I Hit 100 Substack Subscribers, So Here Are 100 Facts About Me!

Ya'll really made my week. Thank you for subscribing. You’ve read my posts, now let’s make it personal—100 facts, fun tidbits, and a few unexpected stories about me.

In the past month, Substack has shown me that there is still hope left to build community online. This platform has quickly become my favorite corner of the internet. Instead of aimlessly scrolling Instagram, I have fallen in love with reading amazing notes and posts by incredible writers, thinkers, artists, and people sharing their perspectives on everything from entrepreneurship and creating to motherhood and personal style.

My highlight from this week was hitting 100 Substack subscribers. There are over 100 beautiful people in the Dash of Life community, and I am so over the moon to continue writing and building community here. Thank you so much to everyone who has subscribed, read my posts, liked my notes, left sweet comments, and shared my Substacks with your community. You literally have made my week!

While I’ve shared bits of myself through my posts, I haven’t formally introduced myself. I thought it would be cool to share 100 things about me so that you can get a better understanding of who I am. Please share things about yourself in the comments!! I would love to learn more about you and connect.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend. Here are 100 things about me!

1. My name is Kelsey-Marie, but most people call me Kelsey. My Instagram name is @kelseydashmarie because my name is hyphenated, aka has a dash, lol.

2. I was born in Brooklyn, NYC.

3. I am an only child.

4. I’m a libra (October 4th is my birthday).

5. Both of my parents are from Trinidad.

6. My mom is Black, Indian, and Latinx, and my dad is Indian, but I consider myself to be a Black woman.

7. My maternal great-grandma migrated from Venezuela to Trinidad.

8. Although I’m technically American, when I started speaking, it was with a Trinidadian accent. My parents said all of the neighbors in Brooklyn were shocked.

9. I lived in Trinidad for one year and lived with my aunt, uncle, and cousin while my parents were moving to Raleigh, NC, where I was raised.

10. I was raised very Trinidadian.

11. My first job was when I was a high school senior. (I worked at Panera Bread).

12. I lived in Raleigh from the age of 6 until 17 when I moved to Winston-Salem, NC, to attend college at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU).

13. I graduated from WSSU with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications with a concentration in Electronic Media.

14. While in college, I had plans to be a news anchor when I graduated.

15. I was on BET for a week as a host representing WSSU.

16. During my senior year, I interned at FOX News and a local radio station. I absolutely hated my internship at FOX News, which deterred me from being a news anchor.

17. I moved to NYC after graduating college.

18. I had so many jobs in NYC during my first year (intern at a marketing agency, intern at a modeling agency, worked at DSW in Union Square).

19. I started working in the TV industry and worked on shows such as Power, She’s Gotta Have It Too, The Mysteries of Laura, and more.

20. I hated working in television. The hours were grueling, and I didn’t feel creative. I wanted to blog.

21. Speaking of blogging, I’ve had a number of blogs. I even had a blog with my friend Porsche called Brown in the City, which was pretty cool because we got to interview business owners and were interviewed for a local NYC TV segment!

22. I really desired to write and create for a living, but I didn’t know how to get there because I had to make a certain amount of money to pay rent.

23. I traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2017, and the photographer on the trip is now my husband, lol.

24. After traveling back and forth to see each other for a little over a year, I moved to Johannesburg in 2018. (I finally was able to leave the film industry).

25. While living in Johannesburg, I could blog, create content, grow my Instagram community, and write.

26. I started writing for publications about travel in 2019.

27. I loved being able to write from anywhere and while traveling.

28. In 2019, I spent 5 months in London (because South Africa banned me for accidentally overstaying my visa, but that’s a story for another day).

29. London is one of my favorite cities, and I would live there in a heartbeat.

30. I met amazing people in London who are now like family to me.

31. I also spent a month living in Gaberone, Botswana, because I got kicked out of South Africa, lol.

32. In February 2020, I traveled home to NYC since I hadn’t been to the US since 2018.

33. A few days before my flight back to South Africa, the borders shut down due to COVID.

34. My parents lived in Raleigh at the time, so I went there to stay with them until we figured out what would happen with COVID-19.

35. I had to start over. I traveled to the US with one suitcase, which had only winter clothes. I didn’t even have a US phone number anymore.

36. Lebo (my now husband) and I were back in a long-distance relationship because of COVID.

37. During that time, I continued to post on Instagram.

38. In the summer of 2020, during the BLM movement, my following grew, and I started to get brand partnerships and found a new stream of income.

39. One of my first big partnerships was with Target.

40. That year, I was featured in Yahoo Style, The Zoe Report, Who What Wear, ESSENCE, and Marie Claire UK.

41. I officially moved back to NYC in July 2020.

42. During that time, I met a woman who became my business coach. She advised that I start a social media agency because I was good at socials. I started it.

43. I officially started The JoClin Agency (JCA) in October 2020.

44. In the first year of business, we scaled to having over 12 clients.

45. I went from never owning a business to owning a business with a team of 10 people.

46. For the first 3 years of my business, I hated it—mostly because I felt burnt out and unfulfilled.

47. I didn’t start enjoying my business until mid to late 2024. I thank my team for this.

48. In the next ten years, I want to pivot to a new career—being a full-time painter whose work is in galleries around the world.

49. I also want to write a book one day.

50. I love to read but haven’t really been able to in the past year because I was pregnant (soooo tiring) and then navigating postpartum. I started prioritizing reading again this year, and it’s been so good!!

51. I’m currently reading the autobiography of Angela Davis. What an icon.

52. My favorite writer is Maya Angelou. I feel a special connection to her. I’ve read all of her autobiographies.

53. In 2021, when the borders lifted, Lebo moved to NYC.

54. We moved to Atlanta in October 2022 and have been here ever since. We love it here.

55. Lebo and I got married in March 2022 in NYC.

56. We did not have a wedding—I never envisioned myself having a wedding. We went to the courthouse. It was perfect. The only witness there is my best friend Porsche.

57. My personal style icons are Solange, Rihanna, and Tracee Ellis Ross.

58. I would describe my personal style as being eclectic.

59. My travels, architecture, and art influence my style.

60. As a travel writer, I have visited over 10 countries on press trips and written about my experiences.

61. My top 3 favorite cities to travel to are Marrakech, Paris, and Lisbon.

62. My top 3 favorite cities that I would totally live in are NYC (of course), London, and Johannesburg.

63. Ok, I would totally do a 6-month stint in Paris.

64. I am dying to visit Tokyo.

65. One of my favorite things to eat is sardines. I could eat sardines every day.

66. I feel most at peace when in a bookstore or beautiful cafe.

67. My coffee order is usually a cappuccino. If I’m feeling spicy (and if the syrups are made in-house), I will get vanilla or lavender.

68. My go-to outfit when I want to feel put together is a pair of great trousers, a t-shirt or tank, a structured blazer and sneakers, mules, or loafers.

69. I do not leave the house without wearing earrings.

70. I like really weird and quirky shoes.

71. I love a good baseball hat. I want this one.

72. Before having a baby, I would wear statement rings on each finger. Now I hardly ever wear rings. Maybe I will get back to rings, but they just feel kind of heavy at the moment.

73. A beauty tip I swear by is to wear SPF daily!!

74. I love drinking water, and I believe that water is the key to aging beautifully.

75. I hate Starbucks, lol.

76. I try to support local businesses as much as possible, especially when traveling.

77. My must-do activities while traveling are visiting museums, local bookstores and boutiques, and coffee shops—lots of coffee shops!

78. My love language is words of affirmation.

79. I had a baby in April 2024. He is the best. His name is Noka, and I cannot believe that he is already 10 months!

80. I currently am an editor of a publication and the founder of a social media agency.

81. I would love to write full-time on my Substack.

82. I will choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate any day.

83. My favorite cuisines are Mexican, Trinidadian, and Asian—anything and everything Asian. I especially love Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Japanese, and Chinese, lol.

84. I put collagen in my coffee every day.

85. I used to journal daily, and I need to get back to that.

86. I am trying really hard to be less of a people pleaser and to use the word “no” more often. It’s hard.

87. My favorite season is fall. There is something about the color palette, scents, and vibe that gets me going.

88. If I could peruse farmers’ markets every Saturday morning with a cup of coffee in hand, I would.

89. I am currently watching the show Paradise on Hulu, and it is absolutely insane!! You have to watch.

90. One of my favorite shows is Ugly Betty.

91. A moment that changed my life was traveling to South Africa in 2017.

92. A goal that I’m currently working on is to write for myself instead of publications.

93. I define success as being able to spend your days doing what brings you joy.

94. I am an introvert, but when I get comfortable around someone, I talk a lot.

95. I would like to master the skill of working a room. I think it’s so chic when someone can work a room.

96. I listen to podcasts more than I listen to music.

97. I enjoy lo-fi, house, soul, indie, and some hip-hop.

98. My biggest motivator in life is making my parents proud.

99. I am most grateful for my husband and son right now. My son literally makes my day every day.

100. In five years, I see myself being a full-time writer, writing for myself, and having a thriving social media agency with plenty of time to spend with my family, reading, traveling, and enjoying life.

Introduce yourself in the comments and share some things about yourself!

xx