Daily Disco

Rainbow thread lining the walls, glitter, leisure suits, aaaannd a big white cat. This is what I was welcomed by walking into Daily Disco. Their cute little studio is atop a mom and pop bakery in The Hill, a small area in the heart of St. Louis. However, they are relocating all the fun just down the street to a remodeled location! I was greeted with hugs, Lizzo, and even got to witness a famous Daily Disco dance party. The atmosphere was bright, fun, and welcoming. And as much fun as they have, they work just as hard. If you haven’t seen one of their custom pieces, head over to their website to check out their custom jackets, patches, and bandanas! And don’t blame me if your cart is full. 



In all seriousness, I’m so happy that I got to connect with these ladies and hear their stories. We hope that reading a story influences you to share your own

Name, title, occupation:

Abbey, Owner, and Artist of Daily Disco

Abbeys Story

I went to art school in Savannah Georgia at SCAD where I studied fashion. After school, I moved to Paris to pursue couture embroidery at Lesage. I moved home unexpectedly and spent time researching chain stitch machines online. I bought one on a whim and began sharing what I was making on Instagram. It slowly turned in to what is now Daily Disco

How would you define confidence?

Confidence to me is feeling content being myself. Not only embracing my quirks and uniqueness but celebrating it!

 

"Making things that make others feel confident. And being unapologetic. I don’t care how it’s going to be received. Being unapologetically yourself." 


When is your first memory of feeling confident? 

Ever since I was little, I have gained so much confidence from making things. When I am creating, all the things that make me different are what make my art special! 


When is your first memory of feeling insecure? Why did you feel this way or what made you feel this way? 

 Middle school is so tough. The things that I now love about myself made me feel so different and insecure then. It took many years to own my differences and make them my strengths. I’ve always been obsessed with color and interested in fashion. I dressed differently than the other kids and had crazy curly hair. At a time where blending in feels so important, I stood out. Now I embrace it!

What makes you feel most confident now? How has this changed?

The older I get, the more confident I feel. I feel my best when doing what brings me joy, without worrying about what anyone else may think. I am viscerally attracted to color and love to wear it and surround myself with it! Pink and bright colors make me feel powerful and strong. I feel confident when I’m making something, learning a new hobby, and building Daily Disco. I feel confident when I surround myself with people who inspire me. I feel confident when I’m having fun!

How are you using your platform to make a difference? 

I use my platform and brand to empower women. Daily Disco makes customized products that celebrate our customer’s unique stories. Wearing a jacket embroidered with something you love on it feels like the best confidence hug. We can literally put your heart on your sleeve! Our social media also focuses on self-expression. Whether I’m posting a story of me dancing or crying I like to keep it real. 

"Our goal is to make people feel heard no matter who they are or where they come from" 

What is something you’re most proud of? 

The team of women that have joined me at Daily Disco. I feel so proud to have made a company that they want to work. They are such incredible, creative women and inspire me so much. 

"It’s not mine anymore, we’ve created this together" 


What advice would you give to your younger self? 

Have fun, ok!?
 
 
 
 
 
 
Name, title, occupation: 

Claire Boxdorfer, Design Director at Daily Disco

Claire’s Story

I'd say I'm still figuring out my journey and that's the best part. My dad always tells me before a big trip that 'it's the journey, not the destination' and that really resonates. Half the fun is getting wherever in life and figuring it out. Then once you achieve something, it's on to a new journey. So, I don't have a clear answer on my story, but I'm having it fun figuring it out.

How would you define confidence? 

Confidence is feeling good about yourself, flaws, and all. You don't have to be perfect to love yourself. It's walking into a room, with your head up high and knowing yourself.

“Consciously remind yourself that you are great. In all aspects not just in the way we dress”


When is your first memory of feeling confident?

As a kid in dance class, I loved recitals. I always felt so confident getting to play with makeup and outfits to express my creativity.


When is your first memory of feeling insecure? 

In second grade, when we weighed ourselves for gym class and my weight was much higher than my friends. At 7 I already was feeling the pressure to be thin and look a certain way. I remember being really embarrassed and not wanting to share how much I weighed to the others (not sure why that was a thing anyway). 

Why did you feel this way or what made you feel this way?

I felt ashamed because I was different than my friends. I knew being bigger was looked down upon and I took it as something wrong with me.

What makes you feel most confident now?
How has this changed?

Whenever I wear an outfit that fits my personal style or I really nail something at work, I feel confident. Coming into work or going out with friends and everyone is happy you're there makes me feel the best. I think going into college is when this really changed. At some point, you get tired of having low self-esteem and listening to society tell you what's wrong with you. So over time, I decided I was going to build myself up, wear whatever I wanted, and feel good about who I am.

How are you using your platform to make a difference?

I think we make a difference with Daily Disco in our positivity. We aren't perfect, but we're confident and happy with ourselves. I know if I was younger and saw us, I would be inspired. I would want to feel good about myself how we do now.

What is something you’re most proud of? 

I'm really proud of my job. We've created such a unique and fun environment to work in. Almost every day, I'm excited to come and do my job. Not everyone can say that.

What advice would you give to your younger self? 

I'd tell my younger self how beautiful, cute, awesome, and smart I am! I'd also probably shake her to get all those silly ideas society put in her head, right out of it. Then I'd reassure her that it does get better, you don't always hate yourself, and you end up being pretty cool. 





Name, title, occupation: 

Kaylynn St, Peters, Production Assistant at Daily Disco 

Kaylynn’s Story

Wow, that is a loaded question. I have had quite the journey to get to where I am today so I will do my best to keep it short and sweet. I grew up with divorced parents. Of course, it was hard at times going back and forth between parents but for the most part, I had a really great childhood and I will be forever grateful for that. I never liked school, but it wasn’t until high school that I really started to struggle academically. I was constantly in trouble for my grades. I wasn’t doing poorly because I skipped school or wasn’t doing my homework. It didn’t really make sense to anyone why I struggled so much. We finally got to the bottom of it, which now if you know me at all, you can clearly see that I have ADHD that is off the charts. I made it through high school, barely, and I was off to college. College was fun…for the first month. Then one morning I woke up and could only open my mouth less than a half of an inch. I remember calling my mom in a panic and little did I know that was the moment that my life was going to take a wild unexpected turn. I went to a TMJ specialist and had some testing done. The doctor kept asking me if I got into a fight or a car accident that I didn’t want to tell anyone about. I didn’t, I truly just woke up like this, Beyoncé style. The doctor proceeded to tell me that my jaw was dislocated on both sides and that I was going to need to have a complete jaw replacement by a doctor in Texas. He also said that he has never witnessed anything like this, that my jaw resembled the jaw of an 80-year-old, and that I should get a second opinion by a medical doctor. I go to the medical doctor that he referred me to. She spent 3 hours with me and at the end of the visit she had come to the conclusion that I have a very rare connective tissue disorder, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Basically, my joints are hypermobile, and that makes me more prone to dislocations and subluxations. I needed to strengthen my muscles to further support my joints so that I could help prevent any more dislocations. That year was really tough to say the very least. I managed to stay in school, which was honestly a miracle considering how much I was going through. Flash forward to my sophomore year. I am finally feeling better and getting back to my normal self. I noticed a liquidly substance that was a lot like water frequently coming out of my nose. I told my mom and just assumed it was something minor related to my allergies. She once again took it to the Internet. Her extensive Web MD research came to the conclusion that I have a Cerebral Spinal Fluid Leak. My mom calls my doctor and she ordered a test. Sure enough, my mom was right, I did, in fact, have a CSF leak. A CSF leak is caused by a tear in the tissue surrounding the brain. Everyone was very concerned. I was instructed to stop going to school and to wear a surgical mask anytime I was in public because I was at high risk for meningitis. I had surgery about 3 weeks later. I had no idea what was about to go down. This was hands down the hardest thing I have ever been through, mentally and physically. I was in surgery for 4 hours, the doctors, unfortunately, could not find the tear. I was devastated, mad, and I felt really defeated even though I had no control over the situation. The recovery was difficult and lonely. There was this huge question mark of what to do next. The doctors were puzzled, and no one really knew what to do next. I couldn’t go back to school obviously because I still have a hole in the lining of my brain. I didn’t have many friends, because they were all living their best lives at college having fun, as they should. My doctors could not find a solution, and the best thing they could come up with was to just wait. Wait for something to get worse or maybe something to miraculously get better. I am still waiting, but I don’t mind it. I am having the time of my life. I am honestly thankful I am on this journey and to have this story to tell. It has given me an outlook and an attitude on life that I am grateful for every day. It has to lead me to the best friends, a job that is so cool it doesn’t even feel like one, and my sidekick, Sunny. I can’t tell this story without giving all my love and gratitude to my mom. I LITERALLY would not be here if it wasn’t for her. So, shout out to you mom, love ya. Life is a freaking climb amirite or amirite. Yikes, that wasn’t short and sweet at all, was it? 


How would you define confidence? 

I would define confidence as having full trust in myself. Trusting my actions, my judgment, my self-expression. For me personally, confidence is believing that what I am doing is right for me and doing it for myself and not anyone else. Whether that is something as simple as picking out an outfit in the morning or making an important life decision. 

When is your first memory of feeling confident?

My first memory of feeling confident was when I tried out for an American Girl Fashion show. I remember telling my mom I wanted to try out. I was very shy as a child, so she was shocked when I told her this was something I wanted to do. The tryouts were at our local mall.  All I had to do was walk a runway and wave at the end and take a few headshots. I remember being terrified waiting to walk, but after I did, I felt like a superstar. I was so proud of my little shy self. 

When is your first memory of feeling insecure?

My first memory of feeling insecure was my first day of 7th grade. I went to a very small private school up until 7th grade that was very inclusive and accepting of everyone. You could literally show up to school in pajamas and no one would question it. We were all basically like family. So, as you can imagine my first day of public school was horrifying. I remember sitting there in my first class feeling so out of place. I was wearing this cute ruffled shirt and Ugg boots (before they were “cool”) while everyone was wearing an Abercrombie graphic t-shirt and Birkenstock clogs with neon socks. I felt so insecure about what I was wearing and sadly felt the need to change my style to fit in and be accepted by everyone in order to make friends. 

What makes you feel most confident now?

I feel most confident at work! Claire and Abbey always make me feel so good about myself. They are constantly complimenting me whether it is about a jacket I stitched or something I am wearing. I feel like the best version of myself at work. 

How are you using your platform to make a difference?

I use my platform to just be my authentic self and not care what anyone thinks. Hopefully by doing that it will show others that it is cool to just be your unique self and give them the confidence to do so. 

What is something you’re most proud of? 

I am most proud of myself. I am proud of my journey. I am proud of where I am today and how far I have come.  

What advice would you give to your younger self? 

I would tell my younger self to not worry so much and to just have fun and live more at the moment. To not stress so much about making the right decision about what is next because life is essentially going to take you where you are meant to be. 

The Campaign for Confidence supports LARK's mission to empower women to feel comfortable in their skin, embrace what makes them one-of-a-kind, and show up as they are -- because we are all beautiful. To learn more, click here.

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