For my final post of Women’s History Month, I decided to ask some of my favourite female content creators some questions about who they are, what they do and all of that good stuff. I sent them all a list of questions and they decided which questions suited them the most – and I love every single response!

I had considered doing this post in 2 parts but changed my mind as I had so much content that I wanted to share! However, this post is now super long – so please, go and grab yourself a cuppa and get comfy!

The four lovely women that I interviewed are Cherrelle Slaney, Jess Bacon, Angel from Blogr and Emma Harrison – I hope you enjoy!

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Who are you? What do you do? Where can people find you? Etc

Cherrelle:  Hey! I’m Cherrelle (said like Sha-Rell) Slaney and I’m a period and menstrual cycle educator. Think of me as your crazy, period obsessed pal who gives you the real talk on all things menstrual. I teach people who bleed how to live in sync with their cycle for a life with less stress and more joy. My website is www.cherrelleslaney.co.uk and you can find me on Instagram @cherrelleslaney.

Jess:  I’m Jess, a twenty-four-year-old writer, blogger, podcaster and influencer. I share the highs and lows of my life online and I really try to share the reality of twenty-something life on my Instagram @jesskbacon and blog, Unexpected Adventures.

I’m really passionate about removing the stigma surrounding mental health and grief, as well as trying to encourage others to begin the journey to loving and accepting themselves (both body and mind). 

Previously I worked as Editor of Architecture Magazine and as a Marketing Executive at a global publisher, but I quit my job in December to go freelance as a writer and Digital Marketing Consultant. It gives me more freedom and time to write my novels, which I hope to get published at some point!

Angel:  Hey, so my name is Angel and I’m a 21-year-old student. I’m currently on my placement year where I founded BlogR; a blog sharing social media platform. It's a safe and supportive environment for you to find more of the content you love, expand your network and to collaborate with other bloggers and businesses. Our official website is currently in development but in the meantime, we have a landing page to explain a little more about who we are, and you can join the community there to receive our monthly newsletter! Over on Instagram (@helloblogr) we provide blogging tips & tricks, exclusive interviews and share features of other bloggers who share their advice on a particular topic. Our upcoming guest feature is the lovely @emilyclareskinner who talks to us all about working with brands. We’ve also recently got onto TikTok, but I’m definitely still trying to figure that platform out!

Emma: Where to start! OK so I’m Emma (not Emily or Harmony) or Em for short and I started my blog HarmonyBlaze.co.uk (now EmmaHarrison.fit) back in 2014 as a way to share my thoughts and opinions on all things beauty and fashion. At the time I was working for a cosmetics company and got a lot of samples etc. that I would in turn share on my blog. 

Over time my site evolved into a more ‘wellbeing’ focused site as I started to follow my passion for fitness a little more and I picked up the #BloggersBlogAward for Best Fitness Blog in 2017 for my content!

My focus fast became sharing my fitness experiences with others to help remove barriers for other women out there chase their own fitness goals and these days, HarmonyBlaze is fast becoming a health & wellbeing hub where I can share my passion for healthy (& not so healthy) eating, fitness and general wellbeing. 

After being made redundant in May last year, I decided to retrain as a personal trainer so that I can take my blog to the next level and coach others be this on a 1-2-1 basis or through guides and group courses. 

What made you start your platform?

Cherrelle: My business career goes way back before I even started being “the period lady”. I always knew I would work for myself. I started my first business at 19. I did handmade jewellery. Honestly, it was a bit of a flop because I just wasn’t brave enough to share my passions back then. But it was a little taster into life as a small business owner. I gave it up after I had my first child and I never re-entered the small business world until 2015.

By that time, I was a mum of 2 - with a need for a creative outlet. I started my own Etsy shop which turned into a successful wedding business. I ran it for 4 years, with my blog and Instagram as a kind of side-gig. I loved the idea of being a blogger, but I never really took it seriously. I guess I just kinda thought that I could never do something that sparks so much joy in me as a career. I guess I was of the mindset that if it’s fun or easy then it’s not a proper job, y’know? So, I did my blog and my Instagram as a hobby.

Fast forward to 2020 (the shitshow of all years) and good old Covid put the kibosh on my wedding business. I went from hero to zero, literally overnight. At this point I had two choices, wait it out and pray that weddings make a comeback real soon, or have a go at turning my hobby-blog into an actual business. If I didn’t take this opportunity now, I might not ever get the chance again. So, although 2020 was the weirdest year in our lives, it actually presented me with this unique opportunity. It was like I’d been “let go” from my job. Like, some higher power made this decision for me. I would be stupid not to try and make the most out of the situation.

When I started my blog properly, I had no idea what I was doing. It took me a good 6 months to really nail down who I was and what I was about. I’m the kind of person that has to “try on all the hats” as it were. I wouldn’t know if something was going to work for me unless I tried it. In that 6 months, I made many a cock up, but I like to think that the struggle is part of the process. It’s a huge part of the learning curve that got me where I am today.

I sort of became “the period lady” by accident. I started out just sharing my experiences with the world, but I noticed a trend that more and more people would come to me asking for advice on their cycle or their period products. It was actually an Instagram course that prompted me to do what I do. I remember I signed up for this course and I was super excited because it happened to fall around the time in my cycle that I was most capable of learning something new. I hadn’t even started the course, but I just thought “OMG, this is what I should be doing! If I know how to work with my cycle, then I can teach it to others too!”.

Jess: I began writing about my grief and mental health online as a form of processing my feelings back in Sixth Form. It helped to open up about experiences that for a year or two I’d struggled to talk about and just feel less alone in general. 

Throughout uni, I blogged on and off about my adventures and mishaps and continued sparingly posting when I graduated. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit that I had more time and wanted to boost my blog views that I decided to grow my Instagram with the hope of driving more traffic to my site. A year on, I’ve gained 30,000 followers and content creating is now part of my freelance income. 

Angel: BlogR came to life as I was (and still am) a blog reader, trying to find a specific blog about Eastern European interrailing. My first port of call was Google, but I suddenly realised only the most established blogs with SEO practices in place would be found. I’m not the type of person to ever discover page 2 or 3 onwards on Google to try and find relevant content. That was a lightbulb moment for me. There’s Instagram for photos, TikTok for videos, Snapchat for temporary text and Facebook for the general community; but I wasn't aware of a platform that was dedicated specifically to blogs. So, I decided to start with an Instagram page and got validation for the platform idea. Since, I have built the community to almost 1,500 (eekkk!) and have connected bloggers internationally already, so I am super excited to see what our official platform will achieve!

Emma: Mainly because my friends and family couldn’t care less what the latest eyeshadow to land on my desk was like! But I loved reading blogs – at the time I was massively into bloggers like InTheFrow, Lily Pebbles and Vivianna Does Makeup so it felt like a natural move to make.

At the start I just genuinely wanted to share thoughts and opinions on products, nothing more than that and I would take little product snaps on the bathroom floor (the wooden floor in my old house was my BAE) and write up mini reviews. It was a long time before I started to think about monetisation or even sharing my posts anywhere!

What does a typical day in your life look like?

Cherrelle: Quite honestly, every day is different for me. I am fully attuned to my menstrual cycle, so I understand that every day brings something new. Some days I’m super productive. Some days less so. But I realise that that’s just part of life as someone who bleeds.

That’s my entire ethos. There are 4 phases to the menstrual cycle and each phase has me feeling like a different person. That’s why I do what I do. I teach people how to work with each phase, instead of always fighting against them. It means you can make the most of being super productive at ovulation, while still allowing yourself to have an extra day off on your period.

Angel: In all honesty, lockdown has definitely haltered my productivity levels. Some days I will achieve a week's worth of work, and other days I will just post an Instagram story. I’ve recently started scheduling my day like a school timetable - as that’s what worked for me at school! I’ve been finding this has been much easier for me to complete my daily tasks.

In terms of activities I do on a daily basis, Instagram engagement and community building takes up the bulk of my day which I love. More recently I have also started to put a little bit of time aside to complete university work, as I almost forget that this year is graded for me!

Emma: Contrary to popular belief I am not an early riser, in fact I hate mornings!

Usually, I wake up about 7.30am and listen to the radio for half an hour before literally dragging myself out of bed to get ready for work … luckily, I work from home at the moment because if I was in the office I would need to be up and out by 8am!

I aim to be at my desk and logged in for 9am and it varies what time I actually start at – I work full-time as a development co-ordinator for a UK supermarket as well as running my own business and blog! So, I have to manage my time to the minute and my daily schedule varies, however, I try to never work beyond 5pm so that I can pick up my own bits and then workout.

My workouts vary – I run, I do some weights and I do some flexibility work all on different days and I tend to stick to the same training in the same days … I’m a creature of habit!

My current training split is:

Monday = Short Pace Run

Tuesday = Upper Body & Core

Wednesday = Short Easy Run

Thursday = Lower Body & Core

Friday = Long Run 

Saturday = Stretch 

Sunday = Rest

After that I usually have tea, pick up any client work and then head to bed about 10pm … my sleep sweet spot is 7-8 hours a night, so I switch off and wind down from 10.

How do you do to unwind after a tough day/week?

Cherrelle: Bubble baths. Is there anything in the world that can’t be cured with a nice hot soak? (Disclaimer: not a medical expert.) Jokes aside, bath time is sacred for me. If I’m stressed out, I’ll take a bath. In pain? Take a bath. Had a bad day? Take a bath. Had a good day? Celebrate with a bath. I’m basically obsessed. I feel like I spend almost all of my premenstrual phase in the bath. In fact, I’m writing this article in the bath right now.

Jess: I’m a big TV and film fan, so you’ll probably catch me watching the latest new show on Netflix or Disney+. I also love to go for walks with my dogs and my family, or just have a gin in the garden. 

Journaling has really helped me unwind during the pandemic in general though, I think it helps to write down everything you’re thinking and feeling to get it out of your head and physically down on paper. 

Angel: I switch off completely from social media. This is one thing I am pretty good at; I can easily fall off the face of the earth in a digital sense. Putting down the phone/laptop and being present; either going on a little walk or just binge watching my favourite shows and not feeling guilty about it is how I best unwind. I think it’s really easy to be hard on ourselves and to see others (especially on social media) be so “successful” with an assumed crazy work ethic. Reminding myself that I’m on my own journey, and in my own lane also really helps me to relax.

Emma: Run!

Running really is my therapy. When I received the call last year to tell me my role was being made redundant, I felt as through my world had come crashing down and my brain instantly started to spiral. I cried, I panicked and then I went for a run.

4-miles later, I’d mentally committed to the PT course I’d been looking at for almost 7-years and decided that I was going to make redundancy the best thing that had ever happened to me!

Running helps me to cut out all the noise and focus, so whenever I’ve had a tough day I put on my trainers and head out. By the time I get back I usually have a full-on action plan in my head!

Which women do you look up to the most and why?

Cherrelle: There are so many women I could reel off here. But the thing I like to do is to shout out women when I see them doing really good stuff. Made a great Instagram post? I’m gonna tell you about it. I’ll be sliding into your DMs with a voice note cheering you on. Or letting you know that I see how exhausted you are and encouraging you to take a break. I am surrounded by so many amazing women. I just love when we all decide to lift each other up. We all need some of that in our lives from time to time.

Jess: I’m inspired by so many amazing women and I’m lucky to have a lot of brilliant women in my life, my Mum especially. I’m also a huge admirer of Malala Yousafzai and I have been since I was a teenager. I vividly remember reading on the news that she was shot by the Taliban for wanting to go to school and being in awe of her strength and bravery. The work she’s done with the Malala Fund since is also amazing. I think that Malala is the epitome of a hero and a remarkable activist for women’s rights to an education. I just think she’s remarkable! 

Emma: There are so many both on and offline!

Two that I would say have had the biggest impact/influence on me are Carly Rowena and Victoria Jackson. 

Carly was the first fitness influencer I followed … and way back before she became a PT! But she helped me to see there was more to life than being skinny and that I could be strong too. Thanks to Carly I learnt how to challenge my body and work with it as opposed to against it! Without her I probably wouldn’t have followed my passions in the way I have.

I’ve been working with Victoria through her business The Manifestation Collective since July last year and with her help and guidance I’ve been able to create the foundations for my business and start to attract clients that want to achieve a healthier, happier lifestyle (whatever that looks like to them). She’s helped me to breakdown confidence barriers and start to retrain my brain to not shy away from things because of the fear of failure.

What are 3 things that you could never live without?

Cherrelle: Okay, first and foremost, my Mooncup. I am obsessed with it! And I will talk about it at any given opportunity (hence, this paragraph). For anyone who doesn’t know - a Mooncup is a silicone menstrual cup that sits in the vagina to collect your period blood. Think of it like a tampon, except it’s nothing like a tampon. It’s so much better. I won’t take over this blog and turn it into a Mooncup ad (even though I’d like to), but if you want to find out more about the Mooncup then check out this blog post: https://cherrelleslaney.co.uk/post/mooncup/

Okay, number two: chocolate. But not just any chocolate. I’m a massive Cadbury’s fan. You can keep your Thornton’s and your Lindt. I’m not into all that fancy stuff. Give me a bar of Dairy Milk any day!

And number three: Instagram. I’m a self-confessed ‘Gram addict. It’s because of the people I get to meet there and the conversations I get to be a part of. I love it!

Jess: Ooh I’d go with a notebook, pen and my family and friends (I’m also including the dogs in there too), so that’s technically 5, but I just couldn’t live without writing so the pen is kind of essential! 

Angel: Oooo this is a tough one. One that springs to mind is my passport! I live for going away and experiencing new cultures. I’d hate to never be able to visit another country again. One of my goals after I’ve finished uni is to go backpacking in south-east Asia!

My partner Miles is someone I couldn’t live without. He’s really got me through things and I’m pretty sure he’s made me laugh every single day. I’m so lucky to be in love with my best friend.

Family (more than 1 member but I couldn’t quite pick a favourite, although it was close ahah). I’m really fortunate to be extremely close with my family. I definitely could not live without them.

Emma: My running shoes, my to-do lists and my partner!

What is your number 1 tip that you would give to someone who wants to start creating content online?

Cherrelle: It’s not about you. No, I’m not just being a dick. I really managed to hone my niche and start creating content that people love when I realised this. It’s not about me. It’s not about saying “look how great I am”, it’s about saying “I see your problem and I can help you”.

It took me a while to figure this out. And it took me even longer to figure out exactly what answers I had for people. Cyclical living has just become so engrained in my life that I didn’t realise not everyone knew about it. Sometimes you’re so close to your own genius that you can’t see it.

Everyone is searching for answers in the complexities of life. If you can provide content that gives some of those answers, you’re into a winner.

Jess: I’d say be really clear on why you want to do it and what you’re hoping to achieve, that could be raising issues about things that are important to you, discussing your favourite recipes or outfits. Just know why you’re creating content for people and what value you can bring to them. 

I’d also say the usual tips, which are go for it! Play to your strengths, create graphics if that’s what you’re good at, or take photos if you’re the designated camerawoman in every situation. Be creative with what you’re creating and make it enjoyable, the more you treat it as playing around to see what works and what sits well with your audience, the more fun the whole process will be.

Angel: Just start, literally right now! I spent way too long wondering about BlogR, being indecisive about it and if to give it a go instead of just getting to work on it. Go online and search for ‘business plan template’ and fill it out; any will do. As long as you have a rough idea and it has legs to stand on, get to work and validate it! What’s the worst that could happen? Creating content online has never been easier thanks to free software such as Canva. If it's what you want to do, then what’s stopping you from taking the first steps today?

Emma - Just do it! It doesn’t need to be pretty; you don’t need a personalised domain and you don’t need fancy photography – you just need words from the heart.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Cherrelle: There are so many things I wish I could say to my younger self. I wish I’d known that fear is normal. I spent so much of my time waiting to not be scared of everything. I didn’t realise that even the most confident people feel fear, they are just better at managing it.

A few years ago, me and my husband hit a really shitty time in our marriage. We did some marriage counselling and it helped us so much. After that, I did some solo counselling and honestly, it was one of the best experiences of my life. It taught me so much about myself and why I do the things I do.

One of the biggest things I took away from counselling is that it’s actually okay to be scared. And that things won’t always go well. I’m not always going to have all the answers and that’s okay.

Angel: Stop worrying about what others think – I always held back as a youngster because I was so worried about the opinions of others. These days I’ve learnt not to care because anyone who speaks wrong of you, who judges you because of you are or what you stand for or is rude about you is not someone you want in your life. And if they’re not in your life, then what does their opinion matter?

Emma: Don’t concern yourself with the opinions of others. As scary as it is to go out of your comfort zone and try something new, your friends will always motivate and encourage you. If they’re anything but supportive, then they’re probably not as good of a friend as you think.

Anything else that you would like to add?

Angel: I'd like to say a massive thank you to Cerys for reaching out for this guest post and for being such an incredible and valued member of the BlogR community. If there is anyone reading this who has their own blog (or is thinking about starting one) and would like to be part of a supportive online community, please find us on Instagram @helloblogr and feel free to send a DM!

Emma: One thing I’ve learnt the hard way is never believe that your opinion does not matter.
If you have a belief and a feeling stick by it, let people flip out and if necessary, use your right to mute / block / delete them. The online world can be oppressive, don’t let it silence you.

I just want to say a massive thank you to the lovely creators for getting involved in this post! Don’t forget to go and support them.

Cerys x

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