We were lucky to catch up with Cheyenne Pajardo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Cheyenne, appreciate you joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I think one of the biggest issues with success is the word itself. By definition, the word success means: the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. As human beings, we all have things we’re striving to accomplish. Those things are personal and specific to the individual. Because of this, I don’t think there’s one clear answer on what success is or what it means to be successful. For me, I’d say being successful is waking up every morning with purpose. Being able to identify your purpose is where it starts. Once your purpose is identified, it becomes easier to set goals that will lead to fulfilling said purpose. It doesn’t just take identifying and solidifying the purpose, but it also requires discipline, focus, and drive. If you want it, you will work for it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Well, hey, y’all! My name is Cheyenne Pajardo. I’m originally from Baltimore, Maryland, relocated to Los Angeles, California, and most recently have landed in Jacksonville, Florida. I’m never in one city for too long, and truly love the opportunities I receive to travel! I’m a HUGE chicken tender connoisseur, but more importantly a mental health advocate, a content creator, and a published author.

I could spend hours diving into each of my hats, but I’d love to elaborate on my journey as an author. Like many, my love for writing started early. I received my first desktop at the age of 7 and have been typing away ever since. In elementary and middle school, I wrote hundreds of short stories. I wrote my first book at the age of 12, though it never left the hard drive. By high school, I was taking any and all English electives that fit into my schedule. I went as far as studying English during undergrad. Writing was just something that comforted me.

To be transparent, I never considered publication. My professors talked about it often–what they thought was the best route to go, what the journey could look like, how competitive the field is, etc. But, I zoned most of those conversations out because I decided “that’d never be me.” My late advisor, H.G. Carrillo, as well as my advisor E. Ethelbert Miller, pushed me to publish and to share my words with the world. So, after a great deal of hesitation, self doubt, and uneasiness, I published my first poetry collection in October 2019.

It was scary! I had no idea how everything would be received, whether or not my words would resonate with anyone, if they were “good enough.” It was my first time sharing my work with humans outside of my circle, and the entire process made me want to throw up. I did a lot better than I thought I would. I sold a little over 100 copies with this first book, Chapter 23. After that, publishing became a little easier for me and caused more excitement than anything!

In 2020, I published Things Left Unsaid and Chapter 24. In 2021, I published Chapter 25. It’s been such a joy getting my work out there and into the hands of humans who enjoy poetry. My goal as an author and more importantly as a writer is to make people feel something. Whether it’s a good feeling or an uneasy feeling, I’m happy that my words were able to invoke something. I believe that’s what sets me apart from others. I don’t write with the hopes of selling millions of copies and profiting from it. I write because I want others to feel heard, seen, and most importantly, to feel that they’re not alone.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I didn’t start taking social media seriously until 2018. Prior to that, I was on social media for the sake of keeping up with my family and my friends who moved out of state. The process for growing my social media was slow, but little by little it started to grow. It’s a daily job, if I’m being honest. A lot of the growth comes from interacting with others–reaching out to discuss things you have in common, commenting on their posts, liking their posts, reacting to their stories, etc. On top of that, you have to keep up with trends, learn the algorithm, understand what reaches a bigger audience verses what won’t. Full transparency, it’s A LOT of work. And, it’s a never ending job. It’s something you have to continuously work at.

It took me about two years to reach 10k on my main account. I’ve been stuck on 10k for about the same amount of time. In all honesty, it can feel a bit discouraging to not have a platform that’s consistently growing. BUT I’m a big believer that everything works out how it should. I’m also a big believer that numbers don’t mean as much as the relationships and interactions you have with others.

On my author/writer page, I’m just starting over and starting from ground 0. It means that my audience is currently less than 1k and I’m not reaching nearly as many people as I am on my main account. But you know what? I love it! The excitement of starting over, getting to meet new people, and engage with them has been refreshing. My biggest piece of advice to those who are trying to build their audience is to keep believing in yourself. I know it sounds cliche and can also feel impossible, but the reality is anything worth lasting takes time. Overnight success isn’t as thrilling nor is it as rewarding as many think. Don’t get caught up in the numbers, but focus more on the impact you’re creating and having with those who follow you. Be patient with the process, and more importantly, be patient with yourself! You are far more capable of achieving your goals and leaving a lasting impact on those you associate with.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The humans. Do you know how incredible it is to interact with other human beings?! It’s even more incredible to interact with human beings who align with you. I’m a big believer that it is our job to leave the world better than we found it. To me, that means sharing the goodness, the authenticity, the joys that you possess with others! I’m able to do that through my craft. I mentioned this already, but being able to resonate with others is what I love most about being a writer and an author. The sales don’t matter much to me. Sure, it’s awesome when I reach my sales goals, but it’s even better when someone messages me and says, “Hey! I really resonated with that post. Thank you for sharing what I’m feeling.” I mean, really!? How can you not find joy in feeling aligned with another human being?!

I love being a writer. I love being an author. I love that I can be relatable and a voice for others who have yet to find their own.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cheyennepajardo.com
• Instagram: @poetrybycheyenne
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/cheyennepajardo