Empowering With Erica: Dayna Bolden
When I began to follow Dayna Bolden on online, I immediately had a great appreciation for her transparency, faith, and, not to mention, her family is so darn cute. Oh, and she has been slaying her entire pregnancy.
Dayna Bolden is an entrepreneur and lifestyle blogger, based in Baltimore, Maryland. She has consistently dominated the online arena serving as the creative director of DaynaBolden.com and Bolden Creative Media.
She has curated healthy and enduring marketing content for esteemed clientele such as VH1, Macy’s, Disney, WNBA, Coca-Cola, and more!
I had a chance to chat with Dayna regarding her journey and upcoming plans for 2019.
What was your journey like to get where you are? The journey has been a really rewarding and organic one. I started by simply sharing my love for beauty and fashion on my social media pages, and my audience started to grow! It was a natural transition for me to be able to leave my full-time job to pursue building my brand full time. I am so passionate about what I do and being able to inspire women daily to go after their goals and dreams.
How did your job change when you switched from your 9-5 to full-time entrepreneurship? It changed drastically because now I am able to make my own schedule and truly own my own lane and career. My job changed because I went from working in a corporate office, and doing something that I some-what enjoyed, to a career that I build all on my own and that I love so dearly.
What advice would you give someone wanting to follow in your footsteps? I would say be willing to bet on yourself. Be willing to put in the work and work so hard to make the dream a reality. I would also tell them to prepare yourself for an amazing season. When you want something so bad, work hard for it and go get it. I worked really hard to be able to go after my passion, but I also prepared myself for the leap and the journey. Don’t just jump, without a plan.
In a world that isn’t always authentic, how do you manage to stay authentic and transparent with your audience and content? Honestly I just try to remain humble, and remain myself. I think this is what connects best with my audience. I am human, and I follow other influencers and celebrities just like everyone else. And as a consumer, I am drawn to the people who are real, and are like me. So when I think about the consumer from a business perspective, it only makes sense to be the person I personally enjoy following, and that’s the authentic and real ones!
A lot of people are leaving their 9-5 to purse full-time entrepreneurship, what tips would you give these individuals before leaving corporate America?
1. HAVE FAITH & BE WILLING TO BET ON YOURSELF
Stop waiting for everything to be perfect, and just go with it and perfect the process along the way. You have to be willing to BET on yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself who will? I remember asking my parents for advice on quitting my job, and they initially said I needed to keep my job. But honestly, I didn’t let anyone’s opinion steer me away from my decision. Be willing to BET ON YOURSELF! Have faith and know that you can do it!!
2. SAVE YOUR MONEY
Again back to my previous point. Entrepreneurship can be hard. There is, of course, good and bad, but plan for the bad by saving your coins.
3. CONNECT WITH PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP YOU
Connecting with like-minded entrepreneurs or people in your industry who can support you along your journey is huge! Before I quit, I was networking, building connections and telling people my goals. I got a business mentor that helped me and was able to be a source for me. Sometimes it is not about what you know, but who you know; so networking and building connections is a great way to build future opportunities.
As creativities, we get burnt out what do you do to stay creative? Yes burnout can be real, but I try to stay creative by taking breaks and giving myself time to relax and take in new content ideas. When I am always going and not taking time for myself to recharge and learn, then that is when anxiety sets in, so taking time for myself is key.
What is your favorite recipe/dish to create for a dinner with friends and why? I love making quesadillas for my friends and family, because I have heard that mine are pretty good! Lol
What would be your last meal? Steak, broccoli and macaroni
What is your favorite quote and why?God is within her, she will not fail. My faith is real, and I know with my trust and honor to God, he will not fail me.
What exciting things can we expect from Dayna Bolden in 2019? Baby Bolden coming in July, moving to Atlanta in the fall, launching my new skincare line at the end of this year and my The Bold Experience women’s empowerment event in Atlanta!