Meet Trailblazer Minnelle Kouka

Today we’d like to introduce you to Minnelle Kouka.

Minnelle, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in Metro Detroit and moved to OC three years ago for sunshine and a change of pace! I’ve always been interested in attending events and creating Instagram posts but didn’t blog/take Instagram seriously until April 2017. My motivation to start my account really began once I was fully situated in OC. I realized that I was taking Instagram worthy photos but doing nothing with them! My first post was a throwback from my trip to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and received more likes than I ever received (using hashtags of course). This really motivated me and I haven’t looked back since!

Great, 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?
It was and still isn’t a smooth road. I work hard daily to push through and get to where I want to be but truth be told I will never get there because I am always modifying my goals!

My advice to young women is:
1. Find a circle of girls who have this similar interest and work together. I’ve been fortunate enough to find my group of girls who I can depend on to do a quick photo shoot or visit a cafe with.

2. Take your deadlines seriously and stay organized!

3. Take some time for yourself where you disconnect because it can get overwhelming!

4. Think big and just try! I can’t tell you how many times I reached out to a brand and thought to myself “they will never say yes” and voila! I’m a firm believer in thinking big.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about @minnellek – what should we know?
I’m a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger. I love showing my followers new places to check out, always using a pop of color. It’s pretty obvious from my feed that I have an obsession with flowers/florals! 🙂

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
I was raised to always work hard. I started working at 11 years old and haven’t stopped since! I grew up in a family that owned businesses so I always had an entrepreneurial mind. My mom worked for a high-end clothing company when I was younger and I remember being in the studio she worked in seeing all of the textiles. This really excited me and sparked my interest in Fashion!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.minnellek.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minnellek/

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.