Today we’d like to introduce you to Embler Igwe.
Embler, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’d never really thought I had a story to tell, but after looking back on how far I’ve come, it almost seemed like a disservice to God to not give him all of the glory. I didn’t start my journey as a blogger or anything close to it. My background is in health. I went to a high school that focused on bringing up future physicians and even took a few pre-med classes in college, but I knew all along that I didn’t desire to be a physician. I then took the path towards nursing but then detoured when the thought of what I would be exposed to within the pages of my Anatomy and Physiology book made me cringe. I eventually was directed towards the path to law school and even convinced myself that this was where I should be enough to graduate with a major in political science and a minor in legal studies.
After months of not being able to get work as a legal assistant and many talks with a variety of attorneys, I soon realized that my desire to not study for the LSAT was probably a sign that this was not the path for me. But it wasn’t until I tried to convince a law school advisor of why I was interested in the program that I realized that I haven’t spent the last few months trying to convince people of why I want to be an attorney. I’ve been trying to convince myself. I knew I could be a great attorney but I finally realized that it didn’t give me joy and I wouldn’t be truly happy as one. So, instead of trying to figure out which professional school to apply to next, I decided to pump the breaks and everything and just look for something to do in the meantime. After months of not being able to find work because I “wasn’t experienced” enough in anything really, I finally said yes to God’s call for me to start a blog be just did it. But I didn’t just do it, I researched it, trained myself on how to do it, prayed about it and THEN finally did it. I launched my blog May of 2016 and was asked to cover African Fashion Week Houston three months later, among other really cool projects.
However, blogging wasn’t going to pay the bills so I got a job as a manager at a retail store in the meantime. I thought I was one step closer to where I needed to be now that I was working with clothes but boy was I wrong. I found myself writing down my goals and dreams on blank receipts in between checking customers out but I wasn’t going to leave until I had a plan. Since I didn’t “gave enough experience”, I knew my next step would be to get some. I told God that if I was to get an unpaid internship that would provide me with experience, then I would need a part-time job that would give me some type of income. Fast forward to April 2017, I finally left retail and got a job as a temporary social media manager for a natural hair company a day after. Two days after that I got a job as a digital media intern at a productions company.
Unfortunately, a few months later my internship ended and so did my job, so I was back at square one. Like before, I went back to blogging full time and would gain revenue from different side hustles until I was able to secure a full-time job.
January 2018 came and I was still going back and forth about whether my passions were strong enough to make me pursue them in real life. Several talks with mentors showed me that they were but I didn’t decide to take the leap of faith until the day of the big freeze that shut the city down. Stuck at home with nowhere to go, I sat down in my room and talked to God. That was the day I came across a YouTuber who made videos about how God orchestrated different events in her life and was compelled to take a step forward because if he could do it for her then he can do it for me. I pulled out my resume, put the link to my blog right under my name, polished it a little so that my work as a blogger really stuck out and sent it out. A few weeks later I got a job as a social media contractor for a clinic and shortly after I started the role of social media manager for my church. From January until now, I’ve learned to see my talent for digital storytelling and social media marketing as a gift from God and have begun taking the steps needed to further cultivate my craft.
So to conclude this long list of events, I am now an advocate for creating your own experience. If someone tells you that you’re not experienced enough for a certain position, don’t just sit down twiddling your thumbs until someone else gives it to you, go out and get it. Internships, collaborations, and volunteer opportunities are great places to start. If you’re in a creative industry like me, obtain a portfolio that highlights the dope things you’ve created. In my case, my blog was my portfolio and it was because of the fact that I invested so much into and really worked with what God gave me that I was later introduced to so many destiny helpers who helped bring about unthinkable blessings. One of them being the fact that I’m able to even tell my story on this really cool platform. You don’t really know what’s on the other side of taking a leap of faith, but you’ll never know until you get out of the boat and take it.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road to becoming who you were meant to be is never easy. In fact, it’s when you decide to go down that road that life really starts getting harder, but it’s ok. It’s the setbacks that you’ll overcome that will equip you with the tools needed to empower other women. Never for a moment try to do things like someone else because just because it worked for them, doesn’t mean it’ll work for you. You have to find out what works for you and embrace it. I believe that despite it all, God has always been there for me and he’ll be there for you too. All you need is a little faith and a lot of hard work.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Embler Today story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a digital marketer by day and a lifestyle blogger by night. I’ve always been a writer at heart and have found a way to tell stories through social media marketing, so my field of work is mostly based on digital marketing. There’s really nothing more fun than being able to find creative ways to market a company’s brand online. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t have been able to discover my ability to do this without first having built my own brand. Embler Today focuses on highlighting different restaurants around town along with providing fashion inspiration for everyday life. Despite it all, my pride and joy come from finally being able to boldly incorporate my faith in what I do. I don’t just tell people where to eat or what to wear, I focus on encouraging everyone to be the person God created them to be.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
Hmmm. I would say figuring out how to lead without losing your femininity is a huge task. I am proud of being as girly as it gets, but sometimes I feel as if I have to tone it down to get the respect I deserve. I strongly believe that women shouldn’t have to become more “masculine” in order to be taken seriously. A woman’s femininity has nothing to do with her ability to lead, what makes her a great leader is how she leads.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.emblertoday.com
- Email: info@emblertoday.com
- Instagram: @emblertoday
- Facebook: Embler Today
Image Credit:
OOTD Pics @imgartistry, Sitting on a Bench Pic @loveinmylens, Create and Cultivate floral pic and food pics are mine
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