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

Hi Velicia, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
SUCCESS ALWAYS LEAVES CLUES!!! I’ve had successes and failures in my life. And the one thing I know, I’ve learned from both; but I’ve garnered the most from my failures and other’s failures. By paying attention to what has worked or hasn’t worked from successful people has helped me tremendously.

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.
The one thing I know for sure about me–I AM CREATIVE AF! My creativity scares even me sometimes. My creativity keeps me up at night, comes to me in my dreams and is my right-hand man/assistant. Inspiration comes very easily to me. Msheel.com started out in 2010 as online shoe store. Evolved into an actual shoe store in 2016. That closed. Went back to an online store in 2018. And then Covid-19 hit in March of 2020. Sales fell off dramatically and inspiration hit to stop trying to compete with bigger online retailers and set myself apart, by doing something no one else was doing. So I took a chance and evolved MsHeel.com again into the ONLY fashion mag dedicated to shoes and accessories. I’m not a betting a girl, but I always bet on myself! I love to create my own niche. I believe the key to success is to not be afraid to set yourself apart from the competition. We live in a world were everyone wants to dress, talk and get the same body parts as their favorite celebrity. My greatest asset, is that I like to stand out in a crowd. I like to be different. I despise mediocrity! And there’s nothing mediocre about Ms. Heel Magazine. Ms. Heel mag takes inspiration from these magazines: Jet, Vogue, People, InStyle, and Oprah magazine. I borrow some aspects of these that I’ve enjoyed reading over the years.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oooh, love this question! Well I love flowers–so a trip to the Botanical Garden is a must! And also to The Garden Room for early drinks at the bar. Dinner one night at Rumi’s kitchen for amazing Persian food. Hang out in The West End at Lee & White… sit outside (safely), bar hop and whiskey tasting. I’m still a big fan of La Parilla for good, easy breezy Mexican food. Classy late night with live music @ Marcels and then even more late, late (down home) drinks and blues down the street at Northside Tavern. And I’ll go anywhere Orchestra Noir is performing. Finally, brunch at Superica for their giant-ass, plate sized pancakes!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have an amazing mentor that has shown me that in order to be successful, I have to know on a gut level that I am WORTHY & DESERVING of success. And that I can have it all…it’s possible. And of course that’s what the bible says: ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE…not some things–ALL THINGS!

Website: https://msheel.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msheelmagazine/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/velicia-hill-22891b1b0/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MsHeelMagazine
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MsHeel
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9W_1uBcxlS4Zzpr5NrloXQ?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits
Kevin Schaefer phootgrapher, Mya Steele fashion illustration.

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