Meet Our IT Women of 2022: Sonia Begonia
In light of our IT Box "Make a Splash" launch, we are introducing you to the IT Women of 2022 who are "Making a Splash" in their communities. Meet Sonia Begonia, a 9-5 technology marketing manager and 5-9 fashion blogger. Sonia LOVES finding a good deal and says to think of her as “your source for everything bougie on a budget and designer inspired for less.” Sonia tells us she loves brands like Chanel, but also loves finding Chanel-inspired bags from Walmart or other affordable alternatives! Sonia has a passion for fashion and describes that, “Basically, I want to help the modern woman feel like a million bucks without having to spend it.”
We asked Sonia on how she manages to balance her time between working in tech during the day and as a fashion blogger at night, as well as juggling her personal life. She shared the details with us, “Man, this is a hard question... because I feel like I don't make ENOUGH time for blogging. I'm very detail-oriented, and a scheduler. I literally plan my day in thirty minute increments. Ironically, much of my social life has become hanging out with other bloggers, as our relationships have bloomed past just what we do. We have bonded together because of who we are.”
Sonia also shared some advice on how to be unique online and grow your following “It's so competitive out there, you want to really stand out. I recommend expanding beyond just Instagram and Tik Tok, like starting a website or blog around a specific niche. Remember, Instagram algorithms change, but you own and control your own blog forever. Prioritize that.” This advice is inspiring and realistic; social media is very over saturated in all aspects, there is nothing like creating and having your own website or brand. Sonia elaborates more on this as she says, “Growing my Instagram to 100k took about five years of hard work. I started out shooting from my iPhone 7 in the back of my apartment complex. I also did a lot of researching and took online classes to learn SEO, ad campaigns, etc. I was engaging in like-minded individual accounts, researching hashtags, and posting quality content along with organizing in person meetups with local influencers.” It is clear that Sonia has put a lot of hard work into expanding her following and audience.
We asked Sonia about her future goals for her career and she said, “I can confidently say I don't think I will ever blog full-time. I have so much respect for people who do, but my anxiety for a steady paycheck and company-purchased healthcare is too high, LOL. Not to mention I LOVE my tech job. While blogging now makes me more money than my tech job, I love them both equally. It's like asking someone to pick their favorite child, I just can't. They both fulfill me in different ways. Not to mention I have a killer boss at my 9-5, who actually coded my first website, he encourages me to do it all, I am so blessed!"
We want to thank Sonia for taking the time to talk to us and letting us in on her journey. Her closing remarks are, “Life is hard. Instagram is a highlight reel, and to be honest that sucks. If you ever need real-life pictured online, come find me at @soniabegoniablog. I'm raw and post a lot about health struggles (I've survived anxiety, depression and experienced a rare form of cancer), balling on a budget, and how to manage life in general. I want to help you discover inspiration and hope about all topics in life. My blog is somewhere you can come to when you’re feeling lost – when you need a laugh – when you have no idea what to wear, how to do your hair, or when you can’t remember why life is beautiful. If you take anything away from here – it’s that no matter the situation, you are never alone. The inspiration you desire is closer than you think. In fact, it might have been right inside you all along.” We love Sonia’s inspiring words and attitude, make sure to check out her blog soniabegonia.com and Instagram @soniabegoniablog.
