We had the good fortune of connecting with T.Nicole Gonzalez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi T.Nicole, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
As a blogger, striving to build a strong social media following; it can seem disheartening not having the engagement that you want. Giving up can seem like a viable option, but it’s never long-lived. I often wake up in the middle of the night with writing prompts, I could be grocery shopping and come up with an idea of something that would work well on the blog. I’ve heard songs that have launched new segments for my site. These are the moments that I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing and that tell me that I have to keep going.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I write. I’ve always been a writer, but I never fully embraced it until a few years ago. My writing/blog is unique because of the depth of my musical knowledge. The blog began as an ode to Hip Hop because Hip Hop is my life. Thanks to my brother, who is 8 years older than me; I was listening to music that I probably shouldn’t have from the age of 7. After about a year, I realized I had to change the direction of the blog when I had to force myself to write/review current music and artists in Hip Hop. There are very few Hip Hop artists that inspire me today. This was a good and bad thing. A bad thing because I thought the blog was finished. It turned out to be a good thing because I learned a valuable lesson about adaptation. I figured out that I had to pivot, which is not at all uncommon as a creative in this industry. In order to stay true to what I set out to accomplish, I needed to add segments, and series to the blog, which in turn has garnered me a new audience. None of this has been easy. I’m nowhere near where I would like to be, but my constant progress keeps me motivated. I’m consistently being introduced to industry insiders and building relationships. The brand of TNicolewrites is constantly growing, and for that I’m thankful.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In a perfect world, if we weren’t quarantined during a worldwide pandemic, I would take friends on a hike at Kennesaw Mountain. I always take my guests for brunch at Cinco. I know of a speakeasy, but if I told everyone, it wouldn’t be exclusive anymore. There are always industry events to attend, so maybe they could be my plus one. Honestly, I’m more of a homebody, so I would host a game night at the house and invite family and friends over to enjoy one another.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My success can be attributed to the support and guidance of many people. We can start with LaJoy Cox, (@lajoyphotographyllc) a photographer whom I worked with previously. She saw that I was starting my platform and volunteered to shoot my headshots. I used those headshots to build my website. My website/logo was designed by a dear friend of mine and fellow Bison Christian Smith, (@creativestrokedesigns). I followed Scotty Smart, (@smartchangecreator) because of our mutual acquaintances and his activism, through him I met Domonic Brown. Domonic, (@tlactivist, @trillmonga), is also heavily involved as an activist and is the CEO/owner of Trillmonga.com. This connection has been extraordinarily instrumental in my success because I was introduced to a new audience as a contributing writer on Trillmonga.com. I couldn’t do any of this without my support system which includes my brother and sister-in-law Dennis and Stanice (@oddjobsbyanderson), my best friends; Kysha (@wakyshadmvrealtor) and Khalea (@coolxcakes) and my ride or die, Rochel. These people have LITERALLY lifted and supported me in every way possible. This shout out is dedicated to them because TNicole wouldn’t exist in any capacity without them. Oh, and Angie Martinez (@angiemartinez). I grew up listening to The Voice of New York. I’ve always wanted to be the type of interviewer/journalist that Angie is. She truly inspires me.

Website: tnicolewrites.com
Instagram: tnicolewrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tnicole.writes.9