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

Alright, Natasha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My upcoming book on loss and grief is slated for release in the fall of 2023 by InterVarsity Press. Tentatively titled “Can You Just Sit with Me”, it is by far one of the most meaningful projects I have ever worked on.

Grief is a universal phenomenon that affects all. Because we have all experienced grief, currently grieving, or will experience grief at some point in our lives.

And my life has been threaded through and through with loss and grief. Beginning as early as childhood, grief has knocked at my door and made itself at home. During the thick of it all, I felt so alone and had no idea of how to process the hurt, pain, and trauma of grief. For years, I stuffed the pain, and only in the last few years began actively and intentionally working through it.

In 2020, as our world experienced a global pandemic, our country experienced political and racial divide and social injustices. Riots and rage ensued, people pitted against each other, and the world was so dark. And all I could think is, how it felt like grief.

So, 2020 was the year I pivoted from being a lifestyle blogger to sharing about grief and more about faith. And how to have hope in hard times.

This book project was birthed out of my personal lived experiences with grief, the ways I have found healing and continue to heal as well as extensive research on loss and grief. It makes this project so meaningful to me.

For readers, what I love about this project is that it not only shares real and raw stories that affirm that you are not alone in your grief. But it also points to the source of all hope and healing that is found in Jesus, and it has real-life practical applications in ways to promote healing.

Because for grievers, it’s important to know you are not alone and to know what you can do right now to help with the pain of grief. So, I believe this project is such a needed resource for this time and for our world.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a wife, mother, an Engineer turned Homeschooler, and a creative living in North Carolina.

Over 12 years ago, I started a blog as a creative outlet while working as a full-time engineer in the pharmaceutical industry. Now, I write about faith, family, and grief at Lovely You Blog, as well as for other online and print publications including Her View from Home, Beyond Women, Pray with Confidence, Focus on the Family, TODAY Parents, and Dear Sisters Magazine.

My forthcoming book tentatively titled Can You Just Sit with Me will be released in 2023 with InterVarsity Press. In addition, I have multiple works included in a forthcoming book by Guideposts that will be released in Summer 2023.

I host a podcast that focuses on finding hope in challenging times also titled Can You Just Sit with Me where you can listen on any streaming channel.

Because we will all grieve at some point in our lives over someone or something, it was so important for me to write my book as a guide or moreso a manual for each person who navigates through the grief of any type. Not just the loss of a loved one but all losses. Such as the loss of a pet, a career, your identity, a relocation, a foreclosure, a job loss, empty nesting, a broken relationship, etc. Whatever the case may be, all loss is valid, and all loss is worthy to be grieved.

I have also created a grief community centered around the premise of my upcoming book called “Can You Just Sit with Me”. Because in times of deep pain and suffering or simply an everyday sadness of grieving a loss, you don’t need an opinion from someone or a fix-it person, instead you need someone who will just sit with you. To listen, to love on you, to see you, and to hear you.

Join my grief community: https://www.facebook.com/CanYouJustSitWithMe/
Listen to my grief podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/show/can-you-just-sit-with-me-with-natasha-sm

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My story of resilience starts with survival. I just really wanted to survive all the losses I have experienced. And my forthcoming book on grief was birthed from those experiences.

The book started as an idea in 2019 when I wrote about elements of grief as part of a devotional series. Then in 2020, I plugged into a few online writer groups which inspired me immensely. With many of its members already established, writers and authors, I felt so out of place.

Because I’ve never called myself a writer. My story doesn’t include a lifelong or a childhood dream of writing a book. I started my blog twelve-plus years ago as a creative outlet for my 9 to 5. But God had other plans. I’m certain, my grief-filled life has a purpose. And that it is being used to help others cope, heal, and have hope during their grief journey.

2020 was my year of learning, writing, establishing publishing credits with replicable publications, and continuing to grow, and build community with my readership.

In early 2021, I began pitching my book idea. Surprisingly, the pitch was met with immediate interest from publishers. It had a great hook, but when I sent my proposal…I got crickets or a no. So, I revisited my proposal with each submission, praying, and tweaking it.

Fast-forward to November 2021, after several rejections, I queried an agent the Friday before Thanksgiving and signed with her as my literary agent a few days before Thanksgiving.

It all sounds as if it happened so quickly, but it’s taken a lifetime.

Please note, that each rejection hurt.
Please note, that with my first rejection, I cried. And I was most likely teary-eyed with every successional rejection.

But it’s good to know that any level of success is met with some level of resistance. And thereby must be coupled with some level of resiliency.

In March 2022 I signed my first book deal with a traditional publisher, InterVarsity Press.

The moral of the story is just to keep at it.
Don’t quit. You will reach your goal if you don’t give up.

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

The story of how I built my social media audience begins 12-plus years ago. Blogging was a new concept. I came together with other blogger friends to host giveaways. Later, I created and stuck with an intense schedule of hourly posts. I did a series of live videos and collaborations with others.

But quickly learned the key was content, content, content. The quality not the quantity of the content was the key. And content that adds value is king. So, over the years, I have invested in my writing, to convey messages more clearly. Social media, and marketing master classes and training.

I learned that growing an audience goes far beyond an algorithm. For me, I intentionally began to think of every single person whom I reached through whatever type of content, as a real person and not just a number. And I prayed and continue to pray that my audience would find something that I’ve posted, and it truly helps them and adds value to them in some way.

I also learned that it grows when I spend my time cultivating community, true connection, and engagement. So, I don’t spread myself too thin by having many different accounts. I focus on Instagram and Facebook. Although, I do have Twitter and Pinterest accounts.

2020 is where I saw my audience grow from a few thousand to a few tens of thousands, in a matter of months (particularly on FB). My content was and is, simply that of Hope. And Hope’s name is Jesus. I truly believe the message and light of hope, and sharing authentic personal stories drew people to my social media channels in 2020 when the world was just so very dark. I believe my stories on grief resonated with many. Even now people are still being drawn and I can’t fully explain it.

Advice for those just starting to build their social media presence:
• Be true to yourself.
• Don’t change based on the opinions of others.
• Always strive to add value to others.
• Stay consistent.
• Don’t compare yourself to anyone.
• Give yourself grace.
• Set goals and ask for help when needed.
• Outsource things that you are not the expert in.
• Invest in training and learning more about your craft.
• Surround yourself with like-minded individuals.
• Get a mentor.
• Schedule rest.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lovelyyoublog.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imnatashasmith/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imnatashasmith
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashasmith1228/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/imnatashasmith
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCectsC_HRWsilcnb7cFIUA
• Other: Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/show/can-you-just-sit-with-me-with-natasha-sm