Today we’d like to introduce you to Dymond Moore.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dymond. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started blogging when I was 15 years old. I loved (and still do) reading print magazines, and I wanted to find a cheaper way to create my own fashion and beauty content so I settled on blogging. I never set out to monetize it, and I’m still not one of the earliest bloggers around, but this is just when Instagram was beginning to become a thing, so I took advantage of it. I’ve learned a lot over the past few years and I’ve made a lot of friends online and off since I started!
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?
I’d say because it’s my own site, it hasn’t been too bumpy. The biggest challenges I face are consistent posting (I was in high school and now I’m dealing with college and job) and I htink costs of running it. Blogging can be free but also if you want to do it professionally, you’ve got to invest in it a little which I do with programs like web hosting and photo/video editing. Also, it’s been difficult because this is a largely social media based profession, so at a young age, it was hard watching all of these other bloggers’ “highlight reels” when it felt like I was mediocre at best. My advice is to just ignore those feelings and focus on bettering yourself and your craft so you can always say you’re proud of the content you made! When your personality comes through your work, people can tell!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Chic Machine – what should we know?
The Chic Machine started off as a fashion blog, but now it’s a college lifestyle blog with an emphasis on women of color and college finances and how they play into the lives we create for ourselves! I do interviews with other young bloggers, beauty reviews, fashion shoots and more! I think it’s good for WOC to have a place to see that we don’t have to fit certain stereotypes and that we can be ourselves without trying to keep up with the Joneses. My biggest accomplishment since starting the blog has been becoming a brand representative for the makeup and skincare company Glossier. I’ve helped ensure that the voices of POC Glossier shoppers are heard and that makes me feel incredible every day.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I think the current administration has diminished a lot of positions for women, or at least the belief that we deserve positions at any level. I think that a lot of women will be poised to take public office very soon which is something I’m excited about. Outside of that, I just believe that if you see a void in an industry that you think you can fill, you should at least try it! I just started fundraising for my new home decor styling site, 25/8 Decor, because I saw a gap in the industry that I think should be fixed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thechicmachine.com
- Email: dymond.moore@thechicmachine.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thechicmachine
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thechicmachine
- Other: www.facebook.com/258decor
Image Credit:
Devin Kielle
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
