Along the Way with Oyin Edogi, Founder of Sweet Like Oyin

This week, as part of my Along the Way Interview Series, I’m talking to Oyin Edogi. As the founder of Sweet Like Oyin, a beauty, lifestyle, and personal development blog, Oyin is building a platform to express her passion for helping others.

Today, she shares with us how and why she runs a successful social media presence, blog, networking event, and if that wasn’t enough, a full-time job.

The Along the Way Interview Series features kick-ass women who are putting their heart and soul into achieving their dreams. Rather than talking to those who have already “made it,” this series focuses on learning from those who are right next to us in the daily hustle.

If you want to follow Oyin, you can find her here:

YouTube || Instagram || Twitter

Without further ado, let’s chat with Oyin about how she pursues her vision.

Tells us how you started your blog, Sweet Like Oyin!

My blog simply started as a creative outlet outside of work. I've always been a creative individual and I had my hands in so many things to the point that I found myself yearning for more. I was creating content on YouTube and utilizing Instagram as my main platform and they were both working great, but they could shut down tomorrow and what would I have to show for it?

I was so used to helping other people go for their goals and I knew it was time for me to take all of the collective resources I've learned and direct them to a platform that I owned. With starting a blog, I was able to have my own little baby and nurture its growth.

Where do you get your inspiration from for blog posts?

My inspiration for blog posts come from a lot of things, to be honest. I try to mainly focus on lifestyle and being my authentic self in a world full of social influencers. I draw a lot of my inspiration from questions that my audience ask me. It could be anything from skincare to tips on how to create captivating Instastories.

Blogging is your side hustle. Tell us more about your 9 to 5. How do you balance both?

My 9-5 job is in Property Management as a Leasing Manager for Off-Campus Student Housing. I went to school for Industrial Engineering and graduated with my Bachelor's in 2017, but I've been in the Property Management field for the past 5 years.

The job kind of just fell in my lap and it turned into a full-blown career that has been sustaining me. I find joy in working with others and I totally get that in this field. I get to meet so many interesting faces on a daily basis and most importantly the job is a challenge. Who doesn't love a good challenge?

The way that I balance both is by planning, planning, and more planning. I think at this point I have over a million planners. Without them, I don't know where I would be! It keeps my life in order and allows me to allocate my time equally.

You also recently started a networking group called, Cocktails and Collab. What motivated you to do this on top of a blog and job?

I'm so passionate about Cocktails and Collabs since it was my very first event so I'm so glad you asked this question!

I've never been so motivated about something before like I was for this event. The biggest motivating factor for me was being off of social media. When you look at the hashtag #atxblogger you'll find 68.3K worth of posts (as of today alone). That number is insanely high, and translating that to reality was the big question mark.

Where are all these bloggers hiding?

I was tired of looking for blogger events to go to in Austin and I made it my mission to unify the blogging community of Central Texas over mimosas and a panel of social media growth experts. It was such a great turn out and it was amazing to see my little idea manifest into this safe networking space for bloggers just like myself.

What would you tell someone who is thinking about starting a blog?

If you're in it only for the money, RUN lol!

On a serious note, blogging is tough. It takes equal parts of consistency and creativity if you're in it for the long run. If you're not passionate about the craft it will be a mere hobby that is soon forgotten after a couple of blog posts.

The money will come if your passion shows through, but it is important to get that experience first doing something you love.

I know this is a very broad question, but do you have tips for social media?

This question isn't broad at all! Social media is such a complex tool, but it could be made easy at the same time.

My tip is to not focus on every single platform in order to grow. Organic growth can be achieved by mastering one platform and most importantly engaging with your niche.

I'm really big on creating a community within my niche so I'm always commenting on other users that utilize the same hashtags as me. Essentially, I'm making myself an expert in that community and really making my presence known. You'll immediately start to notice a change in your platform once you start doing this.

What are the best ways to engage with your audience as a blogger?

The best ways to engage with my audience as a blogger is my response time. I make sure to respond to every last comment, message, etc. that comes my way because I value the time of my followers.

A lot of the platforms we use to connect are becoming overly saturated markets and there are so many bloggers out there, but it's the little things that set you apart. My audience doesn't have to take their time to interact with my blog posts, pictures, and highlight stories, but they do and for that, I am forever grateful. I try to show my gratitude by responding back in a timely manner and showing my appreciation through my response.

How do you decide what brands to work with? Or what products to review?

In the world of brand collabs, established bloggers make deciding which brands to work with our products to review look like a breeze, but for me, it's quite a process.

The main thing I take into consideration is whether or not there will be a mutually beneficial relationship. The point of a collaboration is for both parties to walk away with something accomplished. For the brand that means converting customers to sales and for the blogger that means establishing a genuine brand relationship and exposure to a new audience.

Anything else you would like us to know?

I really want to take the time out to thank you for giving me this opportunity to come on your platform and share a bit of my story. It's not every day you meet such a genuine soul as yourself. I'm so appreciative and I wish you nothing but the best. Continue to flourish! I hope that everyone reading this is able to take away at least one gem.