Today we’d like to introduce you to Mila Clarke-Buckley.
Mila, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve always been interested in storytelling. I was on the yearbook staff in high school, worked on the Student Publications Committee in college and graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Houston. I started a blog after I took a class in college centered around social justice and investigative reporting. The class had a blogging component and I didn’t know it at the time, but it really defined the road I took. I kept a blog and continued writing, but it wasn’t until May of 2016 that I started my blog, Hangry Woman after I was diagnosed with diabetes and couldn’t find a non-medical, everyday resource about what it’s like living with the chronic illness. I felt so alone with it and there were so many assumptions and misconceptions that I wanted to bust wide open when I started to get questions about it. I began writing and vlogging about my experience very candidly – sharing recipes, struggles, and self-care tips, and people from all over the country started following along and sharing their own wisdom. It gave me this passion for living a full life, but also diving deeper into my authentic self and sharing my own experience.
After my blog expanded, I got questions from people who wanted to do the same thing as me – blog and share their experiences as an influencer. I started Milabeeee Media as a consulting firm to help bloggers own their voice, and generate content to match.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
When you’re an entrepreneur or someone who just wants to work on the things you love, there are always some struggles along the way. One of my biggest struggles was trying to find my voice among so many people who were aiming to do the same things as me or feeling inadequate like I was never going to achieve what I set out to do. Along the way I realized three things: 1) there’s only one me and there’s something unique about me. Not everyone is going to like it or identify with it and the only thing I can do well is to always be true to myself. As long as I’m myself, I’ll find the right tribe and I’ll feel good at the end of the day knowing that I own my voice.
The second thing is to plan! Whether you put it down on a crumpled napkin or a fancy planner, write your goals down. Put dates on them and give yourself a timeline. Be specific. The more specific you are, the better. It will surprise you how writing things down can change your direction. I started planning out my blog using a paper planner and it really has changed the way I think about blogging. I’m committed to it and my deadlines are real. As soon as I put ideas down on paper, I was motivated to actually execute them, and not just have them sit as a draft on my blog.
The third is that there’s room for everyone. Always. And, when you truly believe that you’ll find collaborators and friendships that you never thought you would have.
Please tell us about Hangry Woman & Milabeeee Media.
I have lived the life of being a struggling blogger – not knowing what to write about, not knowing how to design or host my website, not understanding the things it takes to maintain and keep a functioning blog. It’s draining. You can pour your heart, soul and money into this thing and feel like you’re not getting anything in return.
My day job and career path are in Social Media and Digital Marketing and I wanted to use that expertise and share what I’ve learned with other bloggers who want to do meaningful work, share their stories and monetize their platforms. I started Milabeee Media for that reason. I specialize in social media management, website and digital platform audits and strategy sessions to help bloggers, brands and businesses build their platforms from the ground up.
I’m really proud that I get to work one-on-one with large brands whose work I admire, and also help to make those connections with other bloggers I know. I’m a firm believer that there’s room for everyone, and when you invite people in, you make your community stronger. I’m glad to be a part of the blogger community in Houston and just as appreciative that it has given so much to me.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
From my perspective as a millennial woman, I see other millennial women who are extremely capable, with fresh ideas and a unique style of working, but because of our youth, we’re automatically looked at as inexperienced or incapable of being strong leaders. That perception has stuck and you can feel locked in a box.
In my experience, leaders come from the most unexpected places and I think, as young female professionals get a chance to prove ourselves in the workplace, we’ll see our equity rise and find a seat at the table. If we don’t get that seat, we’re creating our own tables and moving forward in the ways we know how. That to me is the most amazing response to the barriers we sometimes face.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hangrywoman.com
- Email: mila@hangrywoman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehangrywoman
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thehangrywoman
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/thehangrywoman
Image Credit:
Katie Moreno 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.
