Life and Work with Rachel Ponder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Ponder.

Rachel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started RachelsCurlyFit officially in January 2018 and unofficially September 2017. It was birthed during a transitional period in my life.

Fitness and hair have always been apart of my life. People have always come up to me to compliment me on my natural hair or question about my workout routine. So, in 2016, I invested in myself. I bought a DSLR camera, lights, etc. The following year, my life and relationships were changing… I was working at a job, in which I had a boss tell me my voice didn’t matter. Even though I knew it not to be true, his words hurt deeply. I knew then something had to give. That was really the catalyst that propelled everything forward. I woke up one day and wrote out ideas on things I was good at that could allow me to do what I love and do it in the convenience of my home or on my own time. That year, I started paying attention to not only what I was good at, but also how people valued my opinion. From September to January, it became more and more clear that my boss was wrong. That I did have a voice and using it properly could help me create the life I’m living and continuously building upon today.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth journey at all. As a new entrepreneur, there are times in which I feel like I’m on top of the world and dripping in creativity. Then, there are other times, I feel like branding, marketing, and creativity are taking a toll on my mental. I would say the hardest pill to swallow though was not getting support from people you thought you would get support from and getting more support from strangers.

My biggest advice for anyone just starting his/her journey is to figure out your innate purpose in life. I feel like we all are naturally good at something. When I say good as something, I mean you don’t have to try to do it, it’s just who you are. Some of us are healers. Some of us are storytellers. Some of us are protectors. I am a healer and I heal through telling transparent stories about my life. Once you figure out your purpose, it won’t matter who doesn’t believe in your vision. The “right” people will enter your life because you believe in yourself and this core quality you have will shine through without you having to say a word. Surround yourself with people in your desired field who do what you do and do it better even. It’ll give you a marker on what all you need to get done to get on their level.

I’ll also say, invest in yourself. Investing in yourself may mean putting money into a course that may help you grow your brand. If you don’t have the money, you can get on YouTube and watch countless videos on how to build a website, how to figure out your target audience, how to market yourself in this social media world. And as you’re doing that, take a look at your finances and see which areas of your finances you can scale back on to invest in your business. Maybe that’s eating out less. Less traveling. The point is to invest in your business so you can freely live your desired life.

Please tell us about RachelsCurlyFit.
I specialize in content creation and fitness. My social media is going through a transitional phase at the moment. While in the past I’ve been known for hair and fitness, now I’m known for travel and fashion as well. I’m most proud of my ability to influence people in a positive way. I do that by allowing my followers to see the good, the bad, and the ugly. Social media has this way of making people feel like they are not enough because most people online seem to have their lives so put together. Yes! I talk about fitness, hair, and fashion, but I also dive into topics like self-care and self-love. I’m very transparent about having dealt with the not-so-pretty parts of everyday living.

What also sets me apart is my creative vision behind photos and posts. I haven’t actually launched my blog yet, but am already getting traction in the social media world. It’s a cool thing to see.

Who have you been inspired by?
So, my mother is the oldest sister of four sisters. With her being the oldest sister, she had to be grounded and structured to make it through some tough life experiences. Because of her, I’m not the life of the party, but it’s the soul. In addition to my mother, her sisters have qualities about themselves that have shaped me in some way. The sister closest in age to my mom may seem quiet, but she’s more so  observant. She’s slow to take sides when there is a disagreement amongst the family. The two youngest siblings are a whirlwind on their own. I mean that in the best way. I learned to go after the things I want because of them. Years ago, the third eldest sister used to tell the family, she was going to buy herself a Corvette. Not only did she get that orange Corvette, but also she started traveling with that Corvette and winning corvette competitions. So, I finally decided to get a jeep wrangler that had been on my vision board a couple years afterwards. The baby sister of the four is hilarious. She has always taught me how to laugh and be free. I’ve been observing these four women and the unmatched dynamic between the four of them has molded me to be who I am today.

Another woman who inspired and continues to inspire me is my best friend Keyana. Keyana passed away in 2004 at the age of 25. I learned so much through her life and passing. She was the sweetest friend to so many people. She was an inspiring singer with the voice of an angel. When she passed, it was a reality check that I needed to start living life more. That’s when I started to cross things off of my bucket/goal list. Skydive, test my dream car, travel out of the country, start a youtube page, create a business that represents me at my core. She made me appreciate life itself. I smile, dream, and live more on her behalf.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelscurlyfit/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelscurlyfit/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachelscurlyfit

Image Credit:
Lloyd Mackayi

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