Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonja Mitchell.
Hi Sonja, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a Content Creator, I’ve had a social media presence for the last 5 years. I started my YouTube channel in 2017, vlogging funny and exciting moments with my friends. As I grew my channel, I realized how much my journey with God and overcoming life experiences could help other young women like me grow. I saw a need to help build confidence among the women who followed me. Whether it was confidence in their relationship with God, or in their daily outfits/choice of style, I began creating Christian encouragement videos and plus-size fashion content across YouTube and Instagram.
In fashion, my mission is to help Christian women find & embrace their style without shame! Creating a space for these women to love God and beautiful clothes, while releasing them from fashion limitations defined by the word “modest”. In faith, I educate women on how to develop an authentic relationship with God that builds internal confidence. My virtual bible study, Ghetto Bible Study, is a fun and relatable way to learn God’s word and identify your authentic self in Christ.
Growing this platform over the past 5 years has taught me that I’m not just building a brand. I’m building a confident, Godly community of curves!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Having an online presence isn’t a smooth road for anyone. I tell aspiring Content Creators all the time that this journey is a marathon, not a race! The biggest obstacle that I face now, as many Black creators do, is being undervalued and underpaid for my work. Yet, still filled with creativity and desire to show up for my dedicated audience that continues to root me on.
The balance between wanting to create, having amazing ideas, and accepting that sometimes those ideas won’t be fairly compensated, promoted, or even shown to my audience can be discouraging. With all the black creatives that are shining in this season, there are just as many (if not more) that are still waiting to be acknowledged.
And yet, I find inspiration to keep creating when I see my fellow Influencers in spaces that we’ve had to work hard to be in. Knowing that they didn’t give up reassures me that my time is coming soon. Just as I teach my audience, faith without works is dead, I also remind myself that in due time I will reap what I have sown.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
My platform currently focuses on 3 areas of content creation: Fashion, Lifestyle, and Faith.
I create plus size fashion videos on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok illustrating how Christian curvy and plus women can find and develop their style with accessible clothing. I create look books, outfit ideas, and try-on hauls to walk my audience through finding clothes they enjoy and how to style them. I also educate my audience on the best trends, fit, and looks for their body types.
Ghetto Bible Study (GBS) is my virtual bible study class I conduct on Instagram live. GBS is a fun and relatable way to learn God’s word and identify your authentic self in Christ. I pair my own life experiences with God’s word to help women release the shame of their pasts, and anxieties about their future, and develop a transparent relationship with Christ.
Most recently, I’ve begun creating lifestyle content again with vlogging on YouTube. I wanted to show my audience how I live out the things I encourage them to do. I also wanted to share more of myself, my day to day, and just how much I relate to them. I can say that I’m most proud of being courageous enough to share my creativity and vulnerability online. What sets me apart is my passion to genuinely seeing my audience become their best selves. To not just ask them to consume my work, or use my discount code, or let me influence them into buying something they may not need. But to create a community of women who are brave enough to be imperfect in front of Christ and still know that we are loved and valued regardless of our past and our outfit!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Always remain teachable! The only thing in life that is certain is change! I change, my audience changes, circumstances change, algorithm changes, lol. The more I fight change, the more frustrated I become trying to force my way on a “norm” that is loyal to no one. Being teachable is a skill that keeps you flexible and helps you strengthen your ability to pivot. And so, on my journey, God has taught me the importance of finding the lesson in every season, applying the skills said lesson taught me, and not being afraid to reevaluate what I thought I knew.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @simplysonja_m
- Youtube: Simply Sonja
- Other:www.tiktok.com/@simplysonja_m
