Today we’d like to introduce you to Ijeoma Oguh.
Hi Ijeoma, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started talking with a therapist after my divorce, and she recommended I write my thoughts out to free my mind and release my thoughts. After a few entries, I made the decision to make my therapy journal entries public. I was single mom-ing and establishing a new normal. I would read some blogs with women in that space and everything seemed a bit sterile. By that I mean, the stories read really clean which was great for them but I didn’t see myself in any of those stories. My life was turned upside down! I found an outlet in writing and sharing my raw story in hopes that others didn’t feel like they were walking through their hardships alone. In weekly blogging, I created something of a community on Instagram and TikTok where we actively looked for joy in the everyday! We talk about pop culture, fashion, kids, work, and general life stuff! It’s a community where we keep it real with each other. We express our hardships in a safe space where it’s okay to be perfectly imperfect. My blog Good Journee was meant to create community and I’m happy to say we’re on our way.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think many roads that are worth traveling in life are smooth. The bumps create character and an appreciation for the great thing that happens at the end of the road. However, I will say two big struggles I’ve dealt with and if I’m being honest still do are the imposter syndrome and comparison with others. With influencing, growing your following organically is important when you’re looking to firm up brand deals which lets be honest is a major goal. I’ve seen people I’ve started with grow 100 times over. My growth has been slow and steady. Although I’m grateful for every follow, every brand deal, every subscription, every like and message, I sometimes can’t help to think I’m not good enough. I think my writing isn’t strong enough or my content is capturing enough. Not only am I a single mom, I’m a working professional with a day job and I blog on the side. There are a lot of hats I wear on a daily basis. There are days where I feel like I’m doing a great deal of things and none of them well. Other days it seems like I’m spinning my wheels and when I look back at the scorched earth behind me, I see how far I’ve come. All that said, there are a lot of struggles along the way. But the mantra I continue to say is just be disciplined and consistent the results will come!
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?
I’m an HR professional by day and a lifestyle blogger and influencer by night. It’s still super weird to call myself an influencer if I’m being truthful. There are so many people in the space that have such huge numbers and do such great things. To be counted as one of them is actually really cool.
I specialize in eliminating the veil of the artificial aesthetic. Social media has a proven track record of being fake and overly curated to the point where the lines between what’s real and what’s fabricated is almost impossible to distinguish. When you “Join the Journee” you become part of a community that embraces your differences and loves you all the same. It’s bespoke, it’s 1 of 1, it’s a celebration of what makes you uniquely you!
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I’ve always been an ultra shy kid! I wasn’t the loudest in the room by any means. I always wanted to fit in and be invisible. Unfortunately for me, everything about me screamed STAND OUT! I’m from Nigeria originally and grew up in El Paso, TX. As you can imagine, there weren’t a great deal of people that looked like me in school. Add to that the fact that I’m tall…. like really tall 5’10 without heels, blending in just wasn’t an option.
It took me a while to embrace what made me different.
I started embracing it by doing things I loved. I’ve always been a lover of music so I joined my church’s worship team when I was 16 and still sing at church to this day. I started playing volleyball and played my way through college where I was a three-time All-American. First in school’s history. I was also inducted in my university’s hall of fame.
I even modeled in high school for a short spell! There was never anything I wanted to do that I didn’t at least try to do. That’s what makes life fun!
Growing up, I never thought I would do any of these things because of my crippling social anxiety, But the act of simply doing and pushing past the fear and whatever negative scenario I created in my mind opened my life to so many great opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.goodjournee.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/goodjournee
Image Credits:
Shots by Alyssa Jones
