I’m very happy to have you on board.

I am so excited.

Okay. You guys just got back from a trip. Y’all were in California?

We were, yes. Andrew’s brother just moved out there not too long ago. His wife is from California, and so now it’s just the perfect excuse for us to have somewhere to go. It’s beautiful. They’re in Newport Beach. And so we popped over to Disney for one day and I was like, “This is just amazing.” And it’s the time of year in California where I wore a sweatshirt most of the day when we were at Disney World. It was awesome.

Yeah. Anytime I’ve been to California in the summer, well, it depends on what part of California, but I’ve always been so shocked with how you do kind of need some layers.

Yeah, you do. Well, and that’s why I came back and because here it’s just humid immediately in June. And I was like, now I understand why brands make summer sweatshirts.

Right?

I never had that.

I know. Well, and you guys were just in Nantucket a few weeks ago, which I’m still really sad that I was not able to be there this year.

No, I hope that you can come with us again next year. We’re going to change the timing a little bit, but it was amazing. I worked with, so La Luxury Travel and then Nantucket Hotel. We just kind of decided that creators needed this space to get together. And I mean, that’s how you and all these conversations that happen on the side. And so we brought in some amazing brands and we branded it as Tastemaker Travels. And so we brought all these people to Nantucket and it was truly amazing. Everybody was awesome. We just truly connected and it was such a great trip.

It looked like everybody was having the time of their lives, and it seemed like all of the brands that were part of it were also having so much fun. It just felt like, wow, this is what an influencer community gathering.

Absolutely. Well, and that’s why I’m like, it was very organic because I felt like everybody that came, we have similar interests, we share similar content. The brands that we work with are very similar. And so all of these were just a very natural fit because we’re always posting about those brands. Totally. It was a pinch me that we made it all happen. We were kind of like, “Is this going to be a fire festival? And we’re going to get people there.” And that was kind of our running joke that we were like, “Are we really going to be able to pull this off?” And yes, it was so much fun.

Okay. Yeah. So I had drinks with Beth and Charlie when I was in Palm Beach and they were just raving about how much fun they had. And just even the little hiccups of the weather and things that were so out of y’all’s control and how everybody was just like, “It doesn’t matter. We’re having the best time hanging out. Doesn’t matter. Yeah, I will be there next time. So hold my spot.”

We would love to have you.

Okay. So let’s talk a little bit about Dillard’s.

Oh my God.

I know that you’re working right now on Christmas for this holiday, right?

We are, yes. Yeah. Dillard’s has been truly another pinch me just part of this whole trajectory that I can’t even believe happened. So I grew up in a small town and it’s called Salina, Kansas, and it’s not like there’s a lot of things to be able to go do. And so Dillard’s was where my mom and I went to go shop. And when I found out I was pregnant with a girl, I had gone home to tell my parents. And the first thing that we did is my mom and I went out to Dillard’s and we bought a little girl outfit in Edgehill collection. And so then when all of this came full circle, I told Alexandra, I was like, “That is the first outfit that I ever bought for Charleston.” And the fact that I get to design a collection for Edgehill is just, I mean, it’s just icing on the cake. It was truly amazing.

Talk about a full circle moment.

I know.

Something that was so just important and a really special thing for you and your mom to go do, and then your daughter to be able to wear that to now you’re designing a collection. Not even the first one, this is what, the second, third? One?

Yeah. We did one for spring and Easter last year, and this one is holiday and there’s a little bit of Thanksgiving and then holiday and it is, oh my goodness, it turned out so special.

Yeah.

Can’t wait for you to see it.

Any of the little behind the scenes or sneaks that you’ve done, I’m just like, oh my goodness, I can’t wait to see the full thing. And I feel like right now, Dillard’s is doing such an amazing job working with influencers, partnering, making the partnerships that they’re doing, whether it’s women or children, they are all so elevated and chic.

They are so elevated, chic, and the quality is amazing at Dillard’s. And that’s what I think people didn’t realize that. And it’s been really, really cool too. So the influencer partner is Alexandra Dillard Delucci, and her father is running Dillard’s right now. And so she has been the mastermind behind-

Yeah.

All of this that she came in and she decided that they needed to get influencers on board. And it’s been amazing because every collection I personally am so excited for, I go shop. And I know I’m like every single one. And it’s introduced me to people that I wasn’t necessarily following before.

Totally. Same.

And they’ve all brought something different, but so special.

I agree. I was thinking the other day, I was with some of the girls on my team and we were just talking about some of just where to find certain pieces and how I’m always like, “Oh, well, I feel like I always go to Dillard’s and they’re my fallback. I will find something there.” And we were kind of looking through some of their new arrivals and it just reminded me a few of the pieces I’ve had from them over the years are ones I keep in my closet to re-wear. It’s not like the, “Oh, well, I’ll pass this or give it to a friend or whatever.” It’s like, “No, I want that has a memory in my head with some event I wore it to and I don’t want to pass it up.” But I feel like that’s just their quality is just really great.

It’s really great. And the prices are such at a point that I feel like you’re getting this luxury at something that a lot more people is accessible.

Totally.

Which is exactly what I’m always looking for.

Exactly. I know. Okay, so let’s go back a little bit. When you were at the Big Four as a CPA, were you still a fashion lover? Tell me a little bit about working before this.

What’s so crazy is I was in my. So you do four years of accounting and then you have to go back for one more year of your master’s, and that is where you get enough credits to be able to sit for the CPA exam. And I remember my friend, Katie Cox, and we were sitting at our living room and we were studying for the CPA and she was like, “You have to come look at this.This is so cool.” And we were looking at Julia and Atlantic Pacific, and that was back in 2010, 2011. And I remember, and we were like, “I wish I could do something like this.” And I just was like, “That’s just not in the cards for me. That would never happen. It never happened.” And so that’s another point that I’m like, “Oh my goodness, how did I get here? Because I can’t believe that.” But yes, so to answer your question, I have always loved fashion and I was reading them since the very beginning. And it was what I would do in my

Yeah.

Free time.

Yeah, totally. I mean, I really feel like those two bloggers, essentially, back when it was people at blogs, they were some of the original girls that really kicked off this people starting to be curious like, “Wait a second, this seems really cool.” So I totally get that. So then what was the transition from being a CPA to stepping into the influencer space? How did that process go? What did that look like?

Well, so I laughed because my husband, Andrew, is a man of many hobbies. He’s a urologist, but he also, he got into photography, he got into archery, he got into backpacking. And so he was in his photography phase and he was trying to take pictures and learn how to do this. And he was always trying to take my picture. And I was like, “Stop taking my picture. This is so awkward. I do not want my picture taken.” And he was like, “You need to become a blogger.” And I was like, “I could never do that. I’m so awkward. I can’t take photos.” And he was just like, “Let me try. Please just let me try to take a photo of you.” And so I just went for it and it’s awkward in the beginning.

Yeah. You’re like, why? I mean, I remember being in public and then Chris taking pictures and people walk by and I’m like, “Oh, sorry. Awkward.”

I know. And now people know what it is. I mean, it’s still kind of cringe because it’s influencers in the wild, but back then people just really did not. I mean, they’d be like, “What are you taking a picture of? Oh, are you taking senior photos?” And I’m like, “Do I look like I’m taking photos?”

Honored that you think that.

But thank you.

I know. Thinking back to the amount of dumpsters, the doors that would cover a dumpster, the amount of photos I have in front of something like that just as a plain background, I’m like,

I know.

Oh my gosh.

Oh my goodness. But then sometimes I do miss those days sometimes because I felt like it was more creative freedom. And now sometimes it can feel like a rat race. And so you kind of have to step back from that.

Totally. So then like what gave you the courage to say yes to starting your blog?

I kind of just decided to go for it. I also think age with age comes more maturity and you just don’t care as much what people think of you. And it always makes me scared for those younger ones starting out because when I was 18 years old, I did care what people thought of me and I don’t think I would’ve ever put myself out there. And I think once you get older, you kind of just get like, “I’m going to do what makes me happy.” And then at some point, if you don’t like this, then you don’t have to follow.

Totally. That’s so true.

So now I’m like, “Well, I love it.” And so I just have to go forward with it.

Yeah, totally. Okay. So how did you come up with the name The Broke Brooke?

Well, back in the day, I feel like everybody had to have a catchy name. There was no just name blogs. Everybody had something that they came up with. And so Andrew came up with that Broke Brooke because we were in residency and I had quit my job to stay at home with Charleston. So we were broke.

Broke.

I mean, I’ve always loved. And he had all the student loans from residency. So back in the day when it started, yeah, it was full on. And now I’m like, now maybe it’s transitioning more to broke from shopping.

Yeah.

Well, it’s funny.

I feel like I take it like that. I’m like the Broke Brooke because she’s going to make you go broke with all of her free time.

All of her finds. I was like, okay, well, it still kind of works both ways. But no, I feel like even I always though have loved mixing high and low. My mom and I growing up, we would go into nice shops and buy certain pieces, but then we loved going to Target and Walmart and finding random things because she’s always instilled in me that you can find a good bargain and a good sale anywhere.

Totally.

So we’ve always done a mixture of both, I think.

Yeah. Well, and I think that’s what is so captivating, just knowing you over the past few years and consuming your content is some of the pieces that you find, they are like, “Wait, this is $39 from Amazon?That looks like the $300 something.” And so I think people really trust your fines knowing that that’s something that you do like the higher price point items, but then there’s times where you can find something that’s a little bit more affordable and what’s that in between?

Absolutely. Well, and that’s why I’m like, just because something costs so much more doesn’t always mean that it’s better quality.

Totally.

Sometimes my $15 fines are equally as good, if not better than the 300 plus fines. So I think it’s always just about mixing and finding that really good balance. But I also want people to know that having good style and dressing well doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You can really gather some great pieces on a budget.

I agree. And I also think it’s how you carry yourself when you’re wearing these pieces. I mean, you can look great in a Target dress if you’ve got the right accessories paired with it. And if your confidence level, I think that helps shine so much more than a name brand.

Absolutely. Well, and I think the other thing that people sometimes miss out is when you take those clothes that maybe are less expensive, it’s the steaming them or the ironing them because they don’t always come looking the best. The tip is like, get a steamer, get that $15 steamer off Amazon and it will change your life.

Literally. Well, and it’s so funny because I do think sometimes the Amazon packaging can scare people. You take it out of its freezer zip.

And it’s like, let’s unravel this.

You’re like, “What did I really get here?” But once you give it a little love and steam it out or iron or whatever, it is like, “Okay, I can see where this has potential.” So that’s a really great tip. And to us, I feel like it’s so second nature because things come out of packages, we’re steaming all the time, but that’s not always the case for some though.

And yeah, it’s not. But I think it’s also something that my husband always thought that I was crazy when we got married because I iron everything. And he’s like, “What? You were wasting so much time doing this.” And I’m like, “No, it looks a million times better when these things are ironed.” And my mom has always been a person that irons clothes

Yeah.

And my dad, and that’s just what we do.

Yeah. Listen, you’re nice and pressed and everything is looking good. Has there ever been a moment where you felt discouraged or overlooked because your content maybe wasn’t “curated”?

Actually, I feel like I have had to go the opposite direction. I feel like if I would’ve leaned into the video and the not perfected aesthetic images, I think that I probably could have grown a lot faster in that time period. I think I was stuck on the pretty photos and nobody wants that anymore. They want authentic, they want real life, they want what you’re really doing. And so I think I probably hurt myself by being too judgmental of my own.

I am right there with you though. But I just love a. I like to consume a pretty feed and see the cohesiveness together. To me, that’s like, ooh, that’s inspiring. Whereas I think not everybody obviously feels that way and they just want to be related. I want to feel relatable. But I don’t know, I’m slowly starting to give that up a little bit and it’s been kind of really hard.

I know that’s what it was for me too. And then it was kind of when I was let go is when I really grew more.

Yeah.

And so that was then reassuring to me that I was like, okay, okay, people really do like this, even though it’s just me. I’m not necessarily putting this out there for me to consider my pretty pictures of other people. And so if this is not what they want, then I guess I need to re-look

Yeah.

At what I’m putting out there.

Well, and it’s interesting too, because for so long I was like, well, brands want to. I want when a brand comes to my profile to see this is what they can expect to get. But I think if you have sales, they’re also like, great, that’s where we’re going to check the box.

Yeah, I think that was a big shift seeing that just on LTK because now, I mean, that’s all brand’s number one focus pretty much. The economy’s been tough for everybody and they have people to report to. And so I think that sales are just, that’s how they’re going to prove to their team that these marketing efforts are worthwhile.

Totally. I watched this reel today that was talking about influencer marketing and how it is becoming more popular than the traditional marketing. And the influencer ad spend is projected to be at $33 billion in 2025. And just how they want. Consumers just don’t trust the traditional methods of marketing and how brands are spending so much more money getting real people to share real content, which is so fascinating because I feel like sometimes people will be like, oh, but don’t you think the influencer industry is going away? And I’m like, no. I don’t think so. At all.

Uh-uh. No, because there’s just no way that. Well, and two people can take the same Walmart outfit, style it completely different ways and share it to two totally different audiences. And they’re never going to be able to replicate that and give that the trust of me telling them like, “Oh my goodness, this really is amazing quality.”

Totally.

And people trust that judgment that creators have. I hope that I’m not going anywhere.

Yeah. No, I feel pretty confident that we’re going to. It is going to be interesting though when I feel like some of us who are on the older side of the influencer industry, whenever we’re like, “You know what? I think I want to retire.” What is that? Are we just going to get on stories one day and be like –

I’m done.

This is it! I mean, is that how it works? I don’t know. There haven’t really been a lot of. I’ve seen a few people that have sort of been like, “I’m taking a break,” and then they just don’t ever come back. But I’m like, “What is that process looking like? Is there going to be a big retirement party your followers is going to buy?” I mean, I don’t know.

I don’t know. Someday I’m going to come and I’ll come and I’ll get you balloons and we’ll have a retirement party.

Oh my gosh, that’s so funny. Okay, so let’s talk a little bit about building a business because one thing I think that people don’t realize is so many of us just didn’t really intend to be business owners when we started, but because we have to pay taxes, you have to start a business, and it’s this whole thing that sometimes we’re not even capable of doing. Okay, so how did you start learning the business side of influencing? Today I’m partnering with Nourish, and I’m genuinely so excited to share this with you. If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve worked with a dietician and it’s been a total game changer for my overall health and wellness. That’s what I love what Nourish is doing. They connect you with a registered dietician covered by insurance in 94% of cases, which means most people pay $0 out of pocket for completely personalized support. Whether you’re working on gut health, balancing hormones, or just trying to feel more energized, Nourish makes expert care easy and accessible, all from the comfort of your own home. You can head to usenourish.com/leverlygray or tap the link in the show notes to get started. Trust me, this is such a powerful step towards feeling your best.

So obviously I went into this 1000% as a hobby, and I still go back to when I started it in my mind, I thought the day this becomes not fun anymore, I will go back and I will do something else. I have never gotten to that point because it’s truly such a blessing. And I think of so many times in my life that I’m like, I have the freedom to go see my kids’ stuff during the middle of the day. I have the freedom to go. When my cousin was sick, I could go see her during the middle of this. And I’m like, there’s so many things that if I had a normal job and back to that life of when I had a CPA, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this. So all of that, I think that I try to keep it as just sharing things that I love. And then I quickly realized that I’m like, okay, this actually could be a business. And I think that I already just, I knew how to run it as a business because I was a CPA and I had looked at so many businesses. And so those thoughts were always in my head. I love an Excel spreadsheet. I love analytics.

I need to get Chris over here because he would be like, “See, it’s possible.”

Let’s talk about it! And so I think that I always though about it as then as soon as I realized that I’m like, “Okay, I’m making money, so I got to figure out what write-offs do I have? I need to figure out how to expense this and I need to know the proper ways of doing all of that to make it economically successful.” And then as it’s gone along too, I mean, every time you do this, it is taking away time from your family. And so now you really do have to run it like a business because it takes so much time that people have no idea.

It’s wild how much is happening behind the scenes of every post. Of every post.

And so I think about that and I’m like, I have sacrificed a lot of time being at things just because it takes so much to run a business that I have to run it as economically successful as I can, things that I’m doing.

Totally. Okay. So what shifted when you started sharing more about kids’ clothing?

I think that it was a natural progression for me. And I think it’s funny because I feel like I’m one of the older bloggers also out there. And so I think now there’s a lot of people that share families because they’ve gotten a little older and started having children. But I think that that was truly the turning point for me is sharing kids’ clothing, sharing. Well, I found a passion for children’s clothing and I love it. And just sharing all their little finds. And that was just where I was at daily. I remember during COVID, I mean, I was home with Charleston every day, all day. And so I just started sharing, what am I doing to entertain her? What am I feeding her with? What are we playing with? And it did so much better than even just my normal fashion content. And there were so many other people in that same boat. And I think that’s the thing about all of this is that sometimes I think to myself, am I too old to be here? What is that movie that is, am I too old to be here?

Oh my gosh. She’s pregnant and she’s with her sister. What is that?

I am totally blank.

Knocked up. Knocked up.

But then I think, well, because as I get older, my audience will get older too.

Totally. It’s so true. I think about that. The people who started following me when I was working in corporate and sharing work wear, they have evolved and they’ve gotten raises since then. So maybe they’re still looking for those They’re good finds, but they’re willing to spend a little bit more now. I mean, you do have followers who are on that same path with you. If you asked your kids, what does mommy do for work? What do you think they would say?

I actually asked this to Charlie recently because when we were doing summer and I was like, “Mommy has to work.” And she was like, “Huh?” I was like, “Mommy has a lot of work to do.” And I was like, “What do you think I do for a living?” She was like, “You don’t know what you do for a living? I know, but I just want to hear what you think I do.” And she goes, “Collabs? I hear you talk about collabs. I don’t know.” I was like, “Okay.”

That’s hilarious. You’re like, “Yes, I do that.”

I do that. And then she’s like, “I don’t know. I see photos on Instagram, but is that just for fun? Do you just like to post us?” And I was like, “Yeah, sure.”‘

I know. My kids are like, “You take pictures for your job.” And I’m like, “Yep. Yep.

That is what it is.” But yeah, I think also coming through this process, I’m like, “She’s never getting a phone.”

Oh my gosh, literally.

I’m never giving you a phone. But then it also terrifies me how she can take my phone and it’s so intuitive to her. She can pick it up.

She can do the code. She can swipe around. She’ll always be like, “Can I text Nana?” And I’m like, “No, you don’t get to touch my phone.”

Well, and she’s in first grade and they have typing homework. And so she’s already learned how to type. And she’ll text my mom from this computer when she gets to do her typing homework. And I’m like, “Oh my gosh.” And I’m like, “Ugh.” And then I was just like, “Okay, we’ve got to reel this back in.”

I know.

Really? And she’s like, “So do I ever get a phone?” And I was like, “Not till you’re in college.”

Yeah. I told the kids the other day, they were like, “Well, when did you get a phone?” And I was like, “Well, when I turned 15, Nana and Papa got me a phone, but it was different than what you guys have.” And I was like, “I think probably when you’re 15, we’ll maybe think about giving you a phone then too.” And so she walked in the other day and she was like, “I’m 15. Can I have a phone yet?” And I was like, “Oh my gosh.”

Oh my gosh. No, no.

I’m just very grateful that God knows what he’s doing with having our kids grow up in the generation that they are growing up with. That is not lost on me that they are here for a purpose and for a reason, even when it feels hard and doesn’t make sense to us. And I just have to trust that we are going to be solid parents and lead them in the right direction. But it is kind of scary sometimes, just things that they see and hear and learn. And it’s just wild.

I think that the biggest thing is Adria and I have talked about is that we just can’t be naive to it. You can’t be naive to any of it because I’m just always going to assume the worst of it we’re going to bring it back.

I know. It is wild. Okay. So coming back to a little bit more style related questions, what does style mean to you today? Not just as a blogger, but as a woman and as a mom.

I think style means being able to get up and put on something that just makes you feel your best and makes you the best version of yourself. And I think for me, sometimes people always joke that I love a statementeering. I don’t know why. You do. I just love a statementeer. I just think it makes my outfit fun. And so just putting on things that accentuate and makes you feel good in your own skin is, I mean, there’s just nothing better. And so I think helping people with that, because I’ve always loved clothes. I mean, since the moment I was little, my mom and I loved going shopping, but I think there are so many people out there that they hate it. They hate shopping for things. They don’t know what looks good on them. And so when I get a message and somebody says, oh my goodness, they’ll send me a picture of some of it and they’re like, “I wore that dress you suggested and I just felt amazing.” And that just, oh, it just makes my heart hurt because the fact that I could help somebody find that, it seems inconsequential, but it’s so great that you can help a woman feel good about themselves.

Yeah. No, I totally agree with you. Okay. What are your top five go-to clothing pieces right now that make you feel good?

I love a dress in all seasons. I don’t know why I was talking to my friend about this. I have a hard time with jeans because I think my weight fluctuates. And so I’m like, sometimes it’s hard for me to find the right pair. And so a dress just always makes me feel put together. It can be flowy, loose, comfortable. I love a good handbag, something that. Well, and that’s the other thing is I would always say a good tip is whether it’s a good neutral shoe or a great handbag, it can elevate any outfit that you put on, whether it’s athleisure or not, and just some great jewelry that you love. I think it goes back to it’s not necessarily what’s trendy, but it’s just pieces that you truly love and make you feel good.

Yeah. Well, and I think you don’t have to. If you like color and you feel like that is exciting for you, that’s great. But sometimes just wearing the basics in your closet, but putting those accessories on, feeling confident in the shoes or the bags that you’ve chosen, that’s also enough. There’s a few girls that I’ve recently followed on Instagram and I feel like everything that they’re showing is pretty basic. It’s all stuff that everybody has in their closet, but it’s the way they’re wearing it or the way they’ve tucked it or the jewelry they’re layering that I’m like, “That looks so much more elevated than just she put on a white tea and barrel jeans.” It’s like the way she made it work. But one thing I’ve talked about before, and I think you would agree with me, it does take a little bit of time to invest in. Even if you hate shopping, even if you hate you want to find some pieces that are good for you, it does take a little bit of time to just do that for yourself, figure out what are those pieces that I will feel confident in, and just spend the time finding that out so that later when you’re like, “I don’t have anything to wear,” you always know, “Well, that one set always makes it –

Looks good.

I’m going to pull for that.”

Yes. Yeah. And that’s why I think there’s just so many events now I feel like that people go to and we’ve got school plays and we’ve got this and that, and our life is just so busy now that there’s so many events that people need things for and they want to feel put together. But yeah, taking that time to just really figuring out your own body. And I always know when I’m looking on websites, I’m like, if I have a special event and I’m like, oh, I love that dress, but that’s just not going to look good. I know of it. I think figuring out what your body type looks good is truly half the battle. And once you figure that out, you kind of just know what to search for and look for.

Yeah, that’s so true. Okay. What would you say is one of your most recent Amazon purchases that you’ve been like, “Oh my gosh, this is so good.”

I purchased this perfume on Amazon. I think you can get it other places, but I randomly bought it on Amazon. And every time I wear it, somebody compliments me and I’m like, “Okay, I’ve never been complimented on smelling good.”

That’s so funny.

Now that I’ve been wearing this, it’s like this Mason day. I have to find it. I can’t even. It’s like a French. And every single time I wear it, somebody says, “Oh, you smell nice.” And I’m like-

Okay.

“Okay, I’m going to start wearing this every day now.”

Oh my gosh. I love a random Amazon find that you’re like, “Hopefully this works,” and you get it and you’re like, “This is the best thing ever.”

This is the best thing ever. I know. Yeah, I truly. Oh, I was on vacation and somebody was standing and lying to me in the airport and she was like, “You smell so good.” And I was like, “Oh my goodness, thank you.”

I love that. Okay, so we’re going to wrap this up. I’ve got a few questions left. Okay. What is the best piece of advice that you have received?

Oh, so actually, this comes from Amber Vince Box. She always does these podcasts. I know that she’s been on and chatted with you before too. And I think it was something that maybe her dad actually said to her, but it was the fact that when you say yes to something, you should know what you’re also saying no to. And I think that when she explained that, it resonated so much with me because when you’re saying it, and it goes for both personal life and professional, I was always saying yes to so many things because I’m such a people pleaser that sometimes I got bogged down in the business world of blogging because I just wanted to help out every single person that came along. And I was like, “Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.” But then when I’m doing that, I’m not leaving space for some of these really great opportunities that fill my cup. And so I think that you have to think about that constantly every time you’re saying that. Or even I’m going to say yes to this trip to Nantucket, but I have to say no to my kids that week, but that Nantucket trip is really going to fill my cup. And so it’s like you have to find that balance of, well, there is no balance in motherhood, I don’t think. But I think just examining what the yes, no cost benefit is. I don’t know.

Totally. I think once you really start to think about it, it definitely is like, “Huh, okay, I am interested.” It makes you like, “Is that a real yes, yes?” Or is that like, “Actually, I think I’m going to stay home.”

But I think I have been better at saying no to things, and that was both professionally and personally. I just can’t keep up with everything. And I finally let myself just start saying no because I just physically, you’re like, “I can’t do it all.”

Can’t do it all. Yeah.

Can’t do it all. And so I’m like, “Sometimes I have to stay home and I can’t go out with the girls or do something else.” And so I think I learned to say no a little bit more.

No, that’s great advice. What’s one thing you wish you could tell yourself back when you were just getting started?

Just post it.

Yeah.

Just post it. Because I think that I hesitated on so much. And when I look back at some of the greatest things or some of the things that have done the best, things that I almost didn’t even click post on because it was perfect or I didn’t think I had done a good enough job on it. And just post it. Keep going.

I know. Yeah. I think about that all the time. Or even now, I’ll be like, “Oh, I didn’t really love that.” And I’m like, “Okay, in three days, you’re not even going to see this.”

No.

You’re going to be like, “Oh yeah, whatever.” But somebody might love it.

Yeah. Yeah. And also I spend too much time looking at it and being like, “Does this look good?” And other people, they’re just scrolling.

I used to be like, “Which photo should I use first as the cover?” My head is kind of this way or this way. And I’m like, “Well, the last time my head was that way, so I feel like I need to…” Nobody literally chares. Too much time. It’s so funny. Oh gosh, I know. That’s a good one too. Okay, so I ask all of my guests this question at the end of our episodes. What is the most meaningful act of kindness that somebody has extended to you that has had a lasting impact on your life?

So there’s so many things. I think I’m going to go the business route side of this. And I have three things, and they all tie back to community connection and not gatekeeping. I say the first one is when Palm Beach lately, Beth and Danielle, they are such good connectors. They invited me to that event in Palm Beach. I met so many amazing people. I feel like they took a chance on me. They didn’t really know me. And so I feel like they were inclusive, they were fun. And so I’m just extending that invitation. The second one was you and Jess Cathell told me to get connected with the State Five, and that changed my life.

Yes.

The more the better.

Oh my gosh.

And then I have this little deep links group and they shared about deep for the bloggers know about deep linking and stuff. And I think it all goes back to being inclusive and sharing the information with each other. I think that we can all rise together. I think just all of the people that have extended that kindness out to me when you just don’t know what you don’t know. And when people share that information, it’s just invaluable and truly just an act of kindness and have changed my business in so many different ways.

Totally. I love that. It’s so interesting. I feel like there’s times in this business that I can pinpoint. I’m like, “One person gave me this advice and then I tried it and then, oh my goodness, all these things opened up.” And yes, maybe it was a risk on my point, but they wanted to share. They weren’t keeping anything. And so it’s always kind of like a pay it forward. How can I help somebody else with something that really worked with me? And I think that’s what is one thing that’s really beautiful about this industry right now. And I feel like a lot of the people that you were just with in Nantucket are all just very like, “Hey, this is what’s working for me. I tried this.” And I felt like that when we were at Amazon together last year. And just some of the conversations we were having, we were learning so much from other people.

Yes.

So really back to your point on community, it’s so important to just be surrounded by people in this industry that you trust and can lean into because I feel like that’s truly how so many of us have grown over the years.

Absolutely. And just having each other’s back when we bounce ideas off of each other or, “Hey, this isn’t working. What are you doing on this?” And I think just the willingness to share just takes us all so much further.

Totally. That’s so true. Well, Brooke, this has been very exciting. I think my listeners are going to love hearing from you, hearing just how you got started and what brings you passion and what fires you up every day to keep sharing. So I appreciate you joining me on today’s episode.

Oh my goodness. It was truly my honor. I have just loved you forever. And then I have people and they’re like, “Is she really that nice in person?” She is, and she’s better.

That’s so sweet.

So fun to tell people.

I love that. Well, I appreciate that. Tell our listeners where they can find you on Instagram. Everybody’s going to need to follow you right away.

At the Broke Brooke, I was laughing because I’m like, “Should I change my name to Brooke Jensen?” And I did a poll one time and I was like, “Does anybody know my last name?” And they were like, “Nope.”

Literally.

So I guess I’m forever. The Broke Brooke.

The Broke Brooke. Literally, people don’t know that my name’s Brittany, so I feel bad. So funny. Well, Brooke, thank you so much. And you guys are going to love this episode. I’m going to leave links to Brooke’s blog and her Instagram and the show notes so you can just easily pop over and give her a follow. Until next time, friends. Hi, friend. If you’re loving the show, will you go find that follow button on your podcast app? This will ensure that you won’t miss a single episode. I love having you in this community. Until next time. This season of Life with Loverly is produced by Elizabeth Evans Media Productions.