Sitting Pretty with Carly Hill of CarlyAHill.com and Alison Brod Marketing + Communications

It’s been a while since I shared a new ‘Sitting Pretty With’ interview with y’all so I’m extra excited for today’s post! I interviewed one of my favorite girls in the fashion/PR/blogging industry, Carly Hill, for today’s installment of my series. After reading all of Carly’s career advice, fashion tips, and travel inspiration, I know y’all will love her just as much as I do! She’s a true jack of all trades and works harder than just about anyone. Also, if you live in New York City or love seeing NYC pop up on your Instagram, then Carly is a must-follow! She always knows of, goes to, and shares the best restaurants and bars in the city, new and old. She doesn’t miss a beat! Keep reading my posts, Sitting Pretty with Carly Hill of CarlyAHill.com and Alison Brod Marketing + Communications, for a major dose of mid-week inspiration! xx

Name: Carly Hill

Neighborhood: Financial District, NYC

Job: Senior Account Executive on the Influencer Team at Alison Brod Marketing + Communications and founder of CarlyAHill.com

Instagram Handle: @carlyahill

Let’s talk business…

How did you land your job as Senior Account Executive at Alison Brod Marketing + Communications? Can you tell us a little about your career path?

I’ve always loved fashion and knew since high school that I wanted to live in NYC post college. I knew to get there though, I would need to get as much as experience as I could while in college. Since there aren’t many fashion opportunities in Michigan where I’m from, I tried to find as many internships and positions that I could learn from and gain relevant skills. The summer after my freshman year of college, I got an internship at a high-end event planning company in my hometown and continued to intern there for a few summers.

While the internship was not exactly in the fashion field, the skills I learned were directly applicable to the fashion and public relations world—managing budgets, multi-tasking and coordinating with many clients and vendors. During undergrad, I also immersed myself in extracurriculars that were relevant to my career path. I joined—and eventually became editor of—the campus fashion magazine, became social chair of my sorority, and interned in New York City at Oscar de la Renta after my junior year. I began interning for Glitter Guide during my senior year of college, and while it was hard to balance school, a social life, an internship and a part-time job, I was constantly learning and honing my time management and multi-tasking skills; two qualities that are important in any field.

The summer after I graduated college, I stayed home to save money and worked for the event planning company, A Day In May Events, where I had loved interning. Once fall arrived I moved to NYC to live with a family friend and I got a position at a fashion company that was not my ideal job, but helped to build my skills. Three months into working and a week after signing a lease for my first apartment, the company I worked for unexpectedly went out of business and I was instantly out of a job. I began to reach out to my connections again to see if there were any available positions that fit my interests and experience. I connected with someone from ABMC. Before I knew it, this scary unexpected job loss led me to find my dream company and here I am still almost four years later!

Working as a Senior Account Executive sounds so intriguing! What exactly are you doing at Alison Brod?

I work on the Influencer team so I work with almost all our brands across the whole agency, from Draper James to Goop to Old Navy. I help run our different paid and trade influencer programs, bring in influencers to the office to meet with my team and overall, help share about our brands to a range of influencers.

Why is working for a PR, marketing, and communications company important to you?

I love getting to work across so many brands. No day is ever the same and I’m able to work with so many amazing people, whether that’s different women in my office, our clients or the influencers we partner with.

You also run the fashion blog CarlyAHill.com! What motivated you to start your blog?

I learned so much while working for Glitter Guide and finally decided to make the plunge with my own blog after I had been in NYC for almost a year. While I love writing about fashion and beauty, what I love sharing most is about travel and life in NYC. I love being a source for people to find new spots and help make traveling easier (and more fun!). My blog is such a great outlet for me that is all my own and its been so rewarding to be on the other side of the blogging world that I’m used to at my job!

Describe your blog in 3 sentences or less.

Feminine, light-hearted and resourceful (I hope!).

Is there something you know now that you wish you’d known when you started your blog or career?

It’s ok to not do it all! Some days you aren’t going to cross everything off your to-do list but what’s important is to always have goals for yourself and most importantly, have fun along the way!

What is a typical day in the life of Carly?

A typical workday has me heading to the office via subway around 9:30 am. Some mornings I may have a breakfast or workout class before work, with someone for work or for the blog. Once I get to the office, it’s a mix of meetings, working on influencer programs, office brainstorms and lots and lots of emails. Once the day is done around 7 pm, I head to a workout class before heading home. My favorites are Flywheel, Bari Studio and Y7 Yoga. I love being able to put away my phone for a hour and focus on my workout at the end of the day and I’m lucky there are so many amazing studios around the city.

Once I’m back home, I cook dinner (trying to be better about cooking during the week so I can try new spots out on the weekend) and hang out with my roomies. I’m a bit of a night owl so the rest of the night is spent working on the blog, whether writing posts or planning shoots and catching up on my latest Netflix binge.

How do you balance both your blog and your job with Alison Brod?

Plan ahead! I’m constantly writing to-do’s and ideas in my notes on my phone to make sure I don’t forget anything. Some days I’m running around like a crazy person but that’s what I love! I love being busy and most importantly, having two jobs that make me really happy.

What keeps you inspired at work day-in and day-out?

The people I work with. I work with amazing women at my job but I also have met so many people in the blogging world too.

Let’s talk Fashion…

Describe your style in three adjectives.

Classic, feminine and fun.

What are your wardrobe staples?

An oversized blazer, my Chanel flats and a pair of destroyed denim.

If I peeked into your closet, what color would be the most prominent?

I hate to say black like a typical New Yorker but it really does go with everything! I also love color though so you’ll see lots of pops of pink and fun prints and patterns too.

What fashion piece would you splurge on tomorrow if you could?

A classic Chanel bag!

Are there any trends you’re excited about right now?

I love the monochromatic trend, whether head to toe color or all white, I think it’s so chic!

Let’s talk Beauty…

What are your beauty must-haves?

From working in the beauty industry, I’ve become obsessed with skincare. I love to have glowy skin so I love Goop’s Enriching Face Oil, It Cosmetics CC Crème and Laura Geller Body Frosting Bronzer for glowy, bronzed skin.

What perfume do you spritz on as you walk out the door?

Chance by Chanel, my favorite since high school!

What color nail polish are you currently wearing?

Essie in Geranium, its been on my nails all summer!

LET’S TALK DECOR…

Describe your decorating style in three adjectives.

Just like my fashion choices: classic, feminine and fun!

If your mother taught you one trick about interior decorating, what would it be?

Always have fresh flowers in the house! My home growing up always had fresh flowers from our garden or the farmers market and now I do the same picking up from the local bodega in my neighborhood.

What is your favorite piece of art or furniture you own?

I love my Gray Malin print that hangs above my bed. I kept my bedding simple since it’s a small space so I love the pop of color and fun the print brings!

What’s on your bar cart?

Lots of champagne and all the mixings needed for my favorite gin and tonics.

Do you have any must-have coffee table books?

Two favorites I’ve had for years and still love flipping through are Vogue Weddings and Influence by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. I also have never gotten rid of any of my Vogue Magazines and still love flipping though them (8 years worth and starting to run out of room in my tiny apartment!)

Let’s talk Travel…

Beach or Mountains?

Beach

East Coast or West Coast?

East Coast

What is your favorite destination?

Seaside, Florida for my families annual beach trip.

Are you planning any upcoming trips?

London! It’s my first time and couldn’t be more excited to head there with my sister and our best friends.

Who is your favorite travel buddy?

My sister, Lindsay. and my best friend, Leslie.

Go-to cocktail when you’re traveling?

I love to drink the local favorite so I can’t wait for lots of gin and tonics in London!

What is your top bucket list destination?

Paris!

Let’s talk New York…

Fill in the blank: “On the weekend, you’ll find me at _____________.”

Brunch and wandering the city!

Best date night restaurant?

Lil Frankies in the East Village – can’t beat Italian food and lots of wine!

Best girls night out restaurant or bar?

Sel Rrose – the best cocktails and parmesan fries for girls night!

Best brunch restaurant?

Baz Bagel – amazing NYC bagels, retro diner feels and 70/80s music on repeat!

Best boutique(s) or shop/shopping?

I love wandering the West Village in local boutiques, like my favorite card shop Greenwich Letterpress.

Best activity?

Wandering the city and finding new spots and things happening around the city!

Anything else we need to know about New York?

While I can’t imagine NYC without my group of friends, I truly believe it’s also the best city to be alone in as well. Don’t be afraid to take the leap, whether visiting or moving, to come here and explore all the city has to offer!

Photography: Carly Hill