We had the good fortune of connecting with Corinthia (Corin) Slaughter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Corin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started my blog Creatively Corin in college just for fun. I’ve always loved food, fashion, travel, and design, so writing about these things came naturally to me. It was a great way to decompress from school and work as well. My blog was almost like an online diary. Every time I wrote a post, it was centered around the things that were going on in my life-girls’ nights out, studying abroad, dorm decor-everything a college aged girl enjoyed. I fell off the wagon with blogging in my senior year of college because I was prioritizing completing my degree and finding a job. Once I achieved both of those things, it crossed my mind to start blogging again, but I never made time for it. The transition from college to post-grad was slightly overwhelming, and I was still getting used to being a “full-time adult”. I spent a year and a half adjusting, and just as I was getting settled, Coronavirus broke out and devastated the hospitality industry. I began to worry about the security of my job as a corporate events coordinator and started thinking about the next steps in my career. But I started thinking a little too late. Before I knew it, I was laid off from my job with no backup plan. With a degree in hospitality, there was really no hope for me to find a position in my field. I had to find another avenue to provide for myself. At that moment, I decided to revamp my blog and transform it from a hobby to a profitable business brand. I had been seeing Mattie James on my feed a lot, teaching women about how she blogged her way to six figures, and I was so inspired! So through the disappointment of lay off, I actually learned a life-changing lesson. I realized it would always be a gamble working for someone else. There will be more pandemics, economic downturns, and company-wide layoffs. I realized the only way to secure my future was to bet on myself!

Please tell us more about your business. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
What sets Creatively Corin apart from other lifestyle blogs is the focus on self discovery, budget consciousness, and creativity. Living in a social media age, it can be easy to become envious of what others have and insecure about your personal journey. For some people, it takes over their lives, and they are always striving to become someone’s “goals”. I don’t think the desire to live well or have nice things is negative, but I do think everyone should take the time to evaluate why they dream about having certain things, and then be mindful about how they obtain these things. That’s where Creatively Corin comes in! I’m all about being bougie on a budget, finding deals, doing DIYs, and overall creating a life that’s best for ME. I’m most proud of my dedication to my business. I’ve always been a “go big or go home” type of person, and I don’t like to leave anything half-done. I look over the work I’ve done so far with pride because I know I put my all into Creatively Corin. Blogging as a business is not easy. I won’t even pretend like I know everything there is to know about blogging, but what I do know how to do is learn. I’m constantly researching, watching videos, and studying other blogs, and I think that is what has helped me to start off on a good foot professionally. I want the world to know that you can have exactly the life you want right now, without celebrity status or sponsors. The key to the “perfect” life is you have to create it! You can’t buy it ready-made. I want everyone to know that Creatively Corin is designed to show them that the life you want is just a project away. My hope is that in the process, you will worry less about what your well-lived life looks like, and fall in love with the joy of creating it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
It would be hard to narrow down places to eat- I’m a total foodie and I have a growing list of places to try in my phone! I love Murphy’s in Virginia Highlands for brunch, Slim and Husky’s for a fun lunch, and Ms.Icey’s is always a vibe with amazing food and drinks! If you’re having dessert (which I always am) definitely wait in line at Jeni’s for some ice cream, or take the drive out to Stone Mountain for a red velvet cupcake from Apple Butter Bakery. As far as activities go, it depends on your personality. If you’re outdoorsy, I’d say bike the Beltline and have a picnic. The High Museum and Atlanta Botanical Gardens are always fun for visitors too! And if you feel like indulging, go get a signature pedicure at Soak and Polish or Iwi Fresh!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are too many people to name! I’ll start with my family. My parents and younger sister are the most encouraging people I know. From the beginning, they have been behind me 100%. My mom is always there to proofread posts and be my second pair of eyes. My sister is the best hypewoman I know! Whenever I start to feel insecure, she reminds me of who I am. And my dad-he’s the reason why I have come this far. He has been such an integral part in my business development. As an entrepreneur himself, he’s been my mentor, marketing strategist, website designer, and so much more. I truly couldn’t do this without him, and I am so grateful! My girlfriends are also huge part of my support system. These ladies show up for me and pour into me consistently. They’ve invested more into my business than they know, and appreciative doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel! So I have to send a giant shoutout to Cindy, Karra, Lavender, Madison, Mikayla, Sensi, and Ziara for being my first followers, subscribers, and my test dummies!

Website: http://creativelycorin.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativelycorin/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creativelycorin/
Other: Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/creativelycorin/

Image Credits
Christiana Dossie

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlana is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.