Miss Bling: It took for my best friend to die before I sat down and did the work to find my passion. I had been feeling like I had not done anything. Knowing that whatever I chose, I would not be able to share it with her was heart breaking. She was so happy for me. When I started the brand, I started Konfident Diva, and that idea came from her. Our last conversation was about that. This was in 2005. Right after her funeral, I started everything else. It was destined to be. The struggles for me were not knowing what to do, who to reach out to for mentorship, and things like that. The program directors in Chicago would not give me a chance because I didn’t have experience. My teacher said I would kill in a smaller market. That opened my mind to Atlanta. The publicists there embraced me more than anyone.
U.G. Digital Mag: That’s the same thing I found too.
Miss Bling: Yep. It was a promoter named Firecracker in Atlanta, and I also considered Florida, but they kept saying I should come down there. I finally made it, and it was amazing. I went to move someone else, and they ended not going. A couple years later, I came back to Atlanta around Christmas, and it was hot outside. That was my moment to move. I left for Atlanta in March 2012.
U.G. Digital Mag: That was what you needed though.
Miss Bling: The most interesting thing was I told my mom I had to go. I couldn’t stay there in Chicago and do what I wanted. I didn’t want to be a Chicago celebrity. I saw how my brand had expanded so much because of social media. I knew I wanted to move and go somewhere else. Right before she passed away, I said I really need to go. She was worried about me being far away. I needed it though and I was stressed. It was hard to trust people, and I became bitter and frustrated. She finally said to go if I needed to. Then she suddenly passed away. I finally left Chicago in 2010 and moved to Indiana. Once I moved there, I worked with Power 92. They had a round table discussion and they wanted to bring me on the team. They had me doing the entertainment report. It was an amazing experience. I still do behind the scenes stuff for him from time to time, but it was amazing. Then I just abruptly moved to Atlanta a couple years later. I asked if I needed to be there in the studio to do the entertainment report, and when they said no, I moved.
U.G. Digital Mag: But again, that’s something that was really beneficial for you and your progression.
Miss Bling: It still was a lot of struggles behind it though. I’ve been homeless. I’ve slept in my car. The lakefront was my home in Chicago. I was going through a whole lot, and had lost my place. My house wasn’t ready that i would move into, and then the city condemned it. It left me with nowhere to go. Meanwhile, my show was scheduled a month and a half out. This store was sponsoring my internet. I literally went to the lakefront to do my show. Nobody would know what was going on. This was over about a two month span until my family moved to Indiana. One of my friends knew I was looking for a place, and she told me there was a place down the street from her. I lived in Hammond for about 6-8 months. I got really lonely though, and ultimately went to Georgia. I knew I had to do what was best for me. I was always looking out for other people, and finally, I moved for me. I stayed about a year, and then went to Huntsville, Alabama. During that time, I converted to Gospel radio. It was interesting how I was reaching and teaching people. I also was managing a group. That’s also where my lifestyle journey came into place. I started the IAmKonfident page on Facebook. That was the craziest but most amazing time of my life. I learned so much more about me. With the trainers I had, there were restaurants sponsoring my food. Within the year I was in Alabama, I lost 125 pounds naturally. I stayed there for maybe 2 and a half years. In August 2015 I left and I guess I went on a little tour. I stayed in Minnesota for a month. Then I went back to Chicago for a few months. I think that over about a year, I stay in maybe 5 states. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I had been working for Comcast, but once i got laid off, I started doing Bling Radio again.