Meet Deborah Young

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deborah Young. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Deborah below.

Hi Deborah, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

Most of my life in the community where I grew up, I was the only multi-ethnic individual, and it was very hard being the only one who looked like me. This is very true; it was incredibly difficult for me. A lot of times, I felt insecure, and sometimes, to this day, I still feel insecure about the way I look.

However, I had to make a choice early on, especially when I got more serious in high school and about my career, that I was not going to let looking different take so much power and control over me. I wasn’t going to let it stop me from being successful and pursuing my dreams. It wasn’t easy, but with the help of social media, I found support. This is why I love being a blogger and connecting online. Seeing other people who look like me, hearing their experiences and advice, and seeing their successes helped me tremendously.

It was definitely not easy for me; it took a lot of time to practice self-love and learn to accept who I am. I had to understand that some people just don’t look like me, and not everyone is going to be like me, and that’s OK. Again, it’s not easy, but it’s something I had to learn to do to have a career, a life, and to be a blogger.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

What I love about being a blogger is getting to express myself. I know it’s an opinion blog, you know, entertainment. I guess you can say that. I do movie reviews, talk about TV shows, and discuss things in life that I have opinions and thoughts on. It’s all supposed to be just entertainment, nothing to be taken seriously, just fun.

For most of my life, I didn’t feel like I had a platform to talk or express myself. I think what I love about my blog is that it’s a place where you can express how you feel. We can have opinions, and we have a great community. I’ve made connections online, and I want people to know that my blog is just meant to be entertainment.

Like I said, it’s about movies, television, lifestyle, theme parks, etc. All sorts of different topics will come up on my blog. It’s not just a blog on one topic; I want to cover many topics, and I’m okay with that. I hope people enjoy what they read, like, and follow me.

A big thank you to everyone who has supported me these last couple of years. You have been so kind and supportive, and I definitely appreciate it.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Confidence involves being willing to change who you are while knowing a lot about yourself. As a blogger, confidence is crucial. Being a blogger means having a platform where people can share opinions and say things to you. Yes, I have had some interesting, or even negative, things said about me on my blog. Some of these comments have made me sad or made me think, “Wow, that was definitely a negative statement or phrase to put out there.”

I have had to block spam and other disruptive people. I’ve had to filter certain words and phrases on my social media and blog. This experience has taught me to be confident in who I am. At the same time, if something is said that prompts me to learn and grow, I acknowledge it. There have been times when I needed to change the way I was phrasing things that could be perceived negatively. However, I remain confident in my beliefs and statements.

My advice to anyone who wants to be a blogger or post reviews online is to have confidence in who you are. Know your audience and tailor your blog or social media posts to them. Be prepared for negative comments. There are tools to block or delete these if necessary. However, don’t surround yourself with just “yes” men. It’s important to engage in critical thinking and self-analysis.

Every year, I create an improvement list to better myself. This is some of the advice I would give to anyone starting their blogging journey. You’ve got this, you can do it, and I hope you enjoy it.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

There have been many times when I have felt overwhelmed while trying to multitask and ensure that I’m running blog posts, posting on social media, tagging accounts, and using the correct hashtags. I have faced various issues, such as using the wrong hashtags and making other mistakes. So, this is my strategy advice based on what I’ve learned over the last three years.

First, pre-reset everything. Hypothetically, let’s say you’re going to a comic convention. Look ahead of time at the relevant hashtags—I’d recommend a minimum of five. Make sure you have them preset. Also, prepare preset captions for social media posts related to the event.

Look at the panels or places, exhibitors, artists, or experiences you want to visit. Research their social media platforms in advance so you can tag the right accounts and use the appropriate hashtags.

Grammar is crucial. I have made mistakes and been called out for poor grammar, so learn from my mistakes. Make sure your grammar is good. Have an editor, or ask family members and friends to help you with editing and grammar checks. It’s always good to have a second pair of eyes to ensure everything is correct.

If you take photos, use preset editing apps and make sure you reference any edits, especially if you’re using AI or other photo editing software. Being ethical and transparent about your editing is important. If you have rough photos, make sure it’s known that they are unedited.

Multitasking and preplanning can help you strategize better. I have done this for various events, such as movie premieres and conventions. These are my pieces of advice to help you stay organized and efficient.

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