We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sheterria Elliott a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sheterria, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?
My parents are my world, My mother Sherria Elliott & Father Terry Elliott have definitely molded me into the woman I am today. Growing up with Albinism you’re always looked at as the underdog, the joke of the conversation, the weirdo. But At the age of 23 I now have evolved to a space in life nobody other than my parents could see me reaching. Through my trails and tribulations, the bullying, the depression, the emotional trauma, my parents taught me to NEVER give up or give in to society’s standards of beauty. Going from being Bullied since the tinder age of 4, to becoming a young bullying advocate by the age of 12 has been so rewarding. I decided It was my time to take charge and to help other individuals with differences just like me, once I did I never looked back. With the Help of my parents and My village I was able to get my Anti Cyberbullying Bill passed called “The Imagine Sheterria Elliott Act” Senate Bill 626 at the age of 15. After my bill was passed I took a stance on going to schools and educating young adolescents about bullying and embracing others with differences, I decided it was time to love myself! It was time to show the world that people like me With Albinism and other differences are deserving of opportunities just like the next person without it. As I began to elevate in life and my platform, I’ve been blessed to have been able to Have my own Nike Shoe collaboration,, star in commercials and Music Videos with some of the most renowned artists, to grace covers of magazines, to have walked in Miami swim week runway shows as a signed Model, to have accumulated 73K followers on Tiktok authentically built off of me just being myself and sharing my differences with the world. I did that, and It’s all because I chose not to give up! Most recently I’ve just decided to launch my Business @SHOPSHEBLINKS which is a buisness for underrepresented beauties within the beauty industry. I’ve been working on my buisness since 2018 & I made the choice to launch this year. 2022 around International Albinism Awareness Day. I’m Blessed. But Most importantly I was raised by THE BEST. So when you ask me “What did your parents do right” My parents did everything right! They saved me! They gave me confidence to believe I could achieve all of the things i’ve achieved thus far.
Sheterria, 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?
I am Sheterria Heaven Elliott, Im 23 years old and I am from Miami Florida. I’m a signed Model, YouTuber, young entrepreneur, and influencer. I am also the Owner and CEO of S.H.E. Blinks or @SHOPSHEBLINKS on Instagram. S.H.E Blinks is made for my AB babies and Red Head / Blondes who aren’t really represented within the makeup industry. Growing up with Albinism, very fair skin, & little to no pigment in my hair, skin, eyebrow’s, and lashes made finding makeup very hard for me. As I grew older & more into my makeup, I decided it’s time to pave the way for my fair skinned lovely’s, representation is very important and I wish I had something like this growing up. As we know mink lashes & mascara are the IT factor of the finished product makeup look. But they also look great on a natural face, no makeup, with some lip-gloss. I’ve never been able to enjoy the mink lash or mascara crave because ALL lashes/mascara are either black /dark brown & have never been available in blonde or any lighter shade. For my beauties who can relate I decided to launch my buisness for the individuals like myself, who are underrepresented or not represented at all in the beauty industry. Right now we offer our Heavenly Winks & cruelty free, Vegan Lipglosses. I’m super proud of my brand and I stand behind it 100%, This is what I love to do and Paving the way is definitely what I am most proud of when Launching my buisness!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Building my Social media Presence/ Audience was not easy, and It did not happen overnight. I had my Instagram since middle school, back in the days where you could post a picture of your shoes and get 300 likes. Back in the days where you could post and not be worried about what society had to say. But I believe in some way shape or form i’m still stuck in that era. I never needed the likes, the comments, or the validation. I post what I post and keep it pushing with my regular life outside of social media, i keep my platforms authentically me at all times and I never sway away from my morals. I do me. And in doing me I feel as though my followers and fan base gravitate towards that. I’ve always been the type of person to not rush my process…. Before becoming “Tiktok Famous” or what have you I always knew I wanted to build up my fan base but I never rushed it. I sit back and I let God open the doors for me each and every time, my success happens on his timing, & when It’s for me, it’s for me. My biggest advice to those who aspire to become influential on social media is to DO YOU, WORK HARD, & BE STILL. Your time is coming, but only if you put in the work for it.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One Main lesson I had to Unlearn was that “Everyone you love wants to see you win”. I learned that 9/10 your biggest supporters will be strangers, your family and friends won’t be your first customer, let alone support anything you have going on and thats just the truth.. I’ve accomplished a lot of great milestones in my life and the people clapping for me the most are strangers. I learned to be okay with that & I take things at face value. Everyone you expect & love won’t contribute or bring things to your table, so when it’s time to feast just keep that in mind.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shopsheblinks.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopsheblinks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheterria.elliott
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC0SwEd5HFaasP_EPHXMt56A
- Other: Links to all of my Social Media: https://linktr.ee/iamp0rcelain
Image Credits
Personal Picture By: Chloe Paul (The individual picture of me outside standing:) Other 10 pictures taken by me (Sheterria Elliott) my products and me in the yellow dress sitting all of those are taken by me.