Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to LaVondra Shinholster. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, LaVondra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Typical BlaQueen is the name of my personal brand. I came up with the name because Black Women are often times viewed as these super strong beings who do well under pressure and are held to this high standard of making things work even in a not so giving environment. This is what is “typical” of a black woman. Being extraordinary is our ordinary so being the Typical Black Queen that I am, the brand name is fitting.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I kind of stumbled into social media Influencing and content creating by accident. Back in 2017 I started documenting my natural hair journey through Youtube. I did a “Big Chop” and had no clue what I was doing with my hair. I just knew I wasn’t the only one that felt inexperienced with my own hair so when I found products and methods that worked for me, I shared them on my platform. I would not have guessed back then that I would be where I am right now. I very strongly believe that being genuine and authentic to who I am I’d one of the major reasons why my brand has been successful. Social media is full of people parading what seems like this perfect cookie cutter lifestyle and that wasn’t my life at all. I’m a single mom, I’ve experienced a failed engagement, I’ve had troubles with my job. I always showed the good the bad and sometimes the ugly. I think my audience appreciates that about me. As an Influencer and Content Creator I provide brands from all levels marketing and promotion to a demographic that may not even know that they can benefit from the company. I’m the person you go to if you want to add diversity and widen your target consumer. As for my following, I provide them with honest, engaging and well informed content that keeps them coming back to see what’s next.

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

I found that being genuinely relatable is what builds a following. I’m on just about every social media platform and building a following is different for each one. The one thing that remains the same is how I create my content and interact with my audience. My following increased tremendously once I started doing food reviews when Covid-19 hit. Including witty jokes and punch lines that also acknowledged how much the DMV has changed. This creates a bit of nostalgia for residents who have watched DC transform. Once I saw how greatly my videos were received, I leaned more into that niche. To sum it all up, you have to know your audience to grow your audience.

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

The greatest thing I get out of being a creative is the messages I get from basically strangers who have said I’ve helped them even in a small way. Knowing that I lifted just one person’s spirit by being open with my lifestyle makes it all rewarding and pushes me to continue creating.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.typicalblaqueen.com
• Instagram: @typicalblaqueen
• Linkedin: LaVondra Shinholster
• Twitter: @thatgirlvondra
• Youtube: @typicalblaqueen
• Other: TikTok – @typcialblaqueen

Image Credits
Kimberly Lulli