Meet Trailblazer Savannah Crawford

Today we’d like to introduce you to Savannah Crawford.

So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Growing up, I was raised around older women who instilled the true meaning of togetherness, love, and appreciation in me. I am grateful to have a village that motivates, teaches, inspires and loves me the way they do. The standard that was set for me was, “As long as you’ve done your best, that’s all you can do.” They ensured that I did my best. They made it their responsibility to make sure I was flourishing, active, kind, focused, and well-behaved. These women are the reason I am who I am today. From a young age, I found myself being multifaceted. I was a leader, I was never shy or timid, I was an athlete, I loved to sing, and so much more. For a long time, I held onto the person I had become in Augusta, GA. I was known for being involved in every organization, making AB Honor Roll, being in the National Honors Society, winning superlatives, being captain of the cheerleading squad, and being crowned Miss Laney of Lucy Craft Laney High School. I held onto THAT identity, not realizing that I had to become more than just THAT Savannah. One of my sisters once told me, “At Laney, you were a fish in a pond. At Georgia State, you are a fish in an ocean.” From that point on, I knew I had to make a name for myself and start a legacy. I knew it was time for me to start living in my truth. My goal coming into college was being a part of the advancement and growth of technology, and while I still aspire to do that, I began to discover myself, what I love and stopped pursuing what would bring me money. I began pursuing a life that would bring me happiness. It all started when I would repost every single day from an account called “Spiritual Inspiration” on Facebook. People would always ask, “Is this an app you’re using?” I would politely decline and refer them to the Facebook page so they could experience it for themselves. So, after a year or two of posting these posts every day, I decided I wanted to make quotes of my own. I wanted to produce authentic content that displayed my way of thinking, writing, and creativity for people to fall in love with. I’ve always enjoyed helping, motivating, and inspiring people but it was time that I learned to do so on my own, through my own work. So, during the summer of 2018, my new series “Daily Affirmations” came to life. But, then I wondered, well how can I make it personal and my own? How can I make a difference? It then clicked and I decided I would handwrite the affirmation myself, take a picture, edit it, and then post it. I was so nervous because I didn’t know if people would support me, let alone like what I had to say. Eventually, I got over the fear and stepped out on faith and shared my writing. My very first-day posting was August 1, 2018, and it’s been a success ever since.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road hasn’t always been smooth. There’ve several days where I didn’t know what to say or write, I oftentimes feared being repetitive. But, what I found is that, even if some of my affirmations are similar, they can still be relatable. One thing that helps me the most is knowing that even if it touches just ONE person, I know I’ve helped make a difference in one more person’s life. Another challenge I’ve encountered included being able to actually follow through and mirroring my words with my actions. Did I start this series to ultimately to help others? Yes. But, it was also to help myself and hold myself more accountable. I am a firm believer that when you physically speak and declare over your life, things will manifest for you. I knew at the end of the day, becoming who Savannah really is meant taking the necessary steps to help Savannah too. I’ve also struggled with wondering if I could classify myself as a “content creator” or a “writer”. But, I realized that writing was a form of content creating so I could do both. I then asked myself, “Well, who could tell me I wasn’t?” Being a full-time student, working, trying to maintain my physical, mental, and emotional health all play a critical role in this journey, and managing my life and my social media presence is NOT easy. However, it not being easy allowed me to understand that being uncomfortable allows room for growth. Growth breeds success and that’s what I work so hard towards. So, to my Queens and their journey’s, the advice I give to you is that as you’re finding your way and starting your journey: times DO get hard, times WILL be tough, but this journey is your own. This life is your own. This purpose is yours. Nothing that is meant for you can be taken away. It will find you one way or another. Keep dreaming, keep doing, and keep working because ALL things will work together for your good!

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Nearly every day for 365 days, I’ve written an affirmation. This is what I do: I write short, sometimes long declarations for myself and others to repeat every day to help them through stages of their life. I classify myself as a writer. I specialize in being a voice for the voiceless. I say the voiceless because I aspire to be the person who digs deep into the depths of what people are feeling, but are scared to say. I’m known for being a person who is always “right on time” with my affirmations. I’m known for being honest and transparent. I write because I know people need transparency, honesty, clarity, and peace of mind. I know this because every day I log into Instagram, I’m looking for those very same things. I want relatable, positive, and motivating posts on my own Instagram feed. A lot of us spend so much time on our phones daily. If I consume more than 4 to 5 hours on social media I want something I’ve seen to give me reassurance, a new perspective, point of view, or way of thinking. If it does not benefit me, I do not need nor want it. So, my job as a writer is to provide real, uncut, and honest truths that let people know that we are in this together and that they don’t have to do life alone.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
The biggest barrier today is not just in female leadership, but leadership as a whole, it’s everyone thinking we’re in competition with each other. We tend to tear each other down because if one is doing better or differently than the next, people feel that they can’t do the same, which is simply just untrue. In my opinion, there is truly enough money, success, and happiness for everyone in the world to attain. There are numerous resources, connections, ideas and so much more, and if we shared and helped the next person get to the levels they aspire to be, as leaders we’d be able to lead many more people on a far larger scale. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in these past 4 years is that I cannot do life alone. As much as I try to handle certain things by myself, I just can’t. Trying to work myself to points of exhaustion, figure things out on my own, and not asking for help or utilizing resources hindered me from the growth that God had for me. As a believer in Christ, I know in my heart, He did not put us on this Earth to be alone. We are called to change someone’s life, simply by helping! Something so simple has been so hard to do for many years because as a people, we don’t want to see our peers get ahead. We all have the same 24 hours and how we use those 24 hours is critical to our success.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatssav_/?hl=en
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/savannah-crawford-8691a3153/

Image Credit:
Shot by Elijah Davis and Edited by Jamila Bell

Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.