We recently connected with Iris Rodgers and have shared our conversation below.

Iris, appreciate you joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

I came up with the idea of the Fort Lauderdale blogger actually by happenstance. I’m originally from Tuscaloosa, Alabama (“Roll Tide”). After I moved to south Florida, I started documenting my journey on social media as a way of keeping people updated, but also sharing the exciting memories I was making becoming a Florida resident. Becoming a local influencer came later. Somewhere along the lines, people back home started calling me “The Fort Lauderdale blogger”. It didn’t take long before locals also started dubbing me with the newly branded nickname. It has since become the cornerstone of my platform and a significant part of who I am today.

Iris, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I like to describe myself as your guide to the vibrant landscape that is south Florida. I help businesses and people facilitate meaningful connections through digital storytelling. As a business owner myself, I saw first-hand the impact of establishing visibility in my community and how it influenced the growth of my business. So many other business owners struggle to find their target audience so I answer that call. Likewise, people are always asking me for resources, things to do and places to eat. It’s such a pleasure to help them by being a local beacon.

My main focus is helping businesses seamlessly present a face forward brand. When we work together, I am always interested in what your primary focus is and turning that into a visual narrative. This is commonly referred to as”content creation”. People don’t realize how much goes into constantly branding and rebranding. It can be extremely isolating. That is where I come in. My packages are tailored specifically to that individual business and their desired goals.

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

I tell people all the time, my intention was never to stay in south Florida. I actually had a strong distaste for how isolating it felt trying to find myself in a cultural melting pot as a Black woman from the south. I have already had to do the journey of discovery thing, I did not want to do it again! It took me a long time to find my Sister Circle and establish a strong village, but once that happened things really began to bloom in unimaginable ways. I never would have imagined that the girl from Alabama would be a business owner of Reset Athletics gym and in the scenes short-term rental management business as well as an established content creator and blogger. I could not have done it alone! This is truly the best part of my brand as “The Fort Lauderdale Blogger”. I enjoy attending the events, but it is even more rewarding to see the business owners I have worked with share their testimonies of our partnership. I love hearing from people who have visited places based on my recommendations. There’s a lot of trust that goes into that and I’m honored that people see me as their go-to!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Establishing myself as the face of my own brand definitely had its moments. Once I learned that people began to refer to me as an “influencer”, I really had to sit and reflect on what that word means and the role it has in my life. I want to be very clear, I think of myself as a content creator and blogger. My art is digital storytelling. I had to learn and relearn my own brand so that it was obvious to more than just myself where I enter into the conversation. I want to share my truth, even when it’s not influential. You will get my honest reaction. You will know my first-hand encounters. I do not want to influence, I want to communicate and connect.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.TheFortLauderdaleBlogger.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheFortLauderdaleBlogger
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fortlauderdaleblogger