Exclusive interview with Mother Muse

Amber Fillerup founder of Barefoot Blonde

 

What is the full name and ages of your children?

Atticus – 4

Rosie – 3

Could you describe yourself in one sentence?

I am pretty carefree and spontaneous – I love taking risks and chasing my dreams.

Tell us about your 3r​ d ​pregnancy?

I found out I was pregnant in June while we were in Tahiti – the kids have been SO excited since day one. We can’t wait to add another baby to this bunch.

How do you feel?

I feel really good now – minus the acid reflux and leaking colostrum on my new linen sheets. But in the beginning of pregnancy I had the pregnancy blues for the first time and that was really hard. My whole first trimester I would cry or be mad for no reason. I often just had to lay in bed because I felt too overwhelmed with life. My husband was so sweet and supportive during that time and when I hit my second trimester it just disappeared and I was back to my normal self.

What was your life like, before motherhood?

Very carefree. I have always been a carefree person – not too much planning just doing what feels right. My husband and I were traveling Europe and doing this whole blog thing for fun. I was obviously “the face” of it but David also had a passion for documenting and he really put in a lot of effort to learn photography – he shadowed photographers, watched youtube videos, and practiced a ton. So together we were building a business but didn’t know we were building a business – we just kind of were having fun and doing what we loved. We got pregnant while in Europe not even a year into marriage. Looking back that seems so fast but I am so happy it turned out like that.

As an influencer what has been the biggest learning experience for you?

Probably learning to be true to my parenting style and myself in general with so many outside opinions being shared with me each day. My parenting is critiqued all the time but I have really learned to trust what feels right regardless if people are telling me its wrong. I have learned through all of this that there are SO many parenting styles and most are necessarily right or wrong – a mom who is super strict might have kids who are really disciplined and a mom who is super relaxed and carefree might have really adventurous kids. We are all raising our kids to have different qualities and all of those qualities are good and special so I think we need to embrace other parenting styles.

Did you ever get a moment where you wanted to mute your life on social media?

Yes and I do! I definitely don’t feel pressure to post daily or even weekly. If I feel like taking 2 weeks off instagram I do! In 2018 I did that 3 times and it was amazing. But for the most part I ended up in this place because I loved sharing and documenting and nothing has changed, I still enjoy that very much.

Tell us about Barefoot Blonde Hair?

I have always loved styling hair since I was little but I have always had really fine hair. One day in high school I discovered hair extensions and fell in love because I could finally do all of these amazing braids I had been wanting to recreate. When I met David I had told him how one day I wanted to have my own hair extension company and we would brainstorm ideas together but never really chased that dream. It wasn’t until I had Atticus that we really put that plan into motion. We really had no business experience so the whole process has been a huge learning and growing experience for us. We launched just over 2 years ago and it has been amazing since.

Can you tell us why you are so passionate about hair and why hair extensions?

I have always loved hair and loved recreating runway looks but I became especially passionate about it when I lost a lot of hair after having my kids and extensions made me feel beautiful again. I wanted other mothers (and anyone else – mother or not) to experience that. I also had all these ideas of how to make extensions easier and less maintenance. This is why we launched our fill ins and BFB up! The fill ins are perfect for anyone who wants to keep their natural length but add just thickness! The up is perfect for anyone on the go who wants to throw in a really amazing messy bun or ponytail. Both of these products take minutes if not seconds to put in – I am always trying to think of ways to make hair quicker and easier while still looking good.

What is your favourite hairstyle?

Any messy, bohemian braids.

How did motherhood impact your career?

I have a hard time remembering what working was like without kids – but it has definitely motivated me more and made me much better at prioritizing. I try my best to be with my kids as much as possible so a lot of projects I would love to be doing have had to be put on pause. My kids come to work with me a lot and I work a lot at nights when they are asleep!

You are currently building your dream home! Congratulations, how has this process been?

Long and exhausting but also super exciting and we pinch ourselves daily and feel incredible grateful. We moved in 4 days before Christmas and it has felt like we are dreaming since then. We have moved a lot in our marriage and hopped around from Utah – New York – Hawaii – and decided on Arizona since this is where I am from and we want kids to grow up by cousins and family. This is the first time we have felt like we have roots and it feels good.

You feel most beautiful when?

When I am happy and enjoying life.

Who are your favourite muses to follow on Instagram?

This changes a lot but right now I love Marie Von Behrens for style and Courtney Adamo for motherhood.

When you get a quiet moment, what do you like to do the most?

I love catching up on work, going on Pinterest, reading, or sitting on the couch with my husband.

Who is your Mother Muse?

I have so many – a lot of them are neighbours and friends of mine. My biggest are probably my sister in laws and especially my sister in law Sarah since she built a massive business while also being and incredible mother to her 4 kids and being involved in the community and more. She makes me think I can do it too!

 

Mother Muse Amber Fillerup, Photographed by Nhiya Kaye