Today we’d like to introduce you to Tye Dennis.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tye. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
For as long as I could remember, I’ve always kept a diary. I loved recollecting my day and it served as therapy as I could privately get a bad day off of my chest. Writing and learning from my experiences at such a young age fast tracked my wisdom. It’s almost as if I became a diary myself as friends and family began to appoint me as the confidant and advisor of their lives. My love for fashion stemmed from my mother’s obsession with dressing me in all the latest styles as though I were her babydoll and watching my aunt design and host fashion shows during my youth. I was the girl in the fashion program at my high school that wore fur coats, ripped jeans, and thick heeled open toe boots before it became popular. Staying true to myself is what birthed my originality in my style and writing.
After I graduated high school and started attending Howard University, I began to see the importance of making an impact on others lives. The motto of my school is “Truth and Service” and I knew that I wanted my purpose to reflect that. I started my journey as a communications major in hopes of becoming a reporter, but switched to philosophy after taking a class in the field. As I’ve always had a thing for accumulating knowledge and learning from my experiences, it was right up my alley. Learning philosophy at an HBCU specifically, made me more aware of my (black) self, my (black) experiences, and my purpose as a black woman. I knew that as long as I had knowledge, I could inform people so why wait until I graduate? I began with my first platform “the childhood classic”. It was great for a while, but I began to resent it because it only showcased my unique fashion sense and not my writing. It was in that moment that I deleted the platform and all of my social media and began rebranding for the next 6 months. I wanted to not only create unique fashion concepts, but inform others of my life lessons through my writing. That’s when I began thinking of a unique approach to drag my “video based” generation into the old-school way of reading. The reason I was able to consistently write and read from my diary was because I wrote as if I were talking to my best friend. So I decided to keep that tone to attract young adults. I mixed my passions of writing and styling together to create a blogazine that would feature my carefully curated “extratorials” (editorials) every week; leaving readers with new knowledge and styles they could too take on. I’ve been called extra and outgoing all my life, so “That Extravert” felt like a perfect fit when deciding on a name. It’s my nature to go above and beyond in every field and it will be the reason That Extravert excels far beyond my wildest dreams!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
So far, it has been a joy ride. I am doing what I love, so it doesn’t feel like an annoying obligation. I love creating new concepts and relating the knowledge I want to give through a relatable story every week. Sometimes I do feel the pressures of consistently posting a new extratorial each week to keep my audience engaged, along with balancing my college schedule; But as with every new challenge in life, I’ll overcome it in due time. I’m looking forward to the growth of my blogazine and result in myself.
Please tell us about your work.
My blogazine, “That Extravert,” features a carefully curated “extratorial” that is put out every week. It showcases an outfit that I’ve styled for the week along with a written piece that motivates, inspires, and informs my generation. All generations are welcomed, but I specifically write for young adults. I think of it as my showcased journey of “adulting”. I specialize in styling, writing, and graphic design. I made my own logo, website, and every graphic you see pertaining to That Extravert. I’m known f0r my originality, extra-ness, and transcending taste. I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve been able to tap into the attention of my generation and the positive feedback makes it all worth it. It’s always amazing to hear a “wow, I needed this.” My passion is what sets me apart from others. I love what I do and it shows. I go over and beyond for my blogazine and as a result quality content is produced every week. In the words of my friend, “it’s like a page-turning book.”
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Not a thing. The main thing I stress to myself and others about life is that it goes exactly how it should. Not one mistake, success, downfall, or come up happens for no reason. It’s your ability to learn and adapt that determines how far you will go.
Contact Info:
- Website: ThatExtravert.com
- Email: thatextravert@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/thatextravert
- Twitter: Twitter.com/thatextravert
Image Credit:
God
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