On April 15th, 2017 I decided to launch my first blog post. When I posted my first blog, I had no idea what I was doing when I posted it other than I wanted to share my outfits online with people that would always ask me where I got my outfits from. Growing up plus size it was always hard to find outfits that would fit me and I knew I loved clothes so much but I didn’t know where to shop. I found so many people in my personal life asking the same question of where to shop so I decided to create a space where I could share every outfit I wore and make a difference for the people in my personal life and maybe others too. I remember thinking I’ll see where this goes but I was so proud to have hit post in 2017. On my recent podcast, Girl Boss Hour, I reminisce about the day. I launched this blog. I remember going to a Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Dali museum in Saint Pete taking pictures against a floral wall with my sister-in-law and reminding myself that I could use those photos in a blog post. Remembering the small details like this show that at any point in time, you can start a journey you just have to decide to start.

As the years have gone on and the blog is still thriving I am always reminded of how proud I am of staying consistent. When there are times that I have not posted on this blog for months and then out of the blue decide today’s the day I want to post a blog, I am still thankful for this page. I never knew how to get where I wanted to go when I first started, but I knew I had to try and that was the first step not only starting, but trying. Throughout high school after my American Idol denial, I started figuring out the idea of what I wanted to do in college. I knew I wanted to start my own business so I decided that I wanted to fill a notebook with different business ideas or creative opportunities that I wanted to do one day when I got my degree. This notebook was filled with ideas to craft my own business or even have an event planning company. The one that stuck out to me always was to start a blog. I forgot about this list for a while until I started University life. It wasn’t until my first year at the university of Tampa where I took an information management systems class that taught me all about WordPress was when I started the blog. So cheyennelenore.com was really Cheyenne’s Style throughout my Junior year of college. It wasn’t until the decision to go full time blogger that I changed the name to Blogs By Cheyenne and launched on the 15th of April.

I never really knew what I was doing when I first started blogging other than I wanted to share my fashion. Along the way, I realized I could share my story and my confidence journey. Having low self-esteem and low confidence in myself growing up was difficult. Being bullied every day in school also caused a lot of of my self-esteem issues. I knew that if I could open up and share my story that it could help somebody – anybody. During my second year of blogging, I realized that this was possible, and I can make it happen.

as I head into my eighth year of blogging and being on the Internet and sharing my life online, the confidence is at an all-time high and the journey still continues. There are times where of course I have my days, but I’ve learned to let go of the fashion norms, where would I want to wear and be exactly who I want to be. A true girl boss! I’ve gone out of my comfort zone with my fashion and fully embraced me.

when I started this block, I wanted to share my outfits, but then I was given this platform to share my story and experience that I had been through growing up being bullied. The reason I want to continue to share is to help inspire girls who have been through what I’ve been through and who look like me and watch to feel that confidence too. If it wasn’t for my education, I wouldn’t have realized what I had gone through. I never understood the pain that I was going through at the time and didn’t realize it was called bullying. This blog and platform that I’ve created has helped to grow my confidence and my self-esteem more than any thing. And for that, I’m forever grateful.

I will always be on the journey of confidence and self love. As I continue to post videos online, I’m constantly faced with the battle of cyber bullying daily. Even though 15 years ago, I was being bullied for my weight in person I still this day and being bullied online. The comments, messages and responses I get from the people that I’ve helped change their lives, their mindset or their outfits has helped me continue to stay strong and show up. This is why I do what I do. The amount of messages that I have received about impacting their lives on outfits and fashion, and even self-confidence have meant the world to me. I think back in say if I never posted my blog on April 15, 2017, none of those comments messages or responses whatever have been sent to me. This is what it’s all about. This is my why.

Remebering how this blog started is a reminder that anyone can start anything they put their mind to. If you want to be a singer, you could become a singer if you want to be a blogger, you could become a blogger. You can create something from nothing. When I started letting my story guide the way was the minute everything changed for me.

It’s always a girl boss state of mind here on the blog! This blog would not be possible without the passion and the drive to truly make it happen. What a girl boss hour is all about! Eight years of blogging means eight years of stories and vulnerability and action behind every idea. I was so determined through these eight years to post and share more and more. Can you believe there are still things that I haven’t shared? That will just be on the podcast! With these posts on the blog and throughout my Instagram, I have opened up my mind and my heart to the world. As an influencer, I’m proud that I’ve continued to stay consistent on being myself and starting the journey. Everything started with an idea, a dream and a notebook. I look back a lot and wonder if I never got my education I wouldn’t be writing this blog today. I’m so grateful that I got my multiple degrees and decided to make a dream a reality for eight years.

Why Did I Start Cheyenne Lenore?

I receive a lot of questions why I started a blog first. It’s rare now to have started blogging first before becoming an influencer. I think the story is very special because it all started with a keyboard. Before there was a keyboard was a microphone. For years, I loved to sing and perform. Singing was such a passion, and I wanted to become a singer, (I auditioned for American Idol several times). After not making it on American Idol during my high school years and singing always being my outlet I had to realize that my passion that I loved so much was not going to become a reality. Even as of this year, I auditioned for my final time on American Idol and I did not make it. Letting go of something that got you through so much of your pain was like losing a first love. Growing up music was always there for me. It was something I could listen to without anybody telling me I was ugly or fat. It was an opportunity to let go of what I was feeling and put it into a song. There were times where I believed every word they said about me in school where I would come home crying, wondering why this would happen to me. Music was such a passion for me that I started to write. I would write music and create poems that I would make songs with, and this was my outlet. There were songs that would talk about the pain that I was going through feeling invisible and people treating me wrongly by saying such negative things. By me creating music, it allowed me to escape and having this music is the reason that I am still here today.

Something I often say is instead of a microphone I have a keyboard now I didn’t realize I needed the blog more than it truly needed me. My voice was meant for something, but I never knew I could actually share my story with a keyboard instead of a microphone. Ever since having this blog and my social media platform, I’ve been able to use my voice through a keyboard and through video content, which for me is more than a song, it’s my true identity and my true story. I knew my story was worth telling I just didn’t know how until this blog.

As of today, I have reclaimed my microphone and now I am a Podcaster. So just when I thought a keyboard was all I could do to share my voice, my podcast microphone is my new way to share my voice. A voice that will never be done sharing the story of turning pain into a passion, creating a platform, and having the girl boss state of mind.

2,920 days of sharing content online and being present through social media and on this blog. Thank you for always reading and engaging in all my content throughout all platforms. You have no idea how much it means to me to know that you are helping my dreams come true.

Cheers to eight years of self love and confidence! Cheers to making dreams a reality and always living in a girl boss state of mind!

Today I launched my first ever podcast, click here to check it out! Girl Boss Hour Episode 1!