Exploring Life & Business with Jodi Bishop Runger

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jodi Bishop Runger.

Hi Jodi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in a small town in Tennessee named Sunbright with a population of 600 people. Growing up my aunt and uncle lived in Nashville and which was about 2.5 hours from our small town. I always loved going to Nashville and exploring the background of country music and seeing street fashion. Exploring our state’s capital also lead me to a love of politics that turned into an interest in our legal system.

I graduated college from the University of Tennessee summa cum laude as a political science major and attended law school at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of law in Memphis, TN. Thereafter, I passed the Tennessee bar exam and the Mississippi bar exam. I am currently a partner at Russell, Oliver & Stephens, where my practice focuses on representing employers, plan fiduciaries, and third-party administrators throughout the United States in ERISA matters.

While I enjoy practicing law, at times, I feel like I took the safe path in my career and realized I needed a creative outlet so with my love of fashion it was only natural that I start a blog and an Instagram account where I post about outfits and accessories. Growing up in a small town there were not many opportunities for fashion inspiration so I read magazines such as InStyle and Vogue, became obsessed with all the Carrie Bradshaw attire in Sex and the City and have followed celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe from the beginning of her career.

In fact, a few years back I was chosen to be in a small travel section for InStyle magazine and I was featured on People.com for my Rachel Zoe costume. Yes, that is how much I love fashion I was Rachel Zoe for Halloween!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My biggest obstacle was coming from a small town with limited resources. When I was in college Facebook was just becoming popular so the internet and social media have really opened up opportunities and resources for people in less populated areas.

Another obstacle I faced as a female attorney is a change of mindset. I wanted to find a way to show my creativity and be involved with fashion, but still be respected in my legal career so I started blogging and posting outfits on Instagram.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I love a fun coffee table book about fashion or decor. I’m also always inspired by anything from the 70’s. While many people think you can never go wrong with black, I think you can never go wrong with a bright color. This might sound odd, but when I feel stuck in a fashion rut I try to clean out my closet and think of it as shopping in my own closet.

I am also on the LiketoKnow app and enjoy that podcast for shopping and tips on building a business through social media. It is also fun to see what bloggers from different cities are wearing as I often see patterns in the attire based on geography.

When I need a good laugh, I listen to the Absolutely Not podcast by Heather McMahan.

One of my favorite female empowerment books is Untamed by Glennon Doyle.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.spunkysouthernbelle.com
• Instagram: @shopwithJodi

Image Credits
Kim Thomas @KPfusion, Madi Aldrich (Kelly Ginn Photography), and @madi4kgp