I met Jordan from The Ocean Minded (TOM) on Instagram… how crazy is that?! There’s just something about her that just draws you in. After absorbing + obsessing over her content for quite some time, we fell into a group chat together with a few other like-minded bloggers via Instagram.

Jordan (The Ocean Minded) and I immediately hit it off which made me so happy.

Little does she know, I look up to her and her advice so much. She’s five years older than me and has so much wisdom on life. Jordan is so encouraging and makes you feel less alone when dealing with your expectations versus your reality. Her relatable content and branding keeps you coming back.

With that said, please welcome one of my favorite bloggers – Jordan from The Ocean Minded.

1. Tell us all about yourself! Give us your whole life story 🙂 

Hi, I’m Jordan. Also known as The Ocean Minded (TOM) on the ‘gram. I am a 30 year old (very single) girl living in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. I went to California State University, Fresno from 2008-2012 and studied Mass Communications and Journalism with an emphasis in advertising and have been working full time as a content marketing manager since. It’s been really cool to see influencer marketing evolve both as a marketer and as an influencer, and it’s an industry I’m really passionate about.

When I’m not working, I’m doing something active outdoors, at the beach, sipping on spicy skinny margaritas, on a Bumble date, traveling, wine tasting, writing or reading, online shopping, or taking photos. My love language is quality time, so I am a big fan of being around friends and family, but also appreciate my alone time. I grew up swimming competitively and playing water polo, and am a big water enthusiast. I am happiest when I’m in, on, or near the ocean— hence The Ocean Minded. 

2. What made you want to start a blog (The Ocean Minded)?

I was working for an e-commerce swimwear company as a marketing manager from 2013-2019 and I worked with bloggers and influencers as part of my role. One day I was reading an article from a blogger we worked with on a campaign and there were so many typos and grammatical errors. I thought, “you literally have one job, and you can’t even write well or proofread your work?” I have always loved writing and knew I could do it better than some of the big career bloggers, so I did. 

It’s also worth noting that I had a blog in 2012 right out of college called “Overdressed and Underemployed”— the world’s longest URL— which talked about the struggles of finding a job after graduating. It was before blogging really took off and I had no idea what I was doing, plus at 22 years old happy hour took priority over blogging, so I ended up shutting it down a few months after it launched. 

3. What do you think your audience comes to you for? Give us every detail!

I’m a lifestyle blogger, but more importantly an open book, and have always prided myself on keeping it very real and honest. Sometimes I think I’m an oversharer, because I would literally tell my life story to a stranger at a bar. I’m not your typical influencer that’s constantly pushing products to their audience, so I doubt they’re coming to me for the newest, hottest face wash. I think my content resonates with them because I’m relatable. I’m doing life just like they are, but with cute clothes. 

4. In the last month, I’ve witnessed your relationship with yourself grow so much. What motivated you to go all in on yourself and make a change?

When I graduated college eight years ago I weighed the most I had ever weighed in my life (142lbs at 5’3”), and when I lost 20 pounds I swore I would never let myself get that unhealthy again. I got really into fitness in 2013 and started running a ton, joined an adult swim team, did a dozen half marathons, and dabbled in triathlons. I grew to really love cardio, and would always fit it in regardless of my schedule.

In 2019, I was closing in on that post-college weight again. I had lost sight of why I fell in love with cardio and working out just wasn’t a priority for me anymore. I was bloated all the time, was always tired, and just felt really unhealthy. My confidence had tanked and it was affecting everything in my life— I dreaded taking pictures, I didn’t feel comfortable on dates, and I was eating unhealthy because I had a very unhealthy mindset. By my 30th birthday in May I knew something had to change, and I had to commit to myself again. 

5. What did you get out of the accountability program “All In by Tedi”? Was it worth it?

All In by Teddi Mellencamp taught me a lot about commitment and accountability. You are assigned an accountability coach who is with you everyday of the program, checking in and cheering you on. I always lacked self-control when it came to food, and discipline when it came to working out, so I knew this program was going to be a good fit for me. I know how to lose weight, but I needed someone to motivate me to actually do it. All In helped shift my mindset so that I could prioritize myself again. I’m not going to lie, it’s very expensive, but it was 100% worth it in my opinion. Committing to yourself, and your health, is priceless. 

6. What long-lasting changes have you implemented in your life that were learned from the program?

It changed my life, honestly. It changed my entire perspective on eating for fuel versus eating for comfort. Before going All In I would eat Taco Bell when I was happy, when I was sad, or quite frankly when I was bored— it was a big comfort thing. And I was overeating, all day every day. The accountability program helped me dial that back in and taught me a lot about balance and portion size. I still meal prep based on the program’s meal plans even though I don’t have an accountability coach anymore. But I think the biggest takeaway from going All In is that it helped me fall in love with cardio again.

My body has always thrived off of cardio, and making it a priority and commitment to myself has been a game changer. Now if I have a busy day, I’ll wake up an hour earlier to get my hour of cardio in. I block it out on my calendar or to-do list just like I would a deadline for work. It has become a non-negotiable for me. 

7. Let’s talk about dating! I love how open and honest you are about it… give all of my single ladies some advice for dating during covid-19!

Dating during COVID has been wild. I probably didn’t even open my dating apps for the first 3 months of the pandemic because it seemed pointless— I’m not a big FaceTimer so a virtual date was not appealing to me. And I’m not going to lie, I got pretty dang lonely. All my friends were quarantined with their significant others and I was at home binging Grey’s Anatomy for the 2846724 time by myself. In July, when outdoor dining opened back up in California, I started warming up to the idea of dates again. I’ve probably been on 6-8 dates since then, and it’s been nice. My advice would be to do what feels right. If you meet someone you’re interested in, take a chance and go. You never know what could happen!

8. You recently wrote a blog post about turning 30…and I loved how vulnerable you were. Read the post here. How can we stop putting so much pressure on ourselves for accomplishing different goals at a certain age? 

In college I definitely thought I’d be married with two kids by 25, and I was actually way more bummed to turn 25 than I was when I turned 30. In my opinion, self-proclaimed timelines force you to settle. That’s just something I’ve learned with age. Sure, I probably could have married my long-time boyfriend at 25, but I’d already be divorced. I would have been settling for the sake of a timeline.

I have always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and what’s meant for you won’t pass you by. It’s a hard pill to swallow when your life isn’t where you thought it would be, but you don’t want to rush something that you want to last forever. You still have plenty of time. Focus on yourself and be open to any opportunities— whether that be relationships, careers, or living situations— that come your way. Everyone says their 30s were their best years, so I’m embracing it and ready for what’s to come. 

9. What did you learn about your twenties and do you have any advice for us twenty-somethings navigating this crazy decade?

My twenties were definitely where I found myself, who I am and who I want to be. I learned that it’s okay to say no to things, that my worth isn’t determined by strangers, and that opening up a new credit card to buy a $250 bikini for the 4th of July is a bad idea. My advice to twenty-somethings trying to navigate life in our new norm is to embrace your mistakes and know that you don’t have to have it all figured out. You have plenty of time, enjoy the ride. 

10. How do you balance two careers?

I actually think I balanced two careers much better pre-pandemic. Before COVID I was commuting into San Francisco 4 days a week and was on the train for 2 hours total each day. I would use that time on the train to write and edit blogs, post to Instagram, respond to DMs, pitch myself to new brands, edit photos, and reply to emails. So essentially it was an 11 hour work day for me everyday, but I was okay with it. On the weekends I’d squeeze in a shoot day when I could with 7-10 different outfits so that I’d have content for the next week or two. To be honest, my time management was much better when I was busier because I had to force myself to be productive in order to do it all. There was no other option.

Now I try to give myself hard deadlines on my to-do list and will write blogs or reply to messages while I walk outside or ride my stationary bike for an hour. It’s all about multitasking and time management, but it helps that I love what I do. 

11. What’s a ‘day in the life’ look like for you?

I generally wake up around 6:00, turn on Spotify and make coffee, and spend the next hour or two writing a blog (either for TOM or for my 9-5 job). My brain feels fresher in the mornings, so it’s easier for me to write. Then I check my work and personal emails. The next eight hours are boring: I do my 9-5 job (I’m a content marketing manager for a tech start-up) which usually consists of too many Zoom meetings that could have been emails, writing content or top-editing blogs, emails, or landing pages, wrangling our freelance writers, curating and scheduling social posts, and planning our content calendars.

Now that I’m working from home, my lunch breaks are reserved for watching Friends, running errands, cleaning the apartment, posting a few Instagram stories, or working out. After I log off from work I’ll generally do my hour of cardio if I haven’t already, wrap up any lingering blog stuff, and watch Netflix. I’m always in bed by 9:30 (definitely not a night owl). 

12. What’s your favorite healthy snack?

Right now I’m really into mini sweet peppers, with a little Kite Hill chive almond milk “cream cheese”, and everything but the bagel seasoning— thanks TikTok. 

13. Biggest self-care tip?

I love ice-rolling and following up with a good face mask from the fridge. I also need my nails done every two weeks, my hair done every 8 weeks, Botox every 4-6 months, and a microblading touch up every year. Basically, I love all things self-care. Do what makes you feel good. 

14. Favorite beauty product? And Why?

I have my brows microbladed (game changer), so my favorite beauty product is probably a nude lipstick. I could slap on some tinted moisturizer, curl my eyelashes, put on lipstick and feel put together.  My top two favorites are; Lawless Satin Luxe Classic Cream Lipstick in Wedding Day, and MAC Lipstick in Blankety. 

15. Where can everyone find you?

You can stalk me on Instagram @theoceanminded, or follow along on my blog www.theoceanminded.com

Shop The Ocean Minded Faves Below

+ Shylah here! If you enjoyed this conversation with The Ocean Minded, check out my interview with The Balanced Blonde here and Ava Johana here.

If you want to shop mine and The Ocean Minded fave $29.99 workout set, click here.