HNIRL: Mandy from MandyPlans

Meet Mandy from MandyPlans!

Tell us a little about yourself!

I’m Mandy and I’m from the San Francisco Bay Area in California. I’m a tech consultant by day and a moonlighting YouTuber and content creator by night, finding different ways to creatively capture my life on paper (and then into digital form via social media).

What got you started?

I started in spring of 2015 while I was studying computer science at UC San Diego. After stumbling upon creative planning on Instagram, I quickly realized that it would be a helpful way to organize my dynamic schedule as a college student. I have always loved stationery growing up, and something compelled me to start sharing that love and how I incorporate it into my everyday life with the world.

What is your favorite part about what you do?

Connecting with others who understand and share this same love of planning and journaling. I never expected to find such community here—what began as a fun little way to share my weekly planner spreads turned into befriending and collaborating with people and small businesses all around the world! I’ve even traveled intercontinentally with and attended the weddings of some of the incredible people I’ve met here. I think that’s a testament to how much we value and regard each other in this space.

What is your favorite piece of HN jewelry?

Definitely the Infinity Spiral Ring in rose gold.

I found it at a time in my life when I was going through so much change and becoming—from a freshly graduated and freshly single young person finding my bearings to redefining my womanhood, what success means to me, and who I am on my own terms. The infinity spiral reminds me that there are times in our lives where someone or something may leave us, or us them, but what’s meant for us is evergreen. It will always come back, because life comes full circle like that.

This ring, to me, embodies Mary Oliver’s words, “In water that departs forever and forever returns, we experience eternity.”

Bonus: it feels like the sweetest hug on my finger!