We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Solange McKenzie. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Solange below.
Solange, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Keeping it completely honest, I don’t think I have totally overcome imposter syndrome. As I start to reflect on when I experience imposter syndrome, it usually happens when I am approaching a new level or I am starting to achieve a new goal in my journey of life. Some steps that I’ve found extremely helpful when I’m going through my imposter syndrome are: 1. Identifying if it, because you can’t solve or work on a problem without knowing what it is first. 2. I seek affirmations! I seek them from myself, usually by revisit something I did really well, anything that when I look at it or think about it, I genuinely get that “I DID THAT!!!!!” feeling. I also seek affirmations from those close to me who I trust, because a lot of those time, those people can see positive things about you, that you don’t see yourself. And 3. This is a new step I realized as we go through this interview, going forward, I will try to turn this negative feeling into a positive one by recognizing that it means I am leveling up! I am entering into. a new stage into a new stage that God is saying I’m ready for.
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?
I am a content creator. My goal through my platform is to help my community of tall women and girls, to empower them through fashion and advocate for them. I share the knowledge and tips that, by trial and error, I’ve learned. I also highlight brands that work well for me. I even created a Guide for Tall Girls and Women to make the shopping process easier for them. It’s a list of brands (with links) that specifically cater to Tall people. It is an ever-evolving guide as more and more brands come to the forefront and it’s currently free to access. But on top of that I try to go further to try and reach the fashion industry on a larger scale because we should be able to go into a retail store and find clothes that are made for us. I also like to include Black Girl in luxury fashion/lifestyle in my content as well, simply because we deserve to experience the best life has to offer.
Outside of being a content creator, I’m a Montessori Certified Educator. I don’t talk about it a lot but it has influenced my work as a Content Creator because to me it’s a form of education. One of the biggest themes in Montessori Education is meeting the children where they are, and I carry that with me whenever someone in my tall community comes to me for help. We are all at different places in our journey and being able to recognize and understand where someone else is in their journey helps me to better assist them
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?
1. Everyone started somewhere! I know we see tons of creators that are successful in their areas of focus, but that didn’t happen overnight… Especially for the ones who are truly passionate about their craft. They took the resources they had and they started. They learned along the way, whether it was trial and error, research, or asking for help. They put in the work and most importantly they kept going.
2. It’s not going to be a straight trajectory: There will be ups and down, highs and lows, moments of achievement and moments of struggle. It’s all okay because we are all human and life isn’t always perfect. Hold onto those moments of achievement because they will help you get through the struggle. Build your circle of people you trust, they will help you through the peaks and valleys (you need to do the same for them!) And always remember, take breaks when you need to, put yourself and your mental health first.
3. Build your relationship and trust in God (or whatever higher source of power you believe in)! (S)He is always going to be with(in) you.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
Support me!
Parents out there, no matter what, the best thing you can do for your child (at any age) is support them, even if you don’t fully understand what it is that they are doing. That support can look different depending on where you are in life. It could be telling others about what your child is doing, my dad always does this. It could be asking questions and learning about their endeavors. Whenever something new happens for me, my mom always asks me questions about it to learn and understand more. If you don’t have certain resources as a parent, connecting you child to someone who does is a huge help too! Because my parents are paying attention to and talking with me about the things I’m doing, if they go out into the world and meet someone who could help, they are the first people to speak my name and connect me with that individual.
Those are just a few examples of support. But simply knowing that they are in my corner means the world to me and I am extremely grateful!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shesaglamazon.com
- Instagram: @glamazon_11 (www.instagram.com/glamazon_11 )
- Other: Tall Girl Brands Guide ( https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SpZTy7IjmgN8TFeG3mHkGWFGE8TeOvx72VHh1PpfX9s/edit#gid=252443528 , please hyperlink to title if possible) TikTok- @glamazon_11 ( https://www.tiktok.com/@glamazon_11 )
Image Credits
Doug D’Elia, Onyeka Deborah, Ticia Tolas, Benji Coy, @PersonalBravery
