Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsey Slade.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always been a creator, before I knew people even labeled themselves as “creatives”. Although I tapped into the world of digital media early on when forcing my siblings and cousins to let me feature them in what I deemed were “music videos” at the time, but writing is where everything started for me creatively. I loved writing short stories, journaling, all of the above. It wasn’t until middle school when I really started getting into the world of digital media. I took one class where we got the opportunity to make our own commercials and it skyrocketed from there. I found myself pushing way past the requirements of assignments needed, constantly trying to participate in all of the media projects. It was the one thing I for sure knew was a passion of mine, but I always pushed it off as a hobby because it wasn’t a common thing to hear as a career at the time, and I was nervous that people would instill doubt into me. I found myself always telling people “I don’t know” when asked what I wanted to do moving forward in life. I tried different internships, many jobs, and many different fields of work, but I never was fulfilled or could envision doing it for the rest of my life. I realized time was passing me by, and the one thing that was always a constant for me that I knew I loved was the creative world.
I decided I was done pushing off what had been in front of me the entire time. I began to participate in more networking events, reaching out to people who were successful creatives and my entire mindset changed after being able to meet these amazing individuals who were so successful in something that I had told myself wasn’t attainable. From there, my vision of Y’all Talk Podcast was born. I wanted to make a platform that mixed my love for editing and media with my love for hearing the experiences and perspectives of these people while also inspiring people like my younger self, making it easier for them to find people to relate to during their own journey. To add on to that goal, seven months after my first episode of Y’all Talk Podcast I was able to launch my business, Mixed in Media a social media and brand betterment community where I help business owners and influencers grow and bring exposure to their brand. I went from a kid who was suppressing their passions due to fear and a lack of relatable figures to look up to, to running two thriving communities. The vision I have for both are beyond measurement and I can now truly say I am fulfilled with what I am doing in life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all, but all long roads have bumps along the way and I strive for my creations to have a road far beyond myself so I can’t complain. From the beginning, self-doubt was always my biggest struggle. It was a hard process to unravel holding myself back mentally so that I could fully perform physically through my work. I’ve had many moments of feeling like giving up, especially because starting not only one thing from scratch, but two by myself was a workload I didn’t foresee. From planning content, creating content, meeting new people, constantly adjusting, and the many other things that come with business and the creative area of work it’s super easy to be overwhelmed. I just always tell myself to let my passion outweigh the feeling of being overwhelmed. Success doesn’t come easy.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the owner, producer, and host of Y’all Talk Podcast, as well as the owner of my business, Mixed in Media. Y’all Talk Podcast is a platform striving to create a healthy and relatable space for young adults on their journey to self-discovery and their endeavors while helping give exposure to our devoted guests’ stories. Mixed in Media is a social media and brand betterment community where we offer content creation and digital products to help business owners and influencers grow their brands on social media.
Although both are centered around digital media, more than anything they help the communities that they are targeted in get bigger and better from an internal and external standpoint. That is what makes me most proud of what I have created. It isn’t just for me, it’s bigger than me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think luck is a tricky term. It blurs the lines between something happening and being out’ve your control compared to something happening due to the work you put in. Hard work and consistency is the reason why I have reached the point that I am now and will continue going upwards. So in hindsight, I don’t believe in luck. I believe in taking action to get the things you want in life and I think that’s what has helped me the most in life and business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stan.store/mixedinmedia
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vibelikeyagirl?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjbExMx-tOXnRVb8fU5SjOQ
