It’s been a good minute since I’ve written a more personal essay style blog post. I guess its because I just haven’t been inspired to show vulnerability the past few months. I’ve been a lot more closed off, set up new boundaries and really have been laser focused on accomplishing my goals. The more I grow in my career as a content creator the more questions I get about my transition from Doctor of Physical Therapy to Full Time Content Creator and other pressing questions. If you have more questions about blogging and content creation check out the Blogging Category above. If you just want to know more about me, check out the Essay Category above or check out this blog post where I answered 30 of my Most Asked Questions (fashion, home decor, content creation, my plants and more).
CAREER & CONTENT CREATION
How do you feel about going from being a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a more meaningful career to a full time content creator? I get this question a lot and mostly from people in prestigious careers like healthcare and law who are merely thinking of starting a blog. I think it mostly has to do with having a prestige is king mentality or being afraid of what others will think. I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy. I will always have my doctorate degree but it doesn’t define me. I’m not one of those people who leads with Oh, I’m a Doctor. When I was practicing the only person who I’d let call me Dr. Steele was my late grandmother. Prestige means nothing to me and a meaningful career is subjective. I am much happier being a full time content creator than I ever was being a Doctor of Physical Therapy. That’s my truth and I honestly don’t care what anyone on God’s green earth thinks about it. When I die, I will be content because I lived my life for me not prestige. Also for most of the people just looking to start, chances are that you’re not going to blow up overnight where you’d ever even consider going Full Time. If you want to start a blog, just do it.
How did you manage a Full Time Job and Blogging at the same time? I have a very Type A personality and order and schedules are two of my favorite things. I always put my 9-5 job first. It was my bread and butter so I treated it as such. I rarely ever did any blog/content creator work while I was actually at work. I dedicated my evenings and weekends to my blog. Here’s a blog post in which I break down exactly how I spent time working and blogging during a weeks time. Having a set schedule and sticking to it no matter what will help you to be more consistent.
Do you think there’s room for new content creators? I most definitely do. There’s a lot of money in this world and a trillion ways to make it. These things are obvious to people who think with an abundance mentality and a little harder for people who have a fear and lack mentality. No shade at all because for most of my life I had a fear and lack mentality. Fear lead all of my choices in life: fear of being broke, fear of being alone, fear of being judged. There is so much room for everyone. Don’t worry about that, focus on being consistent and building your audience.
How many followers did you have before you went full time? I’m not exactly sure of the number but I was definitely still in the 20K range. I remember making around $8000 dollars my first month of Full Time Blogging at 20K something followers and I haven’t looked back since. But honestly I would not put all your money on how many instagram followers your have to determine when you can go full time. It honestly depends on the audience you’ve cultivated. We’ve also stepped into new territory because Instagram no longer shows your content to all of your audience. Organic reach has been limited across the board on Instagram so that people are forced to pay Instagram to have their content reach more of their followers. Soon organic reach for every single person on Instagram will be zero. This will ultimately change how brands evaluate paying influencers for Instagram work. So focus on your quality and engagement and trust of your audience and not so much on number of followers.
What is one thing you dislike about being a content creator? There’s not too much I don’t like. I absolutely love creating whether that’s blog posts or fashion videos. I also like the relationship between me and the people who engage with my content. There is a lot of destructive criticism and I am very quick to delete and block. Some may say well if you don’t want to be verbally abused then don’t be on the internet and that’s the same as victim blaming. Like damn, I can’t be on the internet with you being a douche? That’s not how this works. When it comes to my platforms especially where I can control comments, it’s a dictatorship, not a democracy. There is no freedom of speech on my platforms. If I don’t like what you have to say or it’s destructive, I’ll delete it and not think twice about it. I also have so many words blocked on YouTube that are triggers for me, that I never even see comments that feature those words. They are automatically deleted.
What advice can you give to a fashion blogger looking to increase their sales with affiliate marketing like Reward Style? I wrote an entire eBook on this very subject. 15 Tips for Making Money with RewardStyle and Affiliate Links — These are the methods that I actually use to make money with affiliate links and it’s helped me to triple my income in a years time. I currently bring in about $2000 in commissions every week and working on getting that number up. Even if you don’t have 10K followers and access to the swipe up feature for Instastories it’s still very easy to make money. I’d also like to note that the average human being loves basics. A plain tee shirt, the perfect pair of jeans, it’s those basic every day pieces that sell the most, so there’s no need to try and keep up with the Joneses and buy tons of luxury things hoping to make sales by linking those things. Unless you are luxury focused those sales are a dime a dozen.
What is your end game with being a Full-Time Content Creator? Do you want to be an editor, start your own business? I get this question a lot and I’m 100% sure it’s because people still don’t consider being a content creator a viable career. I have reached the end game. I work for myself. I am an editor and I am also a business. This is the end game. From here I only plan on expanding my brand and increasing my streams of income. Currently, I have 6 streams of income and I’m working on a 7th that will drop next month. Speaking of which check out my Teachable School: The Business of Blogging — where I show bloggers, influencers and business owners how to level up their social media strategies and income. I’m going to be adding a new class soon walking you through a complete campaign from pitching all the way through getting paid (including creating the content, what I use and more)! Make sure to enroll in my school to be notified when this course drops.
ABOUT FASHION, BEAUTY & LIFESTYLE
How do you care for your designer pieces? I get this question a lot. I treat all of my clothes and accessories equally whether they are designer or not. If something calls for dry cleaning I dry clean it. Otherwise I wash them like I do regular clothing and when it comes to my shoes and accessories, I wear them into the ground. I’m the kinda girl that wants to get her moneys worth from my luxury purchases. Cost per wear is extremely important to me. I don’t buy nice things to collect or even really to invest… I buy them to wear. I love over the top pieces like this Solace London blouse and these JW Anderson pants. I don’t wait for special occasions to wear my clothes either.
How do you handle criticism for buying or wearing luxury purchases? I don’t entertain criticism that has anything to do with how I live my life or spend my money. I’ve watched plenty a luxury haul on YouTube and never once have I felt the need to comment and tell someone what they should be doing with their own money. Honestly, I feel that people who have the nerve to do that are projecting their own money deficiencies and lack mentalities.
How do you think fashion and fashion weeks will change during this pandemic? Is fashion even going to be important or relevant anymore? I think fashion will always be relevant even if we can’t leave our homes and can only show our individual style through social media. I think fashion week will evolve to the changing times. A lot of the shows are going virtual but being able to watch the shows from the comfort of your home isn’t new. Now its more about how to incorporate the audience that would have attended in person and creating that anticipation and crowd dynamic. I just attended my first virtual show that included a live chat room for the Harlem’s Fashion Row Show and it was incredible. The CFDA has done an incredible job creating their Runway 360 Platform.
How did you develop your sense of style? I did a lot of trial and error and anything I liked I tried. A lot of people create these imaginary confinement’s of what their style is based on fear. They care too much about what people will think or say about their fashion choices so they play it very safe. Scroll instagram and you will see what I mean. Every one is dressing the same. A huge I only wear white and black because it’s chic aesthetic has taken over the internet. That bores me. I don’t dress for anyone but myself. I buy the things that make my eyes go wide and my heart skip a beat. I think it’s made me a little less relatable when it comes to fashion, I mean the average person would probably be a little afraid to wear this top…but that’s fine with me.
Solace London Top | JW Anderson Cargo Pants | Balenciaga Heels | & Other Stories Sunglasses | Louis Vuitton Earrings
GET THE LOOK
What are you using on your skin? Can you share your updated skincare routine? For hyperpigmentation I use a combination of Hyper Clear Vitamin C Serum (Black Owned Business) and Pixi Vitamin C Tonic. For acne, evening skin texture and large pores I use Obagi .5% Retinol every other night and Elemis Peptide Recovery Cream every other night. For moisture and protection I use Supergoop Superscreen Daily Moisturizer SPF 40 and Rael Beauty Nourishing Gel Cream (Vegan). For Cleansing I use a combination of Elemis Superfood AHA Glow Cleansing Butter, Elemis Gentle Foaming Facial Wash and Rael Beauty Daily Detox. I always double cleanse after taking off my making using at least two of the above products. I never use wash cloths or towels on my face only cotton wipes.
Can you share your workout routine? I workout 3-4 times a week with my good friend Gloria. She teaches Zoom Workout Classes nearly every single day. On the weekends classes start at 10am EST and last for 1 full hour. It’s very intense and you will sweat but your body will be completely transformed. On the week days classes are from 7:30am to 8am EST. Weekday classes are super quick and high impact but are only 30 minutes long. If you are interested in joining our zoom classes just send her a DM on Instagram @lifewithgloreeb.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this blog post!
xx
Monroe
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Love your style
I agree with your outlook on dressing for yourself and not others. I am on the same page when it comes to what I wear. I have been making more of a conscious effort to buy only what I love as opposed to following the trends or even influencers.
So with that said, I love your style. I love this outfit. Although the top is not for me, I would rock those pants until rock turns into roll. LOL! And your hair along with your walk (swag) is Ev-Er-Ry-Thing!!!
Thank you for creating such awesome content!
You are so inspirational. I love the way you think and your authenticity and confidence shine through in this post. So awesome!!!
I agree with you. Your style is most enjoyed when it is yours and not the copy cat of the internet. I love fashion, I adapt my style to what I can afford and what is available in my size. If the blouse that you are wearing was in my size I would have worn it to the last thread. I know that I do not have your body but I can improvise and not be left behind. Snaps I have a white blouse with puffed sleeves and cropped, I have the wide legged jeans not the expensive pair just need scissors for the side cuts and BAM there I go. I see that you are a shoe girl. I can’t handle the ELEVATORS the flats in a Bottega dupe will due. Thank you. That’s one game changing outfit. Lol.
You are a rock star!!! Keep it up! The sky is no limit for you!!