We had the good fortune of connecting with Naomi Noel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Naomi Noel, what is the most important factor behind your success?
One of the most important factors to success as a blogger/content creator is being genuine. In the world of social media, there is a constant pull of who has the most followers, the most Pinterest worthy house, and the most enviable vacations. It is easy for one to compare oneself to bloggers or content creators on social media and conversely bloggers or content creators to compare themselves to others in their respective platforms. It can be a vicious cycle trying to keep up with Joneses. That is why I decided early on in my blogging career to be as genuine as possible instead of trying to be someone I am not. If I spent my time building a platform that wasn’t genuinely me then what do any likes or follows really mean. The answer for me is that any of it would feel empty.

My goal for my social media brand and blog has already been to encourage a sense of community that champions real life moments and is approachable for the everyday person. I hope my genuineness and heart for others well-being lives on past trends and social media highlights. As the great Maya Angelou said. “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am blessed to be able to have two careers with one being my daytime job and the other my evening and weekend job. My daytime job is in Higher Education and has been for 9 years. I was inspired to have a career in higher education because of my former academic advisor in college. Her incredible support while I was a college student made me realized that I wanted to be in that role as well. I wanted to support and encourage college students in their dreams and goals. My philosophy working with college students has always been to keep it relatable and genuine. At times, sharing my personal journey as a college student with all the highs and lows of life in between has built a bridge of common ground with my students.

One of the biggest lessons I learned as a college student that applies outside the classroom, is that life is a marathon not a sprint. When I was a first-generation college student working to put myself through school, I was eager to prove to myself and others that I could earn a degree and have a successful career. I pushed so hard to the point of mental break downs and health issues. My philosophy for years was “I can sleep when I am dead’. It is important to work hard and have goals, but it should never destroy your mental and physical well-being. When it gets to that point, it is time to readjust. I had to have that come to Jesus moment in my life where I realized I was out of balance. My sprint pace of day to day life was impacting other areas of my life like the relationships around me. Now, balance is one of my top priorities. It is a lesson that I share with my students. I see the same fire in them that I had in college, but I also notice those unhealthy patterns of life is a sprint mentality. I encourage them to have more of a marathon approach and pace themselves, keep their physical and mental well-being a priority, and have a healthy balance in life.

Keeping a healthy balance can be tricky when juggling two careers. I never want to compare my situation to anyone else, because there are plenty of single parents out there with a million things on their plates and others with really challenging circumstances that are making it happen each day. But I make an effort to remind myself to never let the hustle overtake the lessons I have learned about balance. Those life lessons absolutely carry into my second career as a blogger/content creator.

The world of social media is unique bubble to have a career. I have had a blog and presence on social media since 2016. What blogging and being a content creator looks like now versus when I started is a completely different experience. For example, one piece of content is now multidimensional. Sharing content is not solely posting photos on a website or publishing a blog post, now it is about video content, and catering that content for multiple apps like Instagram, TikTok etc. It can be overwhelming as a blogger and content creator to attempt to keep up with the ever changing and fast pace world of social media, while always wanting to create quality content. But it goes back to balance. I have found that when I strive to have balance in my life, I can be that much better at what I do and most importantly I can give my best to those I care about in my life. Sure, I have moments of discouragement and frustration with my blogging/content creator career trying to maintain relevance and grow the business. At the end of the day, I am thankful to have two careers that I love and that have afforded me the opportunity to connect with incredible individuals. I hope that when others see my careers or come across my work they are encouraged to never give up on their goals and to embrace who they genuinely are.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Dallas is such a vibrant city and there is something for everyone. I am a native Texan but not native to Dallas and I feel I am a tourist in my own city all the time. Bishops Arts District south of downtown is an eclectic mix of food, arts, fashion, and music. There is always something new to see each time I visit there and it is one of my top recommendations to anyone visiting or new to living in Dallas. North of Dallas in Plano is a place called Shops at Legacy West. It is one my top favorite places for shopping and a good environment. It is a perfect area to walk around and window shop or hang out for hours with many great restaurants and shops. Shops at Legacy West always has festive decorations for the different seasons so there are plenty of photo opportunities there. Finally, my favorite place in all of Dallas is White Rock Lake. It is a beautiful and peaceful park area for any nature lover or any that wants to relax. I personally love to walk for miles around the lake area and take in the serene views. There are plenty of spaces for jogging, biking, picnics, fishing, and canoeing on the lake. Be sure to check out Dallas Parks website for rental information on certain activities and events at White Rock Lake.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As a first-generation college graduate, I was overwhelmed when I first started college. I had no idea what I was doing and I wanted to give up. But I had an incredible academic advisor, Pearl Dixie, who was the sweetest Southern Belle. She became a mentor to me and believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. I credit not only my completion of my college degree to her encouragement but the self-motivation I have since then that has carried me throughout the seasons of life. Despite all my tears and moments of venting in her office, I will never forget her unwavering kindness and her dedication to never let me forget my goals and dreams.

Website: https://www.southernsophisticated.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomi.noel

Other: Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/southernsophisticated

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.