People Are Watching: My 6-Month Recap
A little over a year ago I bought this domain name - www.dearqueens.com. It looked good; it felt good. I had blogs before and decided to 'finally' take it serious. I was ready to build myself and a solid brand doing what I love. I was ready to buckle down with my vision and go for it. My 'it' wasn't even defined back then, but I promised to stick this one out. I sat at my quiet place, thought of the name; hopped on Wordpress, checked its availability and purchased it. I contacted an old designer of mine and got a logo made. It was official: DEAR QUEENS.
I haven't looked back since.
It wasn't until six months ago, however, that I launched this blog. I spent countless months trying to talk myself out of it; telling myself I won't have time for this and that no one will listen to me. I doubted myself before I wrote my first post. But I pressed on.
I paid for this domain name so I'm dang sure gonna use it!
I went through tons of tag lines and graphics. I struggled with identifying with a niche and trying to find my voice. I wrote whatever my mind and heart agreed on and went from there.
Yesterday I was listed as one of Quirky Brown Love's 200+ Amazing Black Bloggers. Me, someone who only six months ago had no idea how receptive this outlet would be. Me, someone who had no 'blog plan' or clear direction. Me, whose conception of this was by pure faith.
I had no immediate audience and I was surrounded by people who had no idea what I wanted to achieved with this site. But Quirky Brown Love, the New Haven Register and the others who allowed me to share my words in their online space did. They supported me as DEAR QUEENS went from 2 posts to 20. They supported me as my blog and my brand grew.
Now, six months in I've been a contributing writer on a handful of sites and mentioned alongside amazing bloggers like Tyece of TwentiesUnscripted & Ro of Eversoroco. I've been been mentioned on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for my relentless efforts at uplifting women and promoting self-love. I've been acknowledged as a blessing to the women I serve and have been publicly admired for my personal journey toward fulfilling my purpose. Now, six months worth of blog posts and an apparel line later, people are beginning to accept DEAR QUEENS, the brand. They're beginning to recognize the logo. They're beginning to know me, the writer and spiritual motivator.
A friend of mine mentions frequently that "people are watching." I usually humor him with a "yeah, yeah I know." But they are. And that's becoming more evident with every acknowledgement.
I may not get 100 likes on my Facebook posts or even my Instagram account; I may not have thousands of followers on Twitter, yet; but people are certainly watching. They're paying attention. They're reading. They're indulging. Their lives are changing.
In six months, that's all I could've ever asked for. Because last year, I would've never planned to be at this place after only six months - and while I haven't even scratched the surface, yet - it's refreshing to know that I'm on the right track. The confirmation I feel when I re-read my words or see them reposted by my favorite writers is unmatched. The feeling I experience when those who disliked me for dropping all other things to focus on this, begin to pat me on the back for doing so, is unexplainable.
Only six months in and people are watching. They're sharing thoughts and discussing me off the record. They're reading posts and Instagram memes and holding on to my words. They're using this platform, my platform, as a resource for their development. People are watching; they're waiting; they're looking for more.
So to all of you who are watching; those of you I met in this first 6 months; those of you I've interacted with - who've inspired me; those of you who've read, commented and shared my posts; those of you whose lives I may have touched without even realizing; those of you who bought a shirt, thought about buying a shirt, or will buy a shirt; those of you who sent me heartfelt e-mails, texts and Facebook messages; those of you who gave me a chance to play a role in your growth as a woman - I thank you. I thank you for trusting me as we ride this journey out together. I thank you for coming to me during the most sensitive parts of your life. I thank you for taking the time to know me; to see me; to allow me to help you. I thank you for using me as your resource. And most importantly, I thank you for giving me more reason to continue.