Episode Transcription

[00:00:00] Kim: [00:00:00] Running in Atlanta, beauty blogger, tick tok sensation. And my favorite girl from Alabama let’s talk runners, branching out into content creation featuring Donyetta Edwards.

[00:00:23] Hey everyone. Welcome back to another episode of The Run Wave podcast. As you can see, I’m in a different setup. I’m down South visiting the parentals, and I have a very special guests with me today. Mrs. Donyetta Edwards is here.

[00:00:42] Donyetta: [00:00:42] Hello? Hello? Hello.

[00:00:44] Kim: [00:00:44] How do we say you’re screename? 

[00:00:45] Donyetta: [00:00:45] Dyetta

[00:00:46] Kim: [00:00:46] Dyetta, Welcome Dyetta to the show

[00:00:50] so. I’m in Atlanta, Georgia.

[00:00:52] I’m visiting my parents. And of course I had to link up with my girl. I’ll get her on the show

[00:00:58] Donyetta: [00:00:58] I’ve been waiting for this all [00:01:00] year.

[00:01:02] Kim: [00:01:02] So tell us a little bit about yourself. Who is Donyetta? Where are you from?

[00:01:08] Donyetta: [00:01:08] I am from Smith sSation, Alabama

[00:01:11] Kim: [00:01:11] Smith Station, Alabama. What’s the population in that town.

[00:01:17] Donyetta: [00:01:17] Put it this way, it didn’t become a city until like my junior year in college, before that it really was a town.

[00:01:22] I think we have two traffic lights. And we probably just got those, like in the early one cash money records was taken over for the night. That’s when we got the tutor. Yeah. We have two traffic lights. So it’s in between Auburn, Alabama, and Columbus, Georgia. Wow. Yeah, if you blink, there’s only one high school, so we’re like six or seven a division.

[00:01:47] Cause it’s only one school in the whole.

[00:01:49] Kim: [00:01:49] So how did you end up in Atlanta?

[00:01:52] Donyetta: [00:01:52] Living that close to Atlanta. Cause it’s only like an hour and a half away from Atlanta. So like Atlanta was like the dream for every black person, like who made [00:02:00] it. And when I made it, I was like,

[00:02:01] Kim: [00:02:01] huh. So Atlanta was the big city of the South.

[00:02:06] Donyetta: [00:02:06] Yeah. And I have a lot of family members that live in Atlanta and we’d come visit them every summer for spring break. And so when I graduated college, I went to college in Birmingham, Alabama. And when I graduated, I was like, you know what, I’m going to Atlanta.

[00:02:18] Kim: [00:02:18] So how long have you been in Atlanta?

[00:02:20] Donyetta: [00:02:20] Since 2007,

[00:02:22] Kim: [00:02:22] 2007.

[00:02:22] So 13 years.

[00:02:24] Donyetta: [00:02:24] It doesn’t feel like it.

[00:02:25] Kim: [00:02:25] And how are you liking it? Are you, is this your like permanent home? Are you gonna maybe.

[00:02:29] Donyetta: [00:02:29] Yeah, I’m never probably going to move. They would have to be like, maybe if I moved to like a Caribbean Island

[00:02:36] somewhere,

[00:02:36] Kim: [00:02:36] but I hear that,

[00:02:38] Donyetta: [00:02:38] but yeah, I love Atlanta. I really, really do.

[00:02:40] Kim: [00:02:40] Yeah. I don’t know. I can’t it’s heat. Like I had to change my shirt cause I was like sweating through my shirt. Like New York is hot in the summer, but week y’all we got nothing.

[00:02:50] Donyetta: [00:02:50] It’s a different type of heat, different type of heat. The humidity down here. Yeah. It’s like, it’s,

[00:02:55] Kim: [00:02:55] it’s hella hot. It’s hot. Hot.

[00:02:57] Okay. So you’re been in Atlanta [00:03:00] for 13 years. What do you do for a living here?

[00:03:02] Donyetta: [00:03:02] I am a loan officer at a nonprofit. We lend to developers that build affordable housing.

[00:03:08] Kim: [00:03:08] Nice. And you get to travel a lot for your company, right?

[00:03:11] Donyetta: [00:03:11] I get to travel a lot cause I have to go meet the client. Sometimes I have to go look at the.

[00:03:16] Empty piece of land that they have this big vision for. And so luckily my region is the Southeast. I do some of the Midwest, but the Southeast means I get to go to Miami a lot.

[00:03:25] Kim: [00:03:25] Yeah. I’ve been seeing them pictures from the airplane like.

[00:03:30] Donyetta: [00:03:30] Yeah.

[00:03:31] Kim: [00:03:31] That’s nice. So how did you come into that?

[00:03:34] Donyetta: [00:03:34] I used to be an underwriter when I first finished graduate school. So I was the same type of work. I was doing underwriting for affordable housing. Um, I used to spend a lot of time. I used to work at SunTrust for maybe eight years ended up leaving there.

[00:03:47] But some people that I worked with, they came to this new organization I’m at, um, and they were like, Hey, are you looking for a career change? And I was like, yeah. So the nonprofit world is a lot different from the corporate world. Like I literally worked from nine to [00:04:00] five. I remember when I had my first job in banking.

[00:04:02] I was told if I get there at eight I’m late. And if I leave at five, I’m leaving early.

[00:04:07] Kim: [00:04:07] When were you salary?

[00:04:09] Donyetta: [00:04:09] Yeah.

[00:04:10] Kim: [00:04:10] So no overtime,

[00:04:11] Donyetta: [00:04:11] no overtime.

[00:04:13] Kim: [00:04:13] When you salary, your hours are

[00:04:15] Donyetta: [00:04:15] saying, yeah, that’s crazy. So I have a lot better work life balance and this industry, I mean, so I like that. That’s

[00:04:23] Kim: [00:04:23] good. So this is I’m running podcast.

[00:04:26] So we gotta talk about your running. So what year did you start running?

[00:04:30] Donyetta: [00:04:30] I started

[00:04:30] running maybe 2009. I was in my late twenties. So I think about 2008, 2009.

[00:04:38] Kim: [00:04:38] And what was the catalyst that got you into running?

[00:04:41] Donyetta: [00:04:41] Let me tell you, so like all through college, I used to be like emaciated skinny, right? So like my, my screening D Yetta that’s because I needed a username back when college club and black planet was out.

[00:04:55] And so it was D out of slim, like I weighed 105 pounds. [00:05:00] Yeah. And so like, as I got, like in my late twenties, I was like, wait, I’m starting to gain weight. And so I started on the elliptical machine. I got tired of that for about a month. And so I was like, I’m going to go outside and run in my neighborhood and I’m going to do a mile.

[00:05:13] And I thought I was going to die. I think I did like three times. And so when I came back to life, I was like, wow, that was great. Let me see if I can do it again.

[00:05:22] Kim: [00:05:22] So that’s how you got into running. So now Leanne, I used to be like the running capital of like everywhere. I run the same old and running groups in Atlanta.

[00:05:31] And. You know, BGR was big here. What happens to the running scene here?

[00:05:38] Donyetta: [00:05:38] You know what, that’s something I’ve been trying to figure out because when I first got started, I was a solo runner for like that first year. And then I heard, I was like, Oh, that girl’s run. And so I would go do the group runs. I think everybody has just gotten used to being like individualistic.

[00:05:52] And so we might do group runs, but there’s no loyalty to like certain run organizations anymore. If that makes sense.

[00:05:59] Kim: [00:05:59] And that’s [00:06:00] crazy because in New York there were like, run crews have like sprouted, every they’re like there’s a run crew at every corner you turn. But yeah, like BGR was like the first, like, that’s how I got my start at BGR in long Island, but it’s like, BGR.

[00:06:14] I was like, dang, like what happened? BGR is dead down here too. Or are they still going?

[00:06:18] Donyetta: [00:06:18] They still have a lot of group runs. So there are a lot of ladies and you know, here because Atlanta is so trafficy and so big, they do cluster it, depending on what side of town you run on. There’s a BGR camp Creek. I used to run with them.

[00:06:29] There’s a BGR I’m out in Smyrna. So you can cluster it as far as like where you live. So you don’t have to make a commute just to meet with your group and run. But I think it’s a mixture of. To a lot of people have started their own things in their own run groups. And so it’s sort of like makes everything dissipate and spread out.

[00:06:48] Kim: [00:06:48] Yeah. And that kind of makes me sad because like we all started and if you don’t know, BGRS black girls run, it’s a running organization. I started years ago. Their mission was to get, you know, African American [00:07:00] women out active and, you know, from couch to running. So a lot of us started that way and we will like kind of moved on.

[00:07:08] Some people kind of moved on. Some people like kind of spill in

[00:07:11] Donyetta: [00:07:11] it, but I think I’ve done. Around with BGR since maybe

[00:07:15] Kim: [00:07:15] 2013, 2014 for me too. Yeah. But I’m going get into the reason why I left BGR.

[00:07:25] Donyetta: [00:07:25] That’s neither here nor there. That’s a whole nother.

[00:07:32] You tell me when we finish this.

[00:07:35] Kim: [00:07:35] So I always like to ask everyone what kind of running sneakers they’re running in. So what’s your preference. I’m

[00:07:42] Donyetta: [00:07:42] an Asics girl.

[00:07:43] Kim: [00:07:43] Really?

[00:07:45] Donyetta: [00:07:45] I love a Asics.

[00:07:47] Kim: [00:07:47] I was shocked to hear. I think you’re the first person that has said Asics

[00:07:51] I

[00:07:52] Donyetta: [00:07:52] love Asics. I like the gel numbers. Now that’s a heavier shoe because it has more cushion.

[00:07:56] So I’ll save that for like my longer runs or if I’m doing like a [00:08:00] half marathon. And then the couple of times I’ve been crazy enough to do marathons, but if I’m doing like a five K or a 10 K and I’m trying to like be a little bit more speedy, I like the soft Guinea. At Liberty.

[00:08:12] Kim: [00:08:12] And we were just talking about how to say Saucony

[00:08:15] Donyetta: [00:08:15] Sacouney

[00:08:16] or

[00:08:16] Sa-cony?

[00:08:17] Kim: [00:08:17] I

[00:08:17] Donyetta: [00:08:17] say Saucony, but

[00:08:18] Kim: [00:08:18] we were going to have to look this up and we’ll get a, we’ll put up a poll to see what you guys think.

[00:08:24] So

[00:08:24] Donyetta: [00:08:24] I used to say Saccone, and then somebody is like, what is that? And I was like, socking me.

[00:08:28] Listen, we’re going

[00:08:29] Kim: [00:08:29] to say it. The New York way its Saucony.

[00:08:31] Donyetta: [00:08:31] Okay. That’s the Alabama County.

[00:08:35] Kim: [00:08:35] So God, I don’t think I’ve ever had owned a pair of Asics.

[00:08:38] Donyetta: [00:08:38] Oh, I love ’em and I liked cause they always have like the multicolors cause like, even in just like my non-writing life, I sort of dress like a bag of Skittles.

[00:08:46] Like, this is real muted, but like, I like all these colors. And so I remember Asics, they have the glow in the dark shoes and I never have to worry about if my shoes match my outfit. Cause I shouldn’t care because I’m working out. But I do. Yeah. I’m [00:09:00] like one of my friends, she saw a picture of me at a race and she said, you’re going to be that soccer mom that matches from like head.

[00:09:07] I was like, yeah, probably

[00:09:08] Kim: [00:09:08] somebody posted on one of my pictues today. He said, why do you always match in your running gear? I said, because I only buy red, black, and blue. So my stuff is always gonna match. I was on my three options, right. Black and blue. So I always match. That’s why I always match people. I only have three color options in my stable.

[00:09:26] So we’ve been in quarantine for like three or four months

[00:09:30] now, or five or six years.

[00:09:32] I know. It’s crazy. So what did you have any races on the schedule for 2020 that got canceled?

[00:09:39] Donyetta: [00:09:39] So the last race that I was able to run was the Miami half, but I was supposed to run the Brooklyn half. I signed up for Brooklyn again last year was my first year.

[00:09:50] So Brooklyn, the race has been changed to a virtual option. Pivot, pivot. Yeah. And it’s probably [00:10:00] like 50. Pastry roadway. So it’s supposed to be on the 4th of July. Yeah. I registered for that every year. That’s like, yeah,

[00:10:07] Kim: [00:10:07] I’ve done it for four years, but this is the one year I said, I’m not registered for this.

[00:10:11] Cause this racing happening. But they changed it.

[00:10:14] Donyetta: [00:10:14] They changed it. It’s gotta to be on Thanksgiving day this year. So I’m a member of Atlanta track club. And like I told my best friend, I will miss your funeral if you try to have it on the patient,

[00:10:24] Kim: [00:10:24] but it’s not going to be the same though. Like

[00:10:27] Donyetta: [00:10:27] I opted to to get my money back.

[00:10:30] Kim: [00:10:30] Yeah. Because, you know what, it’s probably not going to happen anyway on Thanksgiving. It’s

[00:10:33] Donyetta: [00:10:33] not looking like, and when people don’t sit still. Yeah. It’s escalating again.

[00:10:37] Kim: [00:10:37] Listen  I went to Kroger the other day. Look in New York. When you go in a store, I have a sign on the door. If you don’t have a mass, you can’t come in and target.

[00:10:48] The security guard is right there. And I see him stop people and say, if you don’t have a badge, you cannot come in. I went to the ups store.

[00:10:56] Donyetta: [00:10:56] Okay.

[00:10:58] Kim: [00:10:58] A woman peaks in the door. She said, I [00:11:00] don’t have to have a mask. I want to come in here. And the guy behind the counter who is mass tells her no, and she walks in the store and she’s just telling me no mass.

[00:11:09] And I’m like, I moved like five feet away from

[00:11:10] Donyetta: [00:11:10] him, like kid,

[00:11:13] Kim: [00:11:13] but I’m like, isn’t that governor is the governor. And then

[00:11:18] Donyetta: [00:11:18] I only have a mayor. Her name is Keisha. Um, I think just. I think people felt entitled to do what they want to do, and that’s not what’s best for everybody else. So people really act like wearing a mask as infringing on their like com like their first constitutional rights or something like that.

[00:11:36] It’s not. So I think it’s just the lack of consideration and then it’s not a requirement. So because our governor, hasn’t not made it a requirement. And, you know, we started lifting our shelter in place a lot earlier than we probably should have. And most definitely before it was advised. So I think it’s just the sense of entitlement.

[00:11:54] Kim: [00:11:54] And shoot. I was in Kroger and there’s a sign that says you must wear a mask. And people were still up in [00:12:00] there with no mask. I’m like, listen. And that was like a Tuesday today’s Friday. I’ve been outside since I’m like, I’m not going back outside. I’m going to be in this house until it’s time for me to go back to New York.

[00:12:14] I’m not,

[00:12:15] Donyetta: [00:12:15] I run, I go walking or running, like, you know, social distance and I don’t have on a mask because I’m exercising. Like people don’t mind. You don’t know where I’ve been and like what I’ve been doing. Like, so if I’m running and I’m approaching somebody and I can get into the street and give them a little bit more leeway on the sidewalk, I will.

[00:12:32] But I noticed some people are like perfectly fine. Like they don’t care. I’ve seen people with baby strollers, like two couples who have their babies and their babies will just be, I went to a protest. I’ve been to a couple of protests here in Atlanta. I saw a couple with mask on. They had a toddler and the stroller without a mask on, she was eating some of those.

[00:12:52] One of those cute little oranges, a Tangerine. Yeah. Even her cutie having to tell him or her CUNY,

[00:12:57] Kim: [00:12:57] they protect themselves,

[00:13:00] [00:12:59] Donyetta: [00:12:59] protect their child. Exactly.

[00:13:01] Kim: [00:13:01] That makes no sense.

[00:13:02] Donyetta: [00:13:02] And we were like, literally, it’s just not like we were at a protest, like in the street, we were literally marching to the Capitol.

[00:13:08] That’s crazy. It was thousands of people out there. So how is like,

[00:13:12] Kim: [00:13:12] I know with like the Rashad Brooks, killings, like the protests, like really amped up down here. So how is it are the protests that was going on now? How is it down here?

[00:13:23] Donyetta: [00:13:23] They do still have a lot of protests. I’ve been to a couple of them myself.

[00:13:26] Now they’re a more peaceful. So after George Florez murder, They escalated. And then it went back to being peaceful and then Rashad Brooks, I think that escalated things for a little bit. And so now they’re back to, but there are like some businesses that still have not opened, like closer to where I live.

[00:13:44] I know. The target on Piedmont and then the target that’s right across. So when you line up for the Peachtree road race at target that’s right there. They still have not opened back up for business. Like they looted a lot of store Dior. I was like, well, I should have went to jail. [00:14:00] Cause I don’t want to have Saddleback.

[00:14:02] You know what I’m talking about? It looks like

[00:14:04] Kim: [00:14:04] that’s out of my budget girl.

[00:14:05] Donyetta: [00:14:05] I look, I’ve been looking at that thing since I was 19 years old and I was like, y’all, didn’t tell them no. How

[00:14:14] Kim: [00:14:14] I’m a, I’m a shit. I ain’t gonna put it on hand, but I’m going to, I’m going to give you the site girl, save yourself some coins for some of those bags, like VR doesn’t hold their value

[00:14:24] Donyetta: [00:14:24] and they don’t.

[00:14:25] Kim: [00:14:25] So you can get a good deal on pre-owned bag.

[00:14:27] Donyetta: [00:14:27] Or we still boycotting cotton because

[00:14:31] Kim: [00:14:31] I haven’t bought anything new from Gucci, but I still wear my Ruchi gag

[00:14:34] Donyetta: [00:14:34] because I don’t want, you know, it’s one of the popular ones is black. Yeah, there has it, when she takes a picture with it, I’m like, Oh, I want it back.

[00:14:43] She’s fashionable. Listen,

[00:14:45] Kim: [00:14:45] I’m still, I never wore H and M so

[00:14:47] Donyetta: [00:14:47] that boy caught was easy. Oh yeah. I forgot that though. Yeah.

[00:14:50] Kim: [00:14:50] And what was the other one?

[00:14:52] Donyetta: [00:14:52] Gucci, H and M at some point, all of them, they missed up.

[00:14:57] Kim: [00:14:57] I haven’t bought any new Gucci. I don’t [00:15:00] plan to, but the, what I have I’m wearing.

[00:15:02] Donyetta: [00:15:02] So can I go buy new Gucci

[00:15:05] Kim: [00:15:05] shoot.

[00:15:07] Donyetta: [00:15:07] I don’t want my cousins to be like. Let’s say

[00:15:11] Kim: [00:15:11] we had my son, I only have one Gucci bag. Right. And it’s a summer bag. I backed that bag out every summer. And I had my Gucci Marma bell and I’m wearing my stuff. Shoot boy caught goals, but so far listen, no one can tell me how to spend my money.

[00:15:26] Donyetta: [00:15:26] This is true.

[00:15:27] Kim: [00:15:27] Okay. So if I like, it depends what the brand does and how they, um, rectify the situation, you know? So Gucci put their measures in place and, you know, I don’t remember what they did, but,

[00:15:40] Donyetta: [00:15:40] and I still, I still was gonna drink Starbucks and all that. So

[00:15:43] Kim: [00:15:43] yeah. Yeah, no, I don’t get no more Starbucks. Hey, Starbucks is canceled.

[00:15:47] What did they do recently? Oh no. What did they all do? The employees came with the black lives matter mask and they said they couldn’t wear it.

[00:15:54] Donyetta: [00:15:54] They fixed it.

[00:15:55] Kim: [00:15:55] They said, so then they said, then they made black lives matter shirts to [00:16:00] sell

[00:16:00] Donyetta: [00:16:00] weight, to sell,

[00:16:01] Kim: [00:16:01] to sell. I don’t know what the money was going to. Uh, I don’t know if they were donating the money, but I know that they were selling

[00:16:08] Donyetta: [00:16:08] instead of the proceeds should go.

[00:16:10] Kim: [00:16:10] What damn summer bus made, making too many mistakes.

[00:16:13] Donyetta: [00:16:13] Cause every time I go in there, I spend $12 on coffee. So now you’re trying to sell the tee shirts.

[00:16:17] Kim: [00:16:17] I

[00:16:17] Donyetta: [00:16:17] don’t want to just make a donation.

[00:16:19] Kim: [00:16:19] I need you to get an espresso machine is I’m gonna show you one. When one, we, I got one

[00:16:23] Donyetta: [00:16:23] at home. Okay.

[00:16:24] Kim: [00:16:24] It’s like $200, but seeing you

[00:16:26] Donyetta: [00:16:26] doing it on your Instagram store,

[00:16:29] Kim: [00:16:29] coffee is Bay.

[00:16:31] Okay. It’s it’s it tastes better than Starbucks.

[00:16:33] Donyetta: [00:16:33] Okay.

[00:16:34] Kim: [00:16:34] It’s worth the investment. It is so good.

[00:16:37] Donyetta: [00:16:37] I haven’t got a ring light. I need to get a camera. I need to get some records, phones. And now I got to get express,

[00:16:44] Kim: [00:16:44] look, this is Atlanta. Y’all have any black owned coffee shops around here. There’s none in my neighborhood.

[00:16:50] Donyetta: [00:16:50] So you know what I do believe there are some not where I live.

[00:16:55] Kim: [00:16:55] She live in Buckhead y’all know, black Oak [00:17:00] coffee shops over there.

[00:17:01] Donyetta: [00:17:01] Yeah. But I know I’m pretty sure there are. Cause we have, Atlanta’s just like, well, condoms. That’s one of the things I love about it. So yeah, I know there’s probably 50 11.

[00:17:11] Black owned coffee shops. Just not where I have.

[00:17:14] Kim: [00:17:14] Yeah, no, I’m done with Starbucks. Like I have some money in my gift crime. I’m going to spend those.

[00:17:20] Donyetta: [00:17:20] I think I spent all my money on my gift card

[00:17:22] Kim: [00:17:22] if I ever get out. Cause I haven’t been to Starbucks in since like February.

[00:17:25] Donyetta: [00:17:25] I went, when we went to, I took a beach trip a couple of weeks ago.

[00:17:29] And we stopped at the Starbucks drive through, and that’s how I used up the last bit of money that I had on my gift card.

[00:17:34] Kim: [00:17:34] Let’s talk about that beach trip.

[00:17:35] Donyetta: [00:17:35] Hey,

[00:17:35] Kim: [00:17:35] okay. We let you go. What was it called? Margarita Island. What was

[00:17:38] Donyetta: [00:17:38] that place called? Amelia

[00:17:40] Kim: [00:17:40] Island. I’m like, wait, wait, wait. You posted.

[00:17:48] Donyetta: [00:17:48] So when I went, I was telling people I’m back on my end. I’m going to call back on my BS. So it’s like 45 minutes North of Jacksonville, Florida. So it was [00:18:00] drivable. So that’s how I take that. Yeah. Amelia, it’s actually called Amelia Island plantation. Yeah.

[00:18:06] Kim: [00:18:06] Wait, so how long did I say you drove from here? How

[00:18:08] Donyetta: [00:18:08] long?

[00:18:09] About five hours.

[00:18:10] Kim: [00:18:10] Well, that’s not so bad.

[00:18:11] Donyetta: [00:18:11] Maybe about five and a half to six, because I remember there was a stop solid captain D’s and I was like, I hadn’t had a captain D’s in like three years. You don’t know that captain D’s is like long John silver. Do you have those up North?

[00:18:22] Kim: [00:18:22] No. Wait,

[00:18:24] Donyetta: [00:18:24] did I have like red lobster and stuff?

[00:18:26] Red lobster captain D’s is like the McDonald’s of red lobster. It’s a drive through like fast food Cod deep fried seafood type place you would have had captain

[00:18:42] Kim: [00:18:42] D’s.

[00:18:43] Donyetta: [00:18:43] Kim. You have to go to captain D’s before they had like the best hush puppies in the world.

[00:18:48] Kim: [00:18:48] They have a dry throat.

[00:18:49] Donyetta: [00:18:49] Yes, they do have a dime drive through.

[00:18:51] And when you go, you have to get hot sauce and tartar sauce

[00:18:55] Kim: [00:18:55] for the fish.

[00:18:55] Donyetta: [00:18:55] Yes.

[00:18:57] Kim: [00:18:57] Okay. So back to your [00:19:00] trip to Florida.

[00:19:01] Donyetta: [00:19:01] Yes.

[00:19:01] Kim: [00:19:01] Now, how did you hear about this Amelia Amelia,

[00:19:04] Donyetta: [00:19:04] Amelia Island

[00:19:05] Kim: [00:19:05] Island,

[00:19:06] Donyetta: [00:19:06] a coworker. You told me about it. When I first moved to Atlanta, she was telling me like, all these places, her and her husband would go, they really love to travel and she’s like, well, there’s only a short drive.

[00:19:15] So I put it in my little mental. You know, envelope. So the first time that I went actually was last year for my birthday and I had so many trips that got canceled this year. Like in June, I was like, I gotta go, I gotta get back up my BS. And

[00:19:32] Kim: [00:19:32] so how, what is the, is it like small? Did you rent a house? They have hotels.

[00:19:36] Donyetta: [00:19:36] I stayed at the Omni. Down there. So it’s like set up like a resort, like if you were to, so it’s not all inclusive, but it’s set up like a resort. Like if you were to do an all inclusive resort. So of course this year, so the spa wasn’t open of course.

[00:19:49] And a lot of the restaurants that I ate at last year, they hadn’t reopened, especially like the breakfast buffet where you can have the omelet lady make you an omelet, so that’s still close. So it was different. Um, [00:20:00] but it was still just a good time. And then it just made a big difference just to. Just to be at the beach.

[00:20:04] I know.

[00:20:05] Kim: [00:20:05] Yeah. I’m debating whether I’m going to go away for my birthday

[00:20:08] Donyetta: [00:20:08] or not because you’re a traveler traveler. Like

[00:20:10] Kim: [00:20:10] this is

[00:20:11] Donyetta: [00:20:11] hard. I have a bajillion dollar in Delta airline credits. Like I was supposed to go to Cartagena for my birthday. Let’s see. I’ll

[00:20:22] Kim: [00:20:22] do a trip together.

[00:20:23] Donyetta: [00:20:23] Let’s do like five of them.

[00:20:25] Kim: [00:20:25] I’m dealing with that. Look, I flew down. I was going to drive down here, but it was like 14 hours. I was like, that’s too much. It’s too much. So I w I flew down, how was it? It was normal. Okay. But we all have everyone had a mask on,

[00:20:37] Donyetta: [00:20:37] are you on Delta? Yeah. I read the emails that you have to wear a

[00:20:41] Kim: [00:20:41] mask. I had a mask, the middle seats were empty.

[00:20:44] They came around like probably halfway it’s only two hour flight. So they came around with a snack bag and had like a little bottle of Disani. It had Cheez-Its it had a Purell wipe, something other than here. And when you get on the plane, they give you wipes too. [00:21:00] I like that. And if you need a mass, they hand, they have mass in handout.

[00:21:04] Donyetta: [00:21:04] Did they have any license for it? Cause it’s hard to know.

[00:21:07] Kim: [00:21:07] And I made a new clean your seat video. That’s coming soon.

[00:21:10] Donyetta: [00:21:10] So watching that like this week. So look,

[00:21:13] Kim: [00:21:13] I came with the tub of Lysol wipes.

[00:21:16] Donyetta: [00:21:16] I had the

[00:21:16] Kim: [00:21:16] whole tub. I wiped down all the seats and you know what. They say that they’re cleaning the seats better, but they’re not.

[00:21:23] Donyetta: [00:21:23] Then they say they were going to do like the system. I saw the video where they’re going to spray and

[00:21:27] Kim: [00:21:27] listening. When I pulled down the

[00:21:29] Donyetta: [00:21:29] dirty,

[00:21:30] Kim: [00:21:30] it was dirty in there.

[00:21:31] Donyetta: [00:21:31] It’s always dirty.

[00:21:32] Kim: [00:21:32] Yeah. So they’re not cleaning as if they might be spraying down the seats. I don’t know. But you know what? They sent an email before we bought it and said your plane has been CNSI.

[00:21:42] Which is bullshit because when I pull down,

[00:21:44] Donyetta: [00:21:44] what does that, what does that mean? Because watching your video, when you first published that video, was it last year?

[00:21:50] Kim: [00:21:50] It was January of this year

[00:21:53] Donyetta: [00:21:53] because I traveled so much for work. I got on the airplane. I was like, and everybody was like, looking at me. I’m like, do you need a [00:22:00] white?

[00:22:00] But like, I really started. Cause you know, all black people, like I think I had to touch a Kobe back in June.

[00:22:05] Kim: [00:22:05] But because I traveled,

[00:22:07] Donyetta: [00:22:07] I traveled so much for work. Like it started to become like, like I was going to meet clients and we weren’t shaking hands anymore. I could not find hand sanitizer, like.

[00:22:17] February March and the airport like to save my life. And it’s always the thing where like, I don’t need that. I don’t need that. But yeah. So after I watched your video, like I stepped my game all the way up

[00:22:26] Kim: [00:22:26] and I was the only one wiping down my seat. People were looking at me like what y’all

[00:22:29] Donyetta: [00:22:29] looking at,

[00:22:32] Kim: [00:22:32] because if your wives wiped down the

[00:22:33] Donyetta: [00:22:33] seat res.

[00:22:35] Feel theme

[00:22:36] Kim: [00:22:36] and they’re still felt, yeah, it was, it wasn’t bad. That was the only, but I did that anyway. So that was like nothing new to me, but the flight experience wasn’t bad at all.

[00:22:46] Donyetta: [00:22:46] Even Naomi Campbell y’all last my life. Okay.

[00:22:50] Kim: [00:22:50] Yeah. So I’m trying to maybe I’ll go somewhere for me. You know what things change so fast, like next week.

[00:22:57] And we could be blocked from going anywhere because you’re a [00:23:00] Leo August Liam, August 3rd.

[00:23:03] Donyetta: [00:23:03] That is a July Leo. That’s what? Like, Oh, I remember that. Okay. Oh, I guess.

[00:23:06] Kim: [00:23:06] Yeah. I always say I’m really always important. Well, I guess if you’re a July yellow, you’re like a cancer, you gotta be born in August to be a Leo.

[00:23:15] Donyetta: [00:23:15] I’m an April tars, but most tourists. Yeah, I’ve just made the cut off my brother’s April 26th. Most courses run until like May 20th.

[00:23:24] Kim: [00:23:24] Yeah. So hopefully, I mean, I think the last three or four years, I’ve been on a beach somewhere for my birthday. Last year, I went to Greece, which is dope,

[00:23:32] Donyetta: [00:23:32] but I watched your videos of that.

[00:23:34] And I like took notes. Let’s look at us now.

[00:23:37] Kim: [00:23:37] We’re going that if we can travel wherever going for 2021, because my husband has, um, one of his coworkers is from. Greece was family is from Greece. He’s like

[00:23:46] Donyetta: [00:23:46] they showed you around when you were there, right? Yeah. I remember that.

[00:23:49] Kim: [00:23:49] Yeah. So they’re going back next year.

[00:23:51] So they told us to come, you know, come to, so we’re going back next year. If we can go, if we can go. But

[00:23:56] Donyetta: [00:23:56] my trip to Cartagena Colombia was rescheduled for next year and next [00:24:00] year I’ll be the big four. Oh. So

[00:24:02] Kim: [00:24:02] gotta go. My sister went there. Um, was it this year? This year she went like before. I think she went right.

[00:24:09] When everything jumped off,

[00:24:10] Donyetta: [00:24:10] I love your sister. She’s a bag of fun. She’s my friend. And she’ll send me

[00:24:13] Kim: [00:24:13] videos.

[00:24:15] Donyetta: [00:24:15] You know,

[00:24:15] Kim: [00:24:15] I would blow up hot spot right now because she was just in Jamaica.

[00:24:19] Donyetta: [00:24:19] She had to see that she didn’t post that

[00:24:21] Kim: [00:24:21] she was just in Jamaica for the last five days.

[00:24:24] Donyetta: [00:24:24] No one did. She hadn’t been sending me videos.

[00:24:26] She was listening, funny stuff to laugh at. Don’t drop me like

[00:24:29] Kim: [00:24:29] that. Oh my God. She sent me to her. That balloon look amazing. Like she looked like, like she said, a lot of things was still closed there, but. Yeah, they had a good time over all jumped the fight and one took about to Jamaica,

[00:24:42] Donyetta: [00:24:42] go somewhere.

[00:24:44] Kim: [00:24:44] Listen, we can’t sit at home forever. Like, like we have to like get back into it.

[00:24:49] Donyetta: [00:24:49] I like, and I work from home now, too. That’s why I’m getting into all this extra stuff. I’m like, okay,

[00:24:56] Kim: [00:24:56] it’s too much.

[00:24:57] Donyetta: [00:24:57] I thought it was going to last for two weeks.

[00:24:59] Kim: [00:24:59] Evan. [00:25:00] Let me say either when we first got home, right. My son, I tell him that.

[00:25:05] Yeah, we’re going to be home for two weeks. Is that next Monday? Do you know, this boy got up, got dressed and was leaving for school. He was excited and I heard the door, I’d jump out of bed and he’s like, I’m going to school. I’m like, there’s no school. School’s canceled two weeks. That’s what he said. He said, you said to me, I said, no, school’s canceled

[00:25:27] Donyetta: [00:25:27] forever.

[00:25:27] Kim: [00:25:27] I was cracking up at that. Oh my goodness. Okay. So. Moving along.

[00:25:35] Donyetta: [00:25:35] Well, we got next.

[00:25:36] Kim: [00:25:36] So you made a jump being a,

[00:25:42] Donyetta: [00:25:42] a

[00:25:42] Kim: [00:25:42] social media influencer. What would you call it?

[00:25:46] Donyetta: [00:25:46] Hm. I don’t know if I’m influencing yet. That’s the goal right now? Maybe let’s say content creation, content creator. Yes. And aspiring social media influencer.

[00:25:57] I like that.

[00:25:57] Kim: [00:25:57] So first you started on [00:26:00] his tick tock thing.

[00:26:01] Donyetta: [00:26:01] Yes.

[00:26:02] Kim: [00:26:02] We’re going to get into tic-tac as I always say, like I’m too old to take time, right? And, you know, I downloaded took SOC because I know it’d be talking to

[00:26:11] Donyetta: [00:26:11] you. I love it.

[00:26:12] Kim: [00:26:12] Okay. And I still can’t figure

[00:26:15] Donyetta: [00:26:15] it out. My nieces, they were like, T T why don’t you get take

[00:26:18] Kim: [00:26:18] time?

[00:26:18] And I was like, what’s checked up. And they’re like, yeah, check,

[00:26:20] Donyetta: [00:26:20] talk. And so I was like, no, I’m not getting ticked out. But then I kept seeing like other, like people post videos. And I was like, well, let me see. So I downloaded it and I actually recorded like three or four take tops. But I just kept to myself before I dropped like that first one.

[00:26:35] So when I did, I was like, you know what, let me get up and put on some clothes. And she just,

[00:26:42] Kim: [00:26:42] I can’t figure it out. I’m looking through the thing. I’m like,

[00:26:47] Donyetta: [00:26:47] okay, what kind of have you tried? Because some of them have like a lot of transitions and it’s really difficult because I

[00:26:53] Kim: [00:26:53] can’t figure it out how to get off

[00:26:55] Donyetta: [00:26:55] of the first

[00:26:55] Kim: [00:26:55] dog on page.

[00:26:57] Donyetta: [00:26:57] Okay. I see. We’re going to check out. Not all [00:27:00] one. I did it that

[00:27:08] Kim: [00:27:08] way, but let me record my screen

[00:27:11] Donyetta: [00:27:11] on the video.

[00:27:17] Kim: [00:27:17] So wait, what am I good at it? Do this.

[00:27:22] Donyetta: [00:27:22] I’ll say if you want it. You want it to use this sound over? I don’t care what you do.

[00:27:28] Kim: [00:27:28] Hold on. I don’t know what I’m doing.

[00:27:30] Donyetta: [00:27:30] If you wanted to use that sound over you, trust that right there. And then these are all the people that have used this sound. And then. You can say, you want to use it and then you can set, I set my timer.

[00:27:44] I do the three second timer. So that gives me time to set the camera up and then run back. You can add, um, speed sort of, sort of like if you’re taking a picture with your iPhone, you get, um, video, you can set the speed. You can put on some filters. If you want to, you can have the flash come on and off. But yeah, so [00:28:00] like say if we were going to record, so it’s technically recording right now, I probably should have flipped the camera.

[00:28:05] I’m acting like, I don’t know. So, yeah, it would just be recording this.

[00:28:11] Kim: [00:28:11] How do you follow along with people?

[00:28:14] Donyetta: [00:28:14] Well, see, that’s the beauty of it. So you use the, like, I’m just making the whole method. So you use the different soundbites, but you can add your own spin to it. So like, Oh, here’s something. So if you see mine, I do like a lot of work from home.

[00:28:28] Kim: [00:28:28] Wait, how do I look?

[00:28:30] Donyetta: [00:28:30] Kim.

[00:28:31] Kim: [00:28:31] I feel like I’m like computer illiterate. When this state, how do you follow people

[00:28:36] Donyetta: [00:28:36] who prefer how to get out of here? Alright, so we’re gonna back out and then go

[00:28:42] Kim: [00:28:42] wait, the only person I’m following is Jason Derulo because they recommended him.

[00:28:45] Donyetta: [00:28:45] Yeah. They recommended him to me too.

[00:28:47] I had to let him go. He posts too much. Look, why can’t I spell my own username?

[00:28:52] Kim: [00:28:52] Wait, wait, wait, go back. How did, how did you find people?

[00:28:57] Donyetta: [00:28:57] And then you go to search. So if you type in [00:29:00] D Yetta, it should come. So there I am. And then that’s a lot to go through

[00:29:08] Kim: [00:29:08] 11,000 followers.

[00:29:10] Donyetta: [00:29:10] I went viral a couple of times.

[00:29:13] Kim: [00:29:13] Look what I saw Amanda salesmen.

[00:29:20] Donyetta: [00:29:20] yes. And so I was sitting at home one night, just watching. I don’t know if I was something on Netflix and my best friend, he called me. He said, Hey,

[00:29:27] Kim: [00:29:27] I said, Hey, and

[00:29:30] Donyetta: [00:29:30] so what you do? And I was like, I’m watching TV. And he said, well, one of my friends called and said, have you talked to Daniella today? And he’s like, no, not today.

[00:29:37] You should call her because Amanda’s still posted her on incidents. I don’t want to scream because your microphone picks up.

[00:29:44] Kim: [00:29:44] But I was like,

[00:29:47] Donyetta: [00:29:47] yes. A madness. So when you sent me the message, I was like, thank y’all so much for telling me because I was following her. But you know, sometimes she posted a lot of things on her stories, so I wouldn’t have missed it, but yeah.

[00:29:57] You and maybe like two or three of my other friends [00:30:00] and I was like, Thank y’all for telling me, cause I would have missed it and I would have been so upset when it deleted after 24

[00:30:05] Kim: [00:30:05] hours.

[00:30:12] Look, I kind of decided when, um, Don my memory posted my little message that

[00:30:16] Donyetta: [00:30:16] I saw that I was like,

[00:30:18] Kim: [00:30:18] I’m like,

[00:30:19] Donyetta: [00:30:19] no, but the idea that got Amanda seals,

[00:30:22] Kim: [00:30:22] heck you get 11,000 followers.

[00:30:25] Donyetta: [00:30:25] So like I just been posting. So a lot of this stuff I’ll do. Like I said, I’ve makes fun of working from home and the fact that I don’t want to turn my camera on for the zone.

[00:30:34] Cause I want to keep my sat and bonded on. So there’s me and Kathy, do you know Kathy? She’s a runner here in Atlanta. So we do some together, but like little stuff like this, but what happened is one that I use my own voice for. So you can make your own voice. You don’t have to do a voiceover. You have a lot on here.

[00:30:50] Where is it? One of my went viral. So that one has over a million. People have seen that one. And so with tick Todd. So now that you follow me, you [00:31:00] can download. Yeah. You can save my video. Yeah. That’s the one. So you can say that video and then repost it. But when you repost it, it still says my username at the top.

[00:31:15] So like everybody kept posting it and reposting it. And, and because this is my original audio. If you want it to use it and lip sync to my voice, you could. So some people have done that too. How do you do that?

[00:31:27] Kim: [00:31:27] This is too advanced for me.

[00:31:28] Donyetta: [00:31:28] So we’re looking at my, and then you click that little spinning wheel and then you just go use that sound and you go through and record, like we were.

[00:31:38] Kim: [00:31:38] So did they report it to their phone to follow back to you? How does that work?

[00:31:42] Donyetta: [00:31:42] No. Well, you, if you want to repost my video, you can download it to your phone. I do have my settings where this is the first time I ever had real public account on any social media platform too. So this was like new for me, but if you just want to do my voiceover, then you don’t have to download it.

[00:31:58] You can just. [00:32:00] Use the sound and then record, like, however you improv it. So that one, so funny story. Do you know what Grindr is? Yeah.

[00:32:09] Kim: [00:32:09] The gay sex app, right?

[00:32:10] Donyetta: [00:32:10] Yes. So one night I woke up in the middle of the night and there’s an Instagram page. I think it’s called best of grinder. And I had a message from them and I was like, like, I’ve heard of Grindr.

[00:32:21] Cause I listened to the read podcast and they’re always like giving advice for people. Like I met my blue on grinder and I thought we closed our account. But he still has his I’m like you got hoodwinked and bamboozled, but I had a message from this Instagram page and they reached out, they said, Hey, you know, this is, I think it’s best to Grindr IgG page.

[00:32:40] We cater to, you know, um, making meetings with, for gay men and said, I saw one of your videos on tech top. Could I use it? Could I post it? And I was like, I said, well, sure. If it’s in a positive light, I don’t mind. He said, of course he said, I’ll send it to you before I posted it. I’m saying he, I think it was a, he who runs his front page.

[00:32:56] And so he sent it to me and it was literally that [00:33:00] video of me running late, even though I’m working from home. And so he posted it and tagged me and they’re like that day I got like four or 500 new followers on Instagram. Like when I tell you the gays come out to support and I’m here for all of it, but yeah.

[00:33:14] So like little stuff like that, like I’ve had people. From Switzerland, a lady from Switzerland found me from tick tock. Cause my Instagram name is the same. And she said, Hey, I just want to let you know all the way in Switzerland we’re watching or I’ve had people. So I’m becoming a sensitive thug as I get older, but I’ve had people that I don’t know that have reached out to me.

[00:33:33] Like one lady. Specifically. I remember she said, you know, I’ve been feeling really down lately because my husband’s hours got cut at work because of COVID. And she said, your video really made my day. So thank you for posting these tic talks. So, um,

[00:33:48] but yeah, so I get messages like that all the time and this just. I still can’t but yeah, I can’t believe it is lit. Yeah. It’s lit.

[00:33:57] Kim: [00:33:57] So I need to come on over there and you

[00:33:59] Donyetta: [00:33:59] better hurry because you [00:34:00] know, they keep saying they’re gonna I’m bad at, in the U S

[00:34:03] Kim: [00:34:03] cause it’s from China.

[00:34:04] Donyetta: [00:34:04] So they say like, when you agree to the permissions, whatever, you’re giving up all of your information, but I give it to all of the other social media platforms

[00:34:11] Kim: [00:34:11] to all of them.

[00:34:13] So once you proceed, unless you say, yeah.

[00:34:15] Donyetta: [00:34:15] Yeah. Facebook messenger, all of them.

[00:34:18] Kim: [00:34:18] What’d you do wait, Ian, what is

[00:34:21] Donyetta: [00:34:21] probably those pretzels with? Oh, that one. About my toxic trait. I had a bag of prep with chips that I love

[00:34:33] that’s me and my shenanigans.

[00:34:42] Oh, that’s one of my favorite.

[00:34:45] Kim: [00:34:45] How do you do all of these? Like,

[00:34:48] Donyetta: [00:34:48] that’s what I said. If you do transitions, you have to pause it. So I’ll record all of the pieces we’re getting into

[00:34:58] Kim: [00:34:58] like

[00:35:03] [00:35:00] Donyetta: [00:35:03] If I wanted to do two different people, You are record a little bit, pause, record a little bit pause. So I’ll keep on the same outfit and then I’ll go back and change and then just edit it where, um, so it started like you would do for a movie. Yes, but you got to change clothes

[00:35:19] Kim: [00:35:19] no, too much. So you have to do it all inside of the app.

[00:35:22] You can’t like you can import it,

[00:35:25] Donyetta: [00:35:25] but I don’t because if I use a voiceover that I’m lip sync into, it can be a little bit off, but you can just record whatever you want on your, your phone. I hope it’s an iPhone cause I don’t like Android. So I’m on your team. Apple’s the only draw. So I like her in Sapphire movie.

[00:35:42] And so. Yeah, you can record it somewhere else and then import it. Cause a lot of people like when they start, so some people have like these full semantic looking videos, so they edit them in I movie. Or what’s the one you said you use final cut pro final cut pro. And they have like transitions where they turn into a [00:36:00] Crow and fly off like his Harry Potter movie or something.

[00:36:03] And so I’m not that advanced, but some people they really have good editing skills. So that’s what they do.

[00:36:09] Kim: [00:36:09] What came next? Your blog or your YouTube channel?

[00:36:13] Donyetta: [00:36:13] You

[00:36:15] Kim: [00:36:15] huh?

[00:36:16] Donyetta: [00:36:16] YouTube. That was only like a week difference between so 10 times I was on there for a little bit, maybe a month and a half then YouTube.

[00:36:24] And then maybe like the next week I started my blog. So yeah, I just bit off a bunch of

[00:36:30] Kim: [00:36:30] whoo it’s work. So what made you want to start a YouTube channel?

[00:36:33] Donyetta: [00:36:33] So I used to have a YouTube channel back in 2012 and I used to review natural hair products. So I used to wear my hair like a boy, and then I started growing my hair out.

[00:36:45] So I was like, I’m going to start reviewing products. Can you hear that?

[00:36:51] Kim: [00:36:51] I’m the latest part in the show? Cause my mother will not stop coming in and out of here. Look, she’s walking by, you can’t see her she’s walking by right now.

[00:37:03] [00:37:00] Donyetta: [00:37:03] So yeah, I used to have a YouTube channel back in 2012. I used to review natural hair products and things, but it was so much work. Like I didn’t realize shooting. It is okay. But the editing. And so I just deleted the whole channel. I wish I had some of those videos. That’s back when I had braces, I had braces in my thirties

[00:37:23] Kim: [00:37:23] girl.

[00:37:25] Donyetta: [00:37:25] So yeah. And so after I started on the tic talk, I was like, wait, this is sorta kind of fun. So I did the YouTube and then a bunch of my friends used to keep telling me like, Oh, you should do YouTube and you should do a blog. And I’d be like, I’ve done that before. It’s a lot of work and I don’t want to do it.

[00:37:42] And they were like, well, you can pay somebody. Making money. Yeah. And so after I started doing the tech talk and I liked it, I was like, you know what, especially when I started getting such positive feedback, I was like, I got a little bit of light. I can shine. Let me go ahead. And yeah. So the [00:38:00] blog is actually harder than the tick tock.

[00:38:02] Really and the YouTube, because I have my own domain. So it’s deanna.com. So I paid for, um, a company to host my domain and I thought it was gonna be like Facebook. So Facebook, I log in and I post stuff. I didn’t know. I have to build my entire blog. So like when y’all click on the menus and the different pages, that is a labor of love.

[00:38:23] I built all of that. If I never hear the words, plugin or widget ever again in my life,

[00:38:28] Kim: [00:38:28] Girl. I know. Cause I got my sites on a WordPress site to

[00:38:33] Donyetta: [00:38:33] me, like 30 minutes after I paid for it. I was like, what’s the refund policy. Like I really looked for the refund policy. So I stayed up like one night until 6:00 AM and I figured that stuff out

[00:38:47] Kim: [00:38:47] and people think is easy.

[00:38:49] Like they

[00:38:49] Donyetta: [00:38:49] see the finished

[00:38:50] Kim: [00:38:50] product and anything, you know, it is work y’all

[00:38:54] Donyetta: [00:38:54] is a labor a lot. Cause people would tell me like, Oh, you’re doing those two type videos. You must be [00:39:00] bored. Or you got a lot of time in your hand. No, like this is actually cutting into my personal life and my sleep schedule. Like I don’t believe in the concept of being bored.

[00:39:08] It’s always something I can do. So yeah. I think people misunderstand, like if you’re always creating something and putting it out there, it’s out of like boredom. Like, we’re just, you know,

[00:39:17] Kim: [00:39:17] creative individuals and, you know, I used to like blog all my races, you know, every opposite or race review. And then I didn’t update my blog for like a year.

[00:39:27] Donyetta: [00:39:27] Cause you sorta crash and burn, if you don’t. Yeah.

[00:39:30] Kim: [00:39:30] And then like my Facebook page, I stop updating my like straight campaigns. Like I stopped updating all of that and I was just like on Instagram because it’s just so easy post a pitch and you’re done.

[00:39:39] Donyetta: [00:39:39] And then to another thing I noticed, like if you post something and you’re like, Oh my God, I think this is so great.

[00:39:44] And people are really gonna,

[00:39:46] Kim: [00:39:46] you’d be like

[00:39:46] Donyetta: [00:39:46] my best friend and my mom and didn’t even nobody watched it. So, you know what I’m talking about, support your friends, like y’all support these celebrities, you know?

[00:39:55] Kim: [00:39:55] Hello.

[00:39:56] Donyetta: [00:39:56] Yeah.

[00:39:57] Kim: [00:39:57] And you know what? I hate, my mother does this. Okay. [00:40:00] She’ll tell me something about a video I’m like, but did you like it though?

[00:40:03] Did you like to repost the video? I copied

[00:40:05] Donyetta: [00:40:05] all, like, I’ll be like you commented, but you did not. Like I need my light, like,

[00:40:09] Kim: [00:40:09] Oh, I like the video. The light helps with us getting noticed.

[00:40:14] Donyetta: [00:40:14] Yes.

[00:40:14] Kim: [00:40:14] You know, this podcast go on the podcast. If you’re on Apple podcast, rate the podcast,

[00:40:20] Donyetta: [00:40:20] it helps even if you’re not going to listen all the time, just letting me know you.

[00:40:26] Kim: [00:40:26] But yeah, people think like it’s, it’s hard. Maintaining a blog

[00:40:30] Donyetta: [00:40:30] is really hard

[00:40:32] Kim: [00:40:32] and you know, what sucks Facebook? Like they don’t show people your content anymore. Do you notice?

[00:40:36] Donyetta: [00:40:36] I noticed that, especially. So there’s a difference between the engagement I get on my page for my blog, as opposed to my personal page.

[00:40:45] But a lot of those people are the same like group of people. So yeah. Yeah. The algorithms,

[00:40:51] Kim: [00:40:51] like when I go back years ago, like my straight campaigns used to get

[00:40:55] Donyetta: [00:40:55] a ton of likes, man.

[00:40:57] Kim: [00:40:57] Now I’ll get like 20 or 30 likes, maybe on [00:41:00] a picture. But if I add a link to a post, no one sees it.

[00:41:03] Donyetta: [00:41:03] I added something this morning and I’m like,

[00:41:05] Kim: [00:41:05] no one sees it.

[00:41:06] Like Facebook wants you to pay. If you don’t pay,

[00:41:09] Donyetta: [00:41:09] you know what I paid last week,

[00:41:11] Kim: [00:41:11] they can’t any results though.

[00:41:14] Donyetta: [00:41:14] Cam

[00:41:14] Kim: [00:41:14] it’s a waste.

[00:41:15] Donyetta: [00:41:15] So I got 30 followers, they said spend $25. We’ll run an ad for $5 a day. And I was like, okay. Cause I’m trying to, you know, get my, because I do want to eventually stop posting my blog stuff on my personal Facebook.

[00:41:28] Cause I’m on my friends get tired of me. So I paid the $25 and I was like, I’m going to get so many followers. I got 30. I got 600 on my own. Just about for telling my friends, like, literally I got 30 new followers and I’m appreciative of those thirties, but I’m on my $25 back.

[00:41:45] Kim: [00:41:45] Wasn’t worth the $25. Yeah.

[00:41:47] They want you to spend the money hundred

[00:41:49] Donyetta: [00:41:49] Instagram does too. I’ve been shadow banned on Instagram a few times. So shadow ban like, Oh, you know, I’m a, I find all kinds of stuff on the internet. I’m an FBI [00:42:00] agent. If you need some research on something, let me know. So shadow banning is this theory that people have about Instagram.

[00:42:06] Your picture does not violate their policy so they can’t remove it, but they do suppress it. So only people who already follow you will see it. So on Instagram, I’ve mastered the art of hashtags. When I went to Amelia Island, I posted a picture of me in a swimsuit, and this sounds so vain, but I was like, Like after a while the likes went down, I was like, why is nobody like in this photo anymore, this is going to sound vague, but I’m paying attention to my engagement and I’m starting to track all that stuff.

[00:42:33] And I have a, um, A creator account or maybe a business account now. So I can look at my analytics and I was like, that’s weird because like the first hour I got 200 likes three, four hours later, I only got 25 more. So I’m Googling it and shadow banning. So I use the hashtag. You can do, you can get shadow banned for a plethora of things.

[00:42:52] One, I used the hashtag swimwear Instagram shut that hashtag down because people have been posting inappropriate [00:43:00] things up under the hashtag. So once one of your hashtags get shuts down, All of them no longer work. So if you were to click swimwear, you won’t see my picture. If you click Deandra, I have my own hashtag you won’t see my photo anymore.

[00:43:13] Um, and then, um, I have seen articles that say that Instagram, the algorithm. I posted a picture of me in a swimsuit. And this time I didn’t use any of those hashtags, but Instagram does this thing where if they feel your picture is, you know, too much sauce, they will suppress it. And only people that already follow you like it.

[00:43:34] So my big thing was, is I was messaging Instagram every day. Cause I got, I had time. I see pictures of people who don’t look like me and swimsuits and their pictures are showing up under their hashtag.

[00:43:47] Kim: [00:43:47] And did they respond?

[00:43:48] Donyetta: [00:43:48] Oh, no, they did not. I said, I think Instagram is racially biased and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

[00:43:53] But yeah, they didn’t respond.

[00:43:55] Kim: [00:43:55] They going to kick your ass off the platform. You might want

[00:43:58] Donyetta: [00:43:58] to cut this part out, [00:44:00] just got a shadow, ban the picture I posted, like go back and look at like, The likes I’ve been getting lately, baby. They have me on Instagram that exist. So there’s a big great, but a lot of people saying that Instagram tries to police women’s bodies.

[00:44:16] So if a woman posts something, she gets slapped on the wrist for it on social media platforms. But men do not. There are a lot of people that I’m gay, lesbian, bisexual, or identify as queer that say that Instagram suppresses their stuff, Instagram suppresses, um, it’s alleged that they suppressed like pole dancers.

[00:44:39] So everybody who dances on a pole, it’s not exotic, like Bassa, I’ve taken a pole dance class. I can’t do it like that is an art and it’s not raunchy, but a lot of these people say that they notice their engagement plummeted when Instagram changed their policy. Um, it’s just so real. I’ll have to send you some of the articles.

[00:44:59] And so like a lot of [00:45:00] people say the Instagram, right? Um, is racially biased. So like women of color can post a one piece bathing suit and then not women of color can have a two piece button suit and it can be a dog that’s in that picture. I can follow the hashtags and see that picture. Yeah, edit all of this stuff.

[00:45:17] It all locked down. One Mogi show up. I’m going to have to come back with another account. I’m gonna be like Joe community. And so just like in this climate, just like being aware of those types of things, like it just. It’s just, it’s exhausting.

[00:45:40] Kim: [00:45:40] It’s exhausting.

[00:45:42] Donyetta: [00:45:42] Like make it as if everybody gonna get banned for posting a swimsuit photo, then I’m going to have a gripe about it.

[00:45:48] But if it’s just like a select group of people and it looks a certain way. Hmm. I don’t like that.

[00:45:55] Kim: [00:45:55] I haven’t been in a swimsuit in forever, so I don’t even know

[00:45:58] Donyetta: [00:45:58] how long it took me to find a [00:46:00] one piece. I wanted

[00:46:00] Kim: [00:46:00] to post a picture because I’m not running. Like I used to, let’s say one piece of the Bay shoot.

[00:46:06] I got some fly as long.

[00:46:09] Donyetta: [00:46:09] I, one of my run friends sent me a picture after my trip. She said, Hey, I got a question. And I said, what? She said, did you get enhanced? And I was like, what’s that? No, I thought she meant like filters on my photos. She asked me to do it. Then I get a boob job ground I’m over here getting fat, but thank you.

[00:46:27] Kim: [00:46:27] Now I just put a little, a little bit of Kobe waiting on

[00:46:30] Donyetta: [00:46:30] hands, myself, glad it went there and not a bunch of other places.

[00:46:35] Kim: [00:46:35] Shoot. I’m trying to run off this damn covert way now. Listen, my little love handles back here and

[00:46:42] Donyetta: [00:46:42] I am 20 pounds heavier than when I ran New York.

[00:46:46] Kim: [00:46:46] Let’s say you were in the, I think the last time I got on a scale, I was like one 50 something.

[00:46:51] Donyetta: [00:46:51] I’m gonna tell you how much I’m in the one sixties

[00:46:53] Kim: [00:46:53] I’ve been there. My heaviest was probably one 60, but I’m

[00:46:57] Donyetta: [00:46:57] fine. I say one 60.

[00:46:58] Kim: [00:46:58] I said, [00:47:00] how tall are you though?

[00:47:02] Donyetta: [00:47:02] Brown? Now

[00:47:04] Kim: [00:47:04] I got Saben.

[00:47:06] Donyetta: [00:47:06] I have long limbs people always, like, I remember. Somebody told me that I have the wingspan of LeBron James. No, I’m only five, five, but for some reason I have like, yeah, like people, like, did you play basketball?

[00:47:22] No, I play the clarinet.

[00:47:25] Kim: [00:47:25] See me, I got up to one 60, but I’m five, seven, and all my weight goes to my ass.

[00:47:30] Donyetta: [00:47:30] And that’s why you wanted

[00:47:30] Kim: [00:47:30] to go though? No, my ass too big now. So all my pitches in front of front, like y’all not seeing my ass. 

[00:47:39] Donyetta: [00:47:39] jail again.

[00:47:42] Kim: [00:47:42] No. See, I’m not, I don’t show my cause that gives to me, I don’t need the extra attention.

[00:47:45] Like,

[00:47:46] Donyetta: [00:47:46] yeah. I didn’t think about that. There’s some trolls on the internet too much.

[00:47:50] Kim: [00:47:50] And the BDMs that like, Dan, let her know. I don’t need no more attention.

[00:47:53] Donyetta: [00:47:53] I don’t even read mine anymore.

[00:47:55] Kim: [00:47:55] Yeah. Like I can’t. No. So you see me from the front, you ain’t [00:48:00] seeing my ass,

[00:48:00] Donyetta: [00:48:00] that’s all, y’all gonna get her husband. And they for y’all like, I just

[00:48:04] Kim: [00:48:04] posted two pictures of the sports bra.

[00:48:06] I never posted pictures of the squads cry. I posted to the ones today and one last week

[00:48:10] Donyetta: [00:48:10] and I asked her, I put some of my stories and it’s funny. Cause you know, you always want what you don’t have. I was looking at some pitches. I was like, I wish I had last year stomach. Right? Yup.

[00:48:20] Kim: [00:48:20] Shoot. Listen, my little hundred mile journey is helping me lose a little bit away, but it’s hard when

[00:48:32] we in the kitchen y’all and they didn’t, they just left me here, fixing up, left up, look what, what, what, but

[00:48:43] Donyetta: [00:48:43] he made it a parent’s house. I like that.

[00:48:55] Just flowing naturally. Thank you. That’s a thing. No, [00:49:00] if we, if we keep talking, we gotta turn the camera around and you gotta be in it too.

[00:49:04] Kim: [00:49:04] Oh my goodness. What’d you about to do now?

[00:49:11] He gonna put the microwave on?

[00:49:16] Look, we almost done.

[00:49:19] Donyetta: [00:49:19] We said that an hour ago too, though.

[00:49:23] Kim: [00:49:23] Okay. So I want to thank Don Yetta for being on the runway podcast. We can go on forever, but

[00:49:30] Donyetta: [00:49:30] we’re probably gonna talk two hours after this stops, but y’all, won’t get to see,

[00:49:34] Kim: [00:49:34] come back for a part two. When I come back down

[00:49:35] Donyetta: [00:49:35] here, I’ll hear from her again, but

[00:49:38] Kim: [00:49:38] let the audience know where they can find you.

[00:49:41] Donyetta: [00:49:41] All right. So on Instagram, I am Dyetta, D Y E T T a. My blog is  dyetta.com. You can find me on YouTube, Dyetta, and on Facebook. Um, Dyetta personal Facebook, Donyetta Edwards.

[00:49:55] Kim: [00:49:55] We make it easy. Dyetta everywhere.

[00:49:58] Donyetta: [00:49:58] Yeah,

[00:49:59] Kim: [00:49:59] Google her [00:50:00] you’ll find all of her links there.

[00:50:01] Donyetta: [00:50:01] That’s a YouTube too. Yeah,

[00:50:03] Kim: [00:50:03] I’ll put everything in the description down below.

[00:50:05] There’ll be in the show notes. So if you want to hit her up. Follow her on tick tock. I’m still finally following her.

[00:50:13] Donyetta: [00:50:13] He’s on post the tik tock video soon. We’re going to work on that after we do. Yeah, we don’t get it. We going to do something it’s

[00:50:19] Kim: [00:50:19] like, what

[00:50:20] Donyetta: [00:50:20] would he do? All kind of Savage.

[00:50:25] Kim: [00:50:25] All right.

[00:50:26] So thank you for being on the show

[00:50:28] Donyetta: [00:50:28] so much for having me. I had a blast.

[00:50:30] Kim: [00:50:30] We will catch you

[00:50:31] on the next one later. Thank you so much for tuning into the show. Be sure to subscribe to The Run Wave on your favorite podcast app and leave us a review of the show on Apple podcasts. It would have really helped me out.

[00:50:47] If you are a runner that has a story to tell, and you would like to be on the show. You can email hello@therunwave.com or send us a DM on Instagram to The Run Wave.

[00:51:00] [00:51:00] See you next time.