Salutations Steemit Friends!

This post is a shout out to my first 250+ Steemit followers thanking you for your support. I've received such a warm welcome since I first began posting on Steemit in late May! I have to say, it's been such a pleasant departure from other social media platforms.

In just my short time here, I can truly attest that Steemit is a community that fosters both inspiration and encouragement to its contributors. As a content creator since 2006 (crazy it's been that long), I sincerely appreciate the kind words of encouragement that I've received from my lovely Steemit friends.

As a special note to @happyphoenix, many thanks for featuring my posts in your Steemit newsletters. : )

When I first started in social media, I was a bit of a "video vixen" or "angel" (btw, those were Heavy.com's choice of words, not mine!). My main Youtube channel vlogolution grew to nearly 100,000 subscribers and over 60 million views by 2012...

When YouTube gives you sour social media lemons, you squeeze 'em rrrealllllyyyy hard and you make some STEEM instead! : D

Some of it was crazy, celebrity inspired satire, some quasi-political. I quickly discovered that if your politics are not in alignment with Google's political agenda, you'll encounter problems with censorship on the platform. That was back in late 2008....

Fast forward to late 2011 - early 2012, @alexpmorris and I found the censorship (constant flagging attacks, video demonetization and even death threats) too overwhelming and costly to continue my then project, a "frisky and fun-spirited" cocktail web series, Naughty Tipples.

So, I shelved my channel and took a long, social media hiatus. Honestly, the censorship had me feeling totally burned out. I felt like I was at a point that I had developed some form of social media anxiety, lol!

On the upside, I had a lot more free time to pursue my other passions. I enrolled into an accelerated design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT SUNY) here in New York City, and then continued my studies at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

I was first introduced to Steemit last summer, waited to join until January, and it wasn't until late spring that I actualized my Steemit journey. Maybe it was the gnawing dread and fear that my time and effort put into community building on another platform could quickly dissipate, as it had before on YouTube.

Decadent and delightful Parisian haute cuisine totally amuses my bouche. I'll be posting about this fine dining experience to Steemit soon!

So, with a bit of courage (and a push from @alexpmorris) I decided to dip my toes into Steemit and put some of my content out there again. I knew I would have to return to social media sooner or later... the big question was on which platform? After all, so many are now plagued with ridiculous censorship and heinous trolls.

So far Steemit has been a breath of fresh air. It's such a sweet relief (and reassurance) to know that our social media sweat equity is secure on the blockchain!

In the past five years I hadn't made it public as to why I "disappeared" from social media. Long time fans have inquired if I was "dead" (lol, for real).

Just yesterday, a follower to my main Facebook page commented that they had been following me for 11 years! Receiving positive feedback (and not gonna lie, especially in the form of flattery) DOES mean a lot to content creators like me. It makes some of the strife feel totally worth it!

As a side note, I have to say that I was shocked I even received a Facebook comment! As many of you may already know, Facebook pages have been rendered virtually useless now unless you pay or "boost" your posts to your own followers. Even on smaller pages (a few thousand fans) like mine!

Looking towards the future, my hope is that Steemit continues to grow, blossom and allow its contributors to fully enjoy the fruits of their labors!

Thank you all once again! : )

All the best,

Michelle

xx

On to happier and yummier things like tipples and treats...

Here are a few of my recent Steemit posts in case you missed 'em...

A Yummy Waldorf Salad (PHOTOS + RECIPE)...

Link: @michellectv/yummy-waldorf-chicken-salad-photos-recipe

Marie-Antoinette Inspired Champagne Cocktails (VIDEO TUTORIALS)...

Link: @michellectv/celebrate-bastille-day-with-these-imperial-cocktails-video-tutorials

A Blueberry Banana Blast Smoothie (PHOTOS + RECIPE)...