Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Natalie.
Hi Erika, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I began my creative entrepreneurial journey about 3 years ago when I started a brand and organization called Frowned Smile. I knew I wanted to connect dots for people from the jump as I am the type of person who enjoys giving people clarity and spaces to connect with others in general. The brand initially started off as a personal project where I told stories through visuals and creative direction and took off when I started organizing community clean-ups in the inner loop of Houston. However, when it came to my professional career, I knew I had to find a way to do the same without giving up so much of my personal emotional/spiritual energy. Through the creative approach of organizing charity events, I quickly learned that I would thrive in Public Relations and Advertising, I then started to take myself more seriously and continued my education until I received my Associate’s Degree in Communications of Liberal Arts. I began to take all kinds of freelance gigs, from modeling a favorite brand and representing their mission to helping brands communicate a strong message to their audience. I am now still a freelance publicist, model, and creative entrepreneur, and am continuing my education at the University of Houston. As a creative entrepreneur, I have a brand called ENRG Leaves, which supports the legalization of marijuana in Texas. I believe that there is a huge stigma around cannabis use, especially within black and brown communities, so it is my mission to share the holistic and healing aspect of cannabis. I also organize and host events for my community frequently which include music/entertainment events, art events, and charitable events!
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?
The road still isn’t smooth, and frankly, I don’t think it will ever be, let alone should be. If anything, you just learn how to adapt to different paces and in different spaces. You learn to make the best of all of the experiences that lead you to your present moment. When you work with the public, it’s very easy for people to perceive you in ways that may or may not resonate with who you truly are and/or what you represent. The main struggle for most people who work in the media is the hate comments and threats that you receive from people who judge you, which for the most part, don’t even know you. This is something I’ve had to combat through my journey as I share some of my life on social media, including my vulnerabilities and my ventures. When you’re a model or “influencer”, it is common for people to set an expectation on who you’re supposed to be and what you can do for them. It is super important to have a strong understanding of who you are and what your goals are when you work in this industry because it is not for the weak-minded. Many people will try to silence you through a screen and will do everything possible to make you believe you are not worthy of the blessings you brought into your life through the obstacles you have overcame on your own. My advice to everyone is that absolutely NO ONE can or ever will be able to fight your fight the way YOU do. Just keep being true to yourself and live your life according to what your spirit resonates with. Everything good will follow when you live authentically.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a creative person, it’s natural to feel the need to explore all aspects of yourself and to dive into multiple mediums to discover all of your abilities. Personally, I simply love storytelling in all forms, and I am fascinated by the challenge that comes with communicating a vision and a feeling. I am a freelance publicist that specializes in Public Relations/Advertising, a freelance model, and a creative entrepreneur, which means that my mission is to articulate branding in ways that resonate with the public. Whether I communicate a brand’s message through modeling or by writing about them, I work hard to support the brand’s imagination so that they can share their message to the world in ways that are profound and effective. I would say I’m mostly known for my ability to create concepts resiliently. I am most proud of my ability to make every step of my professional and creative journey an unforgettable experience by taking the lessons learned with me everywhere I go. Ultimately, I love to share my vision with the world through writing, photography, and modeling. Ultimately, I will always hold it down for my Latino community and hope to document and represent more of my people in the following months/years to come.
With my ENRG Leaves business, my mission is to de-stigmatize cannabis use within the Latino community. I embrace the holistic aspect of cannabis and study the history of its’ use within our ancestral communities, which is mostly shared through pop-ups and events that are in support of the legalization of marijuana.
What’s next?
More traveling this year for sure; my personality is very flexible and adaptable, so I really get to discover multiple depths of myself when I step outside of my physical comfort zone.
I look forward to receiving more paid partnerships with my favorite brands, whether through modeling or doing PR-related work behind the scenes. Ultimately, modeling for brands that one connects and resonates with is a form of advertising and “publicizing” as an influencer. I’m excited to cross paths with people who I can learn from and continue to look up to.
I definitely flourish in experimental environments, so I plan and pray that I relocate to a different city that aligns with my journey.
In the meantime, I will continue to share my Raza’s stories through photography, modeling, and advertising.
I will also be hosting/organizing Loteria Nights at Rabbit’s Got the Gun every 2 weeks on Tuesdays. Next one coming up will be on March 21st 9pm. Stay tuned and follow me for more events for our raza!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/iamenrg
- Twitter: twitter.com/diveintosoul
- Youtube: youtube.com/erikanatalie
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/diveintosoul
- Other: instagram.com/enrgleaves
Image Credits
@jonjontraan
@mikeylazo
@aylinsaturn
@iamenrg
