Today we’d like to introduce you to Shakerria Johnson.
Hi Shakerria, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2013, I created a music blog called “4rm Airwaves 2 Airheads”. It was dedicated to indie pop/rock bands like The Temper Trap and Imagine Dragons, all the stuff I was listening to at the time. I took a gap year after graduating from Sandalwood in 2012 and was just trying to find my way through life. In 2016, I started another music blog called Jax City Sound™ that focused on local rappers. I paused it because I knew I loved writing too much for it to be a hobby, but I didn’t know how to be a journalist. So I regrouped – I earned my associate’s at FSCJ, then enrolled at University of North Florida to pursue my bachelor’s in Mass Communication. But I missed creating. I’ve always had an underlying interest in fashion and education. I wanted to create a hub for girls and young women where we could enjoy topics without being made to feel frivolous. So I created bubblewrap. Fashion, opinions, advice – I wanted it to be a place where girls could gather.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
What fun would it be if it were? The hardest part for me was figuring out what I had to say. What was my message? In addition to the Instagram page, I have a Substack newsletter and a YouTube podcast. I had to find my voice, but for a while I was just doing stuff. But I knew not to worry about things like generating income, at least not at the beginning. This was the time to establish my identity. Then, slowly things started to pick up. I had figured out my target audience. I spoke on things like the suppression of female sexuality and the struggles of being multi-hyphenate.
Topics that young women could relate to.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What sets bubblewrap. apart from the others is that it is very opinionated. One of our strongest opinions for the outlet is that a girl is a girl before anything else. Before sexuality, race, age, whether or not you’re a wife or mother, you’re a girl first. Not that those additional characteristics won’t shape your experience significantly, but it shouldn’t force you to choose or make being a girl secondary. That’s how great it is to be one – it should be at the center. Needless to say, being treated as human is essential, but “girl stuff” is often seen as superficial and I wanted to help be a part of that change. I wanted to capture the “Girl Everyday” – a day in the life of the average. That’s why on Instagram, although we cover a few celebrities, it’s mostly displaying fashion through models you’ve probably never seen or heard of. The average girl could look at that and identify with it more closely. If we find a podcast that’s by girls and for girls, but doesn’t get a whole lot of attention, we’ll post it in hopes of getting as many eyes on their channel as possible.
Another thing we like to do at bubblewrap. is take followers inside fashion events, like the Jacksonville Women’s Expo. So many young women with businesses for handbags, skin care, fragrance, jewelry, you name it. bubblewrap. gears followers toward those items because it removes the stress of trying to find your size and shade for clothes, shoes, and makeup. They’re one size fits all. We also attended the Runway Florida Fashion Show last September. My sister Jamiah was actually a model for EveryOutfitMatters. Events like that are always fun because it’s a privilege to witness something grow. That’s what we’re all about – guiding girls and women on their way up.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Having options is the most important thing to me. Filling your cart with as many options as possible. Building yourself a cushion to fall back on. At bubblewrap. you’ll see quite a few tutorials: how to grow your vegetables, how to sew, how to find money for college. Higher education may not be for everyone but it’s important to give yourself the option. It may or may not work out, but let me just go see what I can get from it. Let me fill my cart. Men are so good at maximizing. They’re good at compartmentalizing. They’re great at prioritizing. They get as much out of life as possible. So we take a cue from them. Plan in pencil and be ready for reworks. The steps you take may change but the ultimate goal is to get what’s yours. That’s what matters at bubblewrap.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsonlybubblewrap
