#MoxieFriday is an interview series showcasing twentysomething, and sometimes above, millennial women who live in MOXIE throughout their professional and personal lives. These women show up for themselves, others, and make sure they’re impacting the womanhood they see around them + on social media.
This month, I’m featuring communications professional, music enthusiast, and entertainment + lifestyle blogger, Trenae Cimone Dunigan. Trenae spent her younger years immersed in music and movies. Once she watched the film, Brown Sugar starring Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan, it was clear what she wanted to do with her life.
After obtaining her degree in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Advertising & Public Relations from Grand Valley State University in 2015, she decided to use it to further her chances of becoming a public relations professional and/or A&R in the entertainment industry.
Trenae’s Journey
A blogger. Update coming soon. ✨□ pic.twitter.com/5IzZjNgWLz
— Trenae. (@TrenaeCimone) April 11, 2018
- Tell us about yourself and your blog, The Prominent Lifestyle.
My name is Trenae Dunigan, but in the blogging and social media world, I go by Trenae Cimone (Cimone is my middle name.) I’m 25 years old, and I was born and raised in Kalamazoo, MI. I am a lover of all things great, but I am as stubborn as they come. It’s definitely an unorthodox mix, but it works.
The Prominent Lifestyle, which relaunches Tuesday, May 1st, is an expansion of my previous blog The Prominent. Previously I only discussed things in the Entertainment industry, but now I’ve added the categories of Life and Love & Relationships. The blog is to simply gage conversation and encourage new perspectives on those three topics. While the blog is such a high point of my website, I’ve had people come to me for public relations and branding work as well.
- What sparked your interest in blogging? What do you want your readers to gain from your posts?
In high school, a lot of people hated that I “always had something to say.” The older I got, the more opinionated I became. My statuses on Facebook are used to spark up very interesting conversations. Once I got to college and started to shape the idea of what I wanted to do as a career in Public Relations as well as maintaining my opinionated spirit, blogging seemed as great gateway into the career. It also seemed like a more constructive way to get my thoughts across.
I want my readers to gain insight into things they may not have had access to in the past. From the entertainment side of things, I want my readers to become aware of new projects and up & coming artists (singers, rappers, producers, actors, etc.) I also want them to know their thoughts, feelings, and ideas don’t have to be handled alone. Lastly, I hope my readers receive some solace through my posts. I want the blog to curate some passion or ideas for my readers.
- Focusing on entertainment, life, love, and relationships, how do you find inspiration to write?
Most of my inspiration comes from my own interest, my own experiences or things I’ve witnessed. It also comes from my passion, ideas, and dreams. I believe the most authentic way to blog is to be as transparent as possible. My inspiration also comes from my desire to inspire. In the past, on very sporadic occasions, I’ve had people tell me how I motivated or inspired them without trying. I don’t say that to brag or to insinuate I am doing this just to say I inspired someone, but I enjoy the idea that it’s possible. I have plenty of people in my life who inspire me and I love that feeling, so possibly being that to someone else is rewarding.
- Who are your biggest influences in those areas, listed above? Who do you admire most?
My biggest influences would be Karen Civil, Miss Diddy and XoNecole. All black women becoming pioneers in their fields and in careers that are similar to my own dreams. I would say Karen Civil is who I admire most. She started out as a blogger with the same interest, ideas, and writing points as I do when it comes to the entertainment side. Now, she is one of the most prominent (yes I used that word on purpose, LOL) branding and marketing forces in the business. She literally took an idea and made it a dream come true. That alone gives me goosebumps and her being a black woman is definitely the icing on the cake.
Coming May 1st. #TheProminentLifestyle ✨□ #BlackGirlsBlog #BloggersOfColour pic.twitter.com/GDZqgytI06
— Trenae. (@TrenaeCimone) March 23, 2018
- What is still your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge with blogging would definitely be consistency. In order to stay relevant in the minds of your readers and become appealing to those who may come across your site, consistency is always important. I get so caught up in other aspects of my life that I let them consume me, which my blog ends up suffering.
- What’s your best advice for handling criticism?
The best advice I can give when it comes to handling criticism is 1) do not take it personally and 2) take it with a grain of salt. Usually, when someone is giving you criticism, they are usually looking out for your best interest. It does not come at you to challenge your character but just your work. However, sometimes people can give criticism with no real knowledge of your work or its background. People cannot always see beyond their own ideas, so it may not always fit in with your line of work.
- What surprising lessons have you learned along the way?
I’ve learned your abilities and passions are not based on the ideas of others. Ideas about what and how I should do my work is thrown at me all the time. And like I said before, some people just don’t always see your vision so you can’t base your work solely on what they may suggest to you. You have to do what feels right to you or you may regret it later. I also learned blogging is not just a hobby – it’s a career builder and also very therapeutic.
- How would you describe your moxie (force of character, energy, pep, know-how)?
My moxie is definitely strong, loving, and unapologetic.
- Blogging is one way you inspire your community. What else are you involved in?
I currently work for a non-profit in Kalamazoo. We assist low and moderate-income families to achieve homeownership. We also help them keep and rebuild their homes. Alongside my 9-5, I coach a middle school cheer team. That in itself is exhausting, but knowing I have these young girls looking for me to guide them in something they love keeps me in the position of head coach.
- Awesome, so give us an example of how you would like to inspire the force, nature, and creativity of womanhood in five years?
I want women to shed their fears, inhibitions, and standards society has placed on them. I don’t call myself a feminist, but I definitely live by the idea of “living your best life.” I believe women and men alike should do whatever makes them happy as long as it involves the safety of themselves and others. Shedding themselves of the things I just mentioned definitely opens the doors to possibilities beyond their dreams. Keep up with Trenae and learn about her upcoming re-release of The Prominent Lifestyle on Instagram and Twitter.
xo,
Leave a Reply