Meet Reya | Content Creator & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Reya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Reya, can you tell us about an impactful book you’ve read and why you liked it or what impact it had on you?
A book that was monumental in my life is “Think and Grow Rich,” by Napoleon Hill. I read this book earlier this year and have read it twice more since May. This book impacted my mindset, it shaped my belief system and encouraged self confidence. Hill breaks down thirteen principles for developing a state of mind that will attract wealth and success. I have always been a self-help book worm but the steps provided in this book is namely responsible for who I am today and how I view and attract my success.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a content creator. Feels weird, even saying it because that is something I would tell myself long before I actually became one. I create funny and relatable content on mainly Tik Tok and Instagram.

Becoming a content creator for me is a major personal achievement. It takes a lot of confidence to put yourself out there and to allow your truest self to be broadcasted for thousands, even millions, of people to see. This confidence was not something I just had, it was something that I developed through years of personal development and consistent self healing.

I actually just started creating content in April ’21. I was living with my mom, didn’t really have any aim or clear direction for my life. All I had really were my books, my cellphone and endless free time. I’ve always wanted to be a content creator or “influencer” but before this year I was paralyzed by fear of rejection from my peers. “What if they think I look stupid?” “Nobody is going to watch me, “what I have to say isn’t important.” These were the kind of thoughts that plagued my life. Until, one day I woke up and I said “today I am making a Tik Tok,” so I did and it got a couple hundred views. It was something like 200 views or so but that lit a fire in me. I was so excited that 200 people liked what I created and found me “funny!” Who would’ve thought? So, because I didn’t have anything else productive to do at my mom’s house I just started making videos and the more videos I made the higher the views and engagement increased. The followers started rolling in and within a month I gained 10,000 followers on Tik Tok. This was all I needed to break that fear of rejection and just go for it.

Now, don’t get me wrong it’s not easy. I am only able to push my content and be my truest self online because I carefully crafted a mindset that could withstand negativity and self doubt. A major component to my brand and my content is healing. I healed from a lot of past and present traumas that showed up in how I viewed myself and the world. Once my perception of who I am and what my purpose here is…my reality started changing.

Right now i’m at about 30,000 on Tik Tok and 5,000 on Instagram. I cannot wait to read this interview in a year from now to see my growth!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So if my best friend wanted to come visit Atlanta we are definitely going to Roswell Mill Park to sit next to the waterfall and meditate. For food I would definitely take them to Slutty Vegan because I mean…have you had the burgers?! So good! For a night out, I really enjoy low key situations maybe a nice lounge or something like that, I can’t think of one specifically because I don’t go to too many different places to give an honest opinion.

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?
I would definitely like to thank my mother for instilling in me a strong and determined mindset. She was my only support system for many years and her belief in me is what kept the belief in myself alive. Thank you my queen!

Instagram: Instagram.com/therey_a

Other: Tik Tok: @therey_a