We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chiamaka Nwokeocha a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chiamaka, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

I’ve worked on a variety of projects, but I actually received my first dollar from Youtube. When I was a sophomore in university, I launched my Youtube channel, FOREVERCHIA, where I gave college advice, room tour, and vlogs about Georgia State University. I gained many views and subscribers to the point where my channel became monetized. It was the greatest feeling to know that I was getting paid for videos that I was happily making to help others.

My first “big girl check” came along in 2020 when I filmed a national commercial with Indeed. The commercial focused on my transition from undergrad to graduate school and how my name, Chiamaka Nwokeocha, sometimes made it hard for employers to hire me, assuming that I do not speak English or would possibly require sponsorship. The commercial did very well and so many people related to my struggle. I was glad to be the face of a topic that is brushed under the rug most of the time. From then on, I have been able to work with Indeed again on multiple occasions. Talk about a blessing!

Chiamaka, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Long story short, I am a multifaceted young woman with big dreams. I love working in healthcare but also have a passion for social media. My overall goal is to use my social media platform to promote careers in STEM and specifically in healthcare. I am a photographer, I review beauty products and most recently sunglasses, and I believe that I am also dabbling in private shopping. I like being able to find items that my friends (or strangers) are looking for at a bomb price. I am a frugal girl and will always get a good deal. It’s so rewarding seeing the smile on people’s faces when I am able to get them things that they’ve been wanting at a great price.

I am always tackling new ventures. I’m not sure what is next to come, but it will be my best venture yet!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being creative is seeing personal growth. When I first started my Youtube channel, I barely had the equipment and had no clue what I was doing. From Georgia State’s “Digital Aquarium”, I was renting out a camera to film my content and spent my nights in the library editing my videos on Final Cut Pro. Although it was a hassle in the beginning, the final products made it worth it. Eventually, I was able to purchase my first camera. With that camera, I began my photography journey by taking graduation photos for students on campus. From then on, I became hooked on the happiness I could put on people’s faces. Until this day, I still go back and look at my past graduation shoots. They take me back to a time when I was unstable and remind me of how far I have come overall.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building an audience is still something that I am looking to master. I will say that the first step is to find your targeted audience by defining a niche. What do you want to focus on? Beauty? Photography? Food? You need to establish yourself in what makes you happy. If you’re not happy in your niche, it will show through your content. Also, your niche does not have to be overly specific. You could be a vlogger and show off your day-to-day lifestyle. My advice would be to be yourself, go with your heart, and create meaningful content.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreigngoldie/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cnwokeocha/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/foreverchia