Hidden Gems: Meet Ana DeBare

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana DeBare.

Ana, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Oh wow, where do I begin? Well, let’s start with my first moments. My story begins in Romania – I’m adopted from an orphanage, and I was raised by my incredible adoptive family in the small state of Rhode Island. I had a wonderful childhood and was afforded many privileges. I ended up at Brown University and completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees there – a major in biology and a minor in art. That’s where my passion for sharing my photography and eventually fashion began, I’ve always loved nature – being outside was my happy place growing up. I started as a self-proclaimed wildlife and landscape photographer. Bringing my camera everywhere I went – capturing everything from birds to whales to sunsets. Unfortunately, over time I began to experience burnout, and realized my drive to take the perfect shot took me away from the current moment. Therefore, I began to shift gears.

During my time at Brown, I started to experiment style-wise. It was easy to find inspiration at Brown and especially because we were near the local art school, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). During this time, I began to blog, documenting my life with my Nikon DSLR camera. Sooner or later I became a “fashion blogger” – sharing my outfits and style with the world through my Instagram.

My love for fashion didn’t begin at university though – I’ve always had a passion for creating and piecing together outfits – something I didn’t realize was so innate until I reconnected with my birth mom, some 22 years after I was born. When we met, it was astounding. Here she was, a petite, fashionable woman in wedges, ripped jeans, a white blouse, and large round sunglasses. It clicked. My passion and love for fashion is biologically engrained. This brings me to today, 26 years old, living in downtown Nashville, and creating for my new fashion-based Instagram account (@anadebare) & I really wouldn’t have it any other way.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey was definitely not without challenges. As I mentioned, as a wildlife photographer, I experienced burnout – feeling the need to capture my surroundings perfectly hindered my ability to e n j o y them. When I began to fashion blog at Brown, it was also not an easy road. Although I loved fashion blogging with my DSLR, I discovered it was easier to shoot with my iPhone. As I experimented with this, creating and carving out a niche of “everyday, whimsical, petite style”, my following grew. I worked with some amazing brands and over time, I was up to about 10k followers. Although, with graduation and eventually landing a full-time job at a biotech company, I had less and less time to create.

Additionally, I stopped growing at the rate I was aiming for. More burnout. On a whim, I deleted my account completely (a decision I don’t necessarily regret) and stayed off Instagram for almost two years. At the end of last year, I went through a breakup and moved to Nashville for work. Here, I was able to breathe & I realized how much I missed my creative outlet. I finally felt ready.

So, I started my current account (@anadebare) and began to share my personal style once again. However, with this, I made a promise to myself to shift my mindset: It’s not about how many followers you have; it’s about creating what you love, having fun, and making genuine connections; otherwise, it stops being enjoyable. This is why I am able to continue to create & why I’ve started to fall in love with it again!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My full-time job is at cancer/transplant diagnostics company as a brand/product manager. We have a number of diagnostic tests to help doctors make treatment decisions for their patients based on biological risk assessments. I am on the marketing team and I create collateral for our sales team to use in the field.

I write scientific copy and work very closely with our graphic designer. I absolutely love my job, as it allows me to be creative in a field I have my degrees in and am passionate about. I love the idea of being a part of patients’ healing journeys and moving technology forward!

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I love this question!

I read a lot of historical fiction – I find it takes my mind off the current age and places me in an imaginary, beautiful, and sometimes sad alternate world. They also help me learn about past cultures and times. I would recommend the following:
1. Where the crawdads sing – one of my all-time faves
2. The invention of wings – somewhat sad but really interesting & historically accurate – about the Grimke sisters – famous feminists and abolitionists
3. Summer wives – fun summer read
4. Little fires everywhere – very famous and even has a TV show

I also love podcasts – I’m a Christian and listen to some Christian ones, which help center me.
Including:
1. Joyce Meyer, enjoying everyday life
2. Joy church – in Nashville and I love their sermons

I also listen to some of my favorite bloggers’ podcasts. They give me so much inspiration and tips!
Including:
1. Blogging unscripted by Danielle Gervino
2. The Influence Community by Danielle Glanz and Alyssa Larson

Apps I would recommend if you are also an Instagram creative:
1. Retouch – removes anything seamlessly from your photos
2. InShot – for video editing, makes edits fun and easy for reels

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anadebare/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/anadebare/ 
• Email: [email protected]