Today we’d like to introduce you to Lesley Silva.
Lesley, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born in Miami, Florida and moved to Dallas when I was four years old. I have always had a passion for creating and writing. I have been writing since I could hold a pen and my love for it lead me to choose my major in public relations. Once finish school, I hope to do more with it, but for now, I have a little poetry book available on Amazon called Carpe Diem. I currently work full-time at a marketing firm in Irving, while attending college and balancing a blog. I like staying busy and love what I do, but once I graduate this May, I will be able to focus on my business and bring some ideas to life which I am very excited about.
I started my blog with intentions to keep it as a digital portfolio to apply to internships with. I started researching what to do to make it look good and professional. While I was researching, I realized how much more I could do with such a platform. I found community and realized what a fun opportunity this was to connect with like-minded women. My goal with my blog has always been to inspire, encourage, connect, and share affordable fashion finds with this community. My parents have always encouraged me to build something for myself, I have been financially independent since I was 19 and realized very quickly I can only go so far working under others. So, I decided to stop letting the fear of what others think to get in the way and just go for it. I decided to take Instagram seriously a few weeks before I landed my first collaboration in January 2018. I shot as much as I could on weekends and worked for solely gifting for almost a year before my first paid collaboration. I know a lot of girls are curious about the blogger world, it is the most common question in my DMs. I think it is because there is no rulebook, timeline, test- everyone has their own journey and I find that amazing! I really want to create a blogging 101 series on my blog to help other girls starting out once I graduate.
I still have a long way to go and so much more to learn about the industry, but the most valuable thing I’ve learned from this is: Showing up every day for something you love is the foundation to grow. I am so thankful for the opportunities this side-hustle has brought me. I have been able to work with amazing brands and meet so many influential women. It has helped me pay off the credit card debt I used to afford student textbooks and stop living paycheck to paycheck. I am always thankful.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think like most journeys there were some obstacles along the way. For me, it was trying to balance attending college full-time, a full-time job, and creating content constantly. I had to sacrifice a few things in order to make things happen, one of those being my social life. If my friends were to read this, they would know the truth in me saying I am basically a grandma trapped into a 21-year-old body who is in bed by 10 pm and only attends work parties. I think another challenge I faced was learning the art of patience, this one was hard. It is easy to look around and find those growing rapidly day by day, or going viral from a post, and simply get discouraged in your work. But it is important to remind yourself; good things take time. I truly believe anyone can get to where they want to go if they focus on their “why”, find patience, and don’t stop moving.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a Dallas based blogger who loves sharing affordable fashion finds fun local spots and everyday life experiences with my community. My everyday goal is to inspire and encourage those around me. I love sharing my faith as well, it is a big part of who I am. I think something that sets me apart from others is that I always try to show authenticity and vulnerability through my content, I want to be someone people can connect with and truly feel like they are friends with, not just a gal that posts an OOTD. I also strive to share really affordable fashion finds, I am a college student so deals and sales are my best friend.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I love Dallas and I think it is an amazing place to start blogging or any business in general. There is such a great community of women supporting each other as girl bosses and I am all for it! I have connected with such amazing girls through social media that are local and some have even become close friends! Dallas also has some fun blogger events happening all the time, which is a great opportunity to network, learn and have fun. If you’re starting out and get invited to your first event, I definitely encourage you to go!
Contact Info:
- Website: lesleydiana.com
- Email: hello@lesleydiana.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesleydianaa/
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas 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.
