Meet Trailblazer Anna Morgan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Morgan.

So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Last year in November 2018, I was attending the University of California, Irvine. I had spent two years prior to attending a community college striving to get accepted into a University of California school. However, in November, I got extremely sick. I couldn’t leave my apartment because I was constantly throwing up, having horrible stomach pains and headaches. I had dealt with these symptoms before but never this bad, I ended up in an ER by myself as I had no family living in Irvine, and has not made good friend connections. The ER doctor told me that he thought something was going on with me and that I needed to go see a specialist, but in the meantime was put on a bland diet and could hardly eat anything. By the time finals came around, I could hardly study or take any tests. It was at that time I had to make the hard decision of dropping out and moving back home with my mom. It wasn’t easy I had spent so much energy but I knew that my health needed to come first. My mom had just moved to Colorado so I came here and lived with here. I spent my first six months here in doctors’ appointments and having many procedures and tests ran. Finally, at the end of May 2019, I was diagnosed with a rare Chronic Illness, gastroparesis. It means that my stomach is paralyzed. “Gastroparesis is a motility disorder, which means there is no physical obstruction preventing timely digestion, but rather a difficulty regulating a muscular activity. It occurs when the pair of nerves that connects the brainstem to the gastrointestinal tract (vagus nerve) is damaged or not functioning properly.

Since the vagus nerve is unable to send the necessary messages to ensure that the muscles in the stomach continue to work normally, food remains in the stomach for too long, leading to symptoms.” – Gi Society This has caused many of my symptoms and being told that you have a Chronic Illness is life-changing. On top of that, I am still in the process of trying to figure out some other symptoms I have that have not been accounted for yet. This left me with the question of “what do I do with my life” I didn’t want to go back to college and have been afraid to have a “normal” job in fear of getting sick again or on days when I have flare-ups and can’t do anything. This is how I decide to start my Instagram account the thought of being a blogger or influencers felt like it was so out of reach but it was a job I could do from home, still be creative and help others. So, in June of 2019, I started my account and have found so much growth from it. I have been able to connect with so many amazing people and help others who have been struggling with smiler problems because of Chronic Illness.

Has it been a smooth road?
My road has not been smooth, on top of my Chronic Illness I have dealt with a lot of different types of trauma in my life. This has caused me to be filled with fear. I also suffer from Anxiety, along with panic attacks and I know how hard it can be to not let those voices get in your head. I think the best advice I can give to other women is that do not let yourself or others hold you back. If you have a dream, you should go for it. I have found that by just doing it, whatever the first step is will upset you up for the journey you want to be on. It’s not to say that challenges won’t continue to happen when you are trying to accomplish your dreams but it is so much better to try than to just continue to think about what you wish you could be doing. I use to never try at all because I was so consumed with fear that I let it take over me. But I have realized that on the other side of fear is so much more positive things than you could ever imagine.

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I am a content creator/ influencer on Instagram. I specialize in fashion, beauty, and creating uplifting content. I am most proud of being able to connect with so many amazing people all around the world. I get to share my stories and experiences with others, along with providing helpful words. I always get feedback about how something I said or did was exactly what that person needed to hear, that will always be my motivation to keep doing what I do because I love that I have the ability to help others. I also think that this is what sets me apart from others. I love to work with brands and getting to come up with new fashion tips but at the end of the day what really makes me different is the connections I form with all the people who interact with my post or send me DMs about what is going on in their lives and I get to pray for them and help them with whatever advice they may need.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I think for females, it can be hard not be looked at like whatever you are doing is a joke. I read once that if males, where the ones leading the influencer industry, the headlines in the news would be about how genius they are for reshaping the advertising industry, instead, for females, it comes across like what we are doing, is not real work. That can be very frustrating as we spend hours all day trying to make content that people will enjoy. Along with writing emails and contracts and negotiating to make brand deals happen. It is a real business but a lot of people don’t see it that way. I think, in general, it is hard for females to be seen as what they are doing is important and does require a lot of work and energy.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 9492782933
• Email: annapaigemorgan@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annapaigemorgan/

Image Credit:
Anna Morgan

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