The beginning of Dericka Writes starts back in 2012, where Dericka was a 7th grader going through the typical pre-teen stage. She was looking for a proper way to creatively express herself while she constantly battled with her emotions and specific personal issues within her family. She was able to find that outlet through creative writing, and from there, her love of writing took off.

By the time she reached high school, Dericka was deeply rooted in becoming a writer. Not only did she do exceptionally well in all her English courses, but she also took any opportunity possible to show others her work. From reading her poetry at specific school events to entering a writing competition in her school district and winning 1st place, she loved entertaining people with her work. Unfortunately, her writing career didn’t last long since doubt crept into her mind as high school graduation approached. In the end, she couldn’t see how she could effectively help people through her writing other than through entertainment. As a result, she settled on her backup plan: going to college and majoring in a business-related field (accounting).

In January 2019, Dericka found herself living her worst nightmare: questioning her career path and whether it was the right choice. She was a second-semester sophomore working her second tax season as a receptionist at a tax firm at this point. She was confused and unhappy with the area of her life that she was living. To relieve some steam, she began journaling and creative writing once again and immediately found herself falling back in love with writing. The doubt also returned not long afterward until her boyfriend came up to her and said the words, “You know you can do this for a living, right?”

Curious about that statement, Dericka conducted thorough research on the topic. After realizing that she could genuinely help people through writing, she quit her receptionist job in February 2019. The next month, she purchased a weekend-long freelance writing course and took it to create her website and get herself started in the world of freelance writing. Finally, on June 5th, 2020, she launched her website and began Dericka Writes from that point on forward. Although it took her some time to get adjusted, she eventually found her calling in helping small businesses and brands create their online content while also assisting specific individuals in creating meaningful and impactful stories. Dericka hopes to continue to support these groups of individuals for years to come while also assisting them in creating valuable business resources to use for their operations daily. Dericka hopes to continue to support groups of female business owners with their written content and finding their place online.