Today we’d like to introduce you to Vernetta R. Freeney.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Vernetta. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started blogging in 2009 as a way to write how I felt about my job at the time. I stopped blogging due to grad school.
Fast forward to 2011, I was no longer at that job and had a lot of time on my hands. A friend suggested I started blogging again so I had something to do. I started Women Are Gamechangers September 2011 and within 6 weeks I was paid to cover my first event.
By 2012, I started working with clients on their social media, created/hosted my signature event, hosted/created a gala to benefit a nonprofit and continually practiced my craft.
2013: I added host, producer, creator of a TV show, “Ms. Gamechanger Knows” on a local Houston network to my resume and turned my signature event, Fusion Tour, into an award-winning national tour. I was also covering more events and being asked to speak about blogging.
2014: I came on board to lead the Houston African American Bloggers Association while maintaining all the above.
2015: I stopped doing the national tour and working with private clients to devote more time to building and growing HAAB. We hosted our first blog bootcamp and began a training series for members.
2016: HAAB became official with the state and we kept implementing things to provide opportunities, training, and a community to members. I was able to go to Haiti with Black Celebrity Giving and be part of their first international service project. I launched my podcast, “A Toast to Truths” to share the mental, emotional and financial perspective of entrepreneurship.
2017: I added more trainings and events to HAAB as well as huge celebrity opportunities. I became more sought after to talk, share and teach about blogging. I covered my biggest event to date the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit.
2018: I resigned from leading and being part of HAAB. I spent this year refining what my personal blog meant to me and what I would offer to my audience. I also co-founded FreshCo Community, a coworking community in Houston. I decided to rebrand the name of my personal blog and focus solely on event blogging.
2019: I’m working with local, national and international brands on their events providing promotion, event and/or influencer marketing. I’m thrilled to be currently working with Gumroad, Cirque du Soleil- Luzia show, Designs by Chimere and Afrolicious Hair Expo.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Absolutely NOT. I have had to deal with legal issues, backstabbing and huge disappointments along the journey. I’ve had people steal my Intellectual Property who called themselves my business coach. I have had people lie and say I did things I did not to deflect from them not being accountable for what they didn’t follow through with. I have received a cease and desist letter only to prove I wasn’t in the wrong and the other person’s team member was doing something behind their back. I have watched people take credit for what I did, created and act as if I wasn’t even the one who did the work to make that happen.
It’s taken me a long time to heal from some of the wounds on my journey. What I have learned is that I can’t take what others do to me personally. I can only focus on my reaction to what they have done. And it’s more important for me to not give in to what I don’t have control of. Plus, if that much and more has happened, it’s safe to say that being copied, mimicked and stolen from means my influence is something others want. So, I have learned to focus on what I can control, be proud that I can move with or without others and know that I’m a trailblazer who others watch and learn from.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
As an event blogger, I don’t just attend events and write a recap on my blog. I take it a step further and manage either or both their marketing for the event and influencer marketing. I like to work with recurring unique events that people are waiting for their return. I have worked a lot covering business events such as Verizon Minority Owned Business Summit, Texas Conference for Women, Cirque du Soleil and Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit to name a few. I’m known for being a blogger. Or “the” blogger as some people like to say. I’ve been in this space professionally since 2011 so people know me as someone who has been in this space and making moves. But what I want to be known for is one of the ones who worked hard to make this space into an industry in this city. Who spoke up when I was just 1 or 2 Black bloggers getting paid in 2012 and 2013. I want people to know that I have spent years teaching and training others to turn their blogs into businesses if that’s what they wanted. Most importantly, I want to be known as someone who worked to build something that others could benefit from. I didn’t want to be the only one in certain spaces. So, I had to step up and teach others so they too could be in spaces they deserved to be in. What sets me apart from others is the fact that I’ve been paid since 2011 as a blogger. I’m not new to this. I have done a lot of things that other bloggers have not. I had an award-winning national tour based on my blog that I won a grant by VC’s in Austin for. That lasted three years (2012-2014). I had a TV show that I hosted and produced on the Urban Houston Network in 2013. I was also the first person in the country to create a blog association specifically for African American bloggers where they had to pay dues and it’s still going on without me. I have been able to take my online personality and monetize it offline in areas that other bloggers weren’t at that time.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
I would say ask someone you admire or respect that you can actually reach. I have asked people and most have said yes. A few turned out not to be great at mentoring. So, people need to know if that’s something they can actually do for others. But when it comes to seeking a mentor, ask. And don’t ask without something to offer in return. These people are busy just like you. Before I approached anyone I asked to mentor me, I had some type of relationship with. They knew who I was and what I was about. They also knew I wouldn’t waste their time. I follow through on my word. That’s key. As far as networking, I don’t network in spaces where everyone is “hustling.” No one is there to build relationships. They are there to get a sale and that’s it. Their mindset hasn’t shifted from needing money to continue their business venture to building a relationship with people who will create a net. That way when you need referrals or business that net will toss them your way. One thing I did in either 2012 or 2013 was to have a coffee (now I don’t drink coffee) or lunch date at least one-two times a week in a one on one setting with people I was connected to on Facebook and LinkedIn. And I would do this when I traveled to other cities to speak or attend a conference. This was an expensive investment but in the long run, it has provided great returns. This allowed me to really get to know people in a relaxed environment. To this day, most of those people and I still have some type of relationship. And they will be one of the first ones to step in when I have an ask.
Pricing:
- $197 for a 1 hour consultation – blogging, influencer marketing and/or event marketing
- Event or Influencer marketing pricing is determined based on needs
- $47 – How to Cover Events and Get Paid training
Contact Info:
- Address: 5773 Woodway Dr 264
Houston, TX 77057 - Website: http://vernettarfreeney.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vrfreeney/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/VernettaRFreeneyPaidEventBlogger
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/VRFreeney
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vrfreeney
Image Credit:
Vernetta R. Freeney with the exception of Women Are Gamechangers Gala 2012. That credit goes to Tomayia Colvin Photography.
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston 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.
