Meet Sydney Reed of The Diary of She

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Reed.

Sydney, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started writing/blogging my junior year of high school and from there, I continued to perfect my craft. I finally got the courage to release my first poetry book on February 14, 2017, and with that my online merch store was born. I first created my online store to help promote my book but as I began coming up with designs that empowered my community, I learned that this was a field I wanted to learn more about and continue to grow.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As an author and entrepreneur, my road has not been easy. Sometimes I can go months without selling an item of clothing, which can become extremely discouraging and at times, it leads me to wanting to fall back from my business. There have been moments I’ve only received 8 cents in profits from my books and I have four that I’ve published. The thing that I’ve really struggled with is the lack of support I’ve received from family, friends and associates. They have all been apart of the reason I put myself of there but I do not feel the support. I’ll even get people who ask me about my story and then ask for advice on how to pursue their passion but make it very clear they haven’t supported mine.

The Diary of She – what else should we know? 
The Diary of She is more than a clothing brand but a way of life. I write poetry books, urban fiction, I have a lifestyle blog entitled, The Diary of She as well as contribute to Queen Media Collective, which is also another lifestyle blog. I built my brand around being open and honest about who you are as an individual. As human beings, we are constantly evolving; learning about ourselves and our surroundings. No one person is perfect and it’s okay to admit that. What I’m most proud of when it comes to my company is the amount of women from every generation that can find a piece of them in my writing. I believe that what sets me apart from others is I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not. There are a lot of women that promote unity, empowerment and self-love but they are not practicing what they preach. Unlike those pretending like everything is perfect in their lives and as if they do not have a past, I embrace my flaws, mistakes and overall imperfections while still promoting change.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My definition of success is simple. Success is being able to do what I’m passionate about every day with a smile on my face while still being able to take care of myself and my child. Money is a plus but if I’m going to a job every day that I complain about and makes me feel angry inside, no matter how much money I make, I will never feel successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thediaryofshe.com
• Email: thediaryofshe.info@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thediaryofshe/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thediaryofshe
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thediaryofshe1

Image Credit:
Sydney Reed

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