A lawyer is on a mission to inspire black girls and women around the world.

Shaunté Simons, 25, started a blog last September and now she has more than 75,000 followers around the world.

Ms Simons said she launched Black, Beautiful and Blessed in a bid to help other women reach their potential.

She added: “My initial idea was to create a space where I can inspire, uplift, teach and just generally be an example to young black women.”

Ms Simons said she wanted to be “a different type of role model from what is usually portrayed on social media”.

She added: “We do things together. I listen to their stories. Every morning I do a motivational message, or a motivational quote; I will pray or do an Instagram or Facebook Live.”

Ms Simons said conversations with her followers motivated her to write a book in the form of a journal.

The book, Reflect. Plan. Achieve, which helps women to plan and achieve their goals, was unveiled last December.

Ms Simons said: “I realised there was a need to start your year strong.

“People were going through 2018, it was coming to the end and they really hadn’t accomplished what they set out to do on January 1.”

Ms Simons said the journal was inspired by her religious faith and a desire to help women take control of their own destinies.

She said: “People can give you advice, people can give you a plan. But when you create the plan yourself and you are able to tick it off and to say ‘I did that’, then you are more appreciative”.

The journal focused on self love, avoiding procrastination and the achievement of goals.

Ms Simons said: “We stop ourselves usually because we think that we can’t do that; it’s too big or what if somebody says no.

“The “what-ifs” stop us from accomplishing our goals.”

Ms Simons added she gave up TV at night to help create time for her daily videos, blogs or scriptures.

She said: “Motivating young black women has been my focus. It’s also something that makes me happy and gives me peace, so I find time to do it.

Ms Simons added she enjoyed “just showing young black women that nothing is impossible. You can do whatever you want to do no matter what you think is impossible. God himself will make it possible”.

Ms Simons said she had accomplished her dreams and wanted to help other women realise theirs.

The former Saltus Grammar School pupil started a law degree at the University of the West of England aged 17.

She went on to take a Master’s degree in law aged 20 and graduated a year later.

The former Ms Teen Bermuda also served in the youth parliament for two years and was part of a delegation that travelled to a United Nations youth conference.

She also travelled to India and Thailand to volunteer in schools two years ago.

Ms Simons said: “After I was Called to the Bar, I didn’t have a job ... so I decided that in that year I was not going to wallow in my sorrows of not being able to work.”

She added: “I have accomplished a lot in my short life. It’s only though God.”

“I walk by faith, I got to university on faith, I got through high school on faith.”

Ms Simons, who is working on a doctorate in Christian counselling, said she wanted to write more motivational books.

She said: “I feel like there are books in me ... I definitely have books in my future. After I finished that one, I immediately started another one.”

Ms Simons has also started the Saphire Faith International Ministries with her mother Marlene Flynn.

• For more information on the blog and book, e-mail info@blackbeautifulandblessed.com or call 704-0145. The book is available in e-copies and print versions. Ms Simons can also be found on Facebook and Instagram