Today we’d like to introduce you to Adama Diallo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Adama . So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Guinea, West Africa and moved to the states with my family at the age of four. We moved to Wilmington, Delaware where I experienced many struggles of being a first generation African. At the young age of 14, I experienced one of my peers being murdered, jailed, and struggling. Following that was a series of unfortunate events which ultimately propelled me to getting out of that city and chasing my dreams. I relocated to Atlanta, GA in August 2016. I initially came for school at the illustrious Clark Atlanta University but quickly realized that school would not be my main focus here as there were many things that Atlanta had to offer that I wanted to explore. I turned down my parent’s orders of focusing only on school and quickly picked up a full-time job in Lenox Square Mall while continuing my studies.
Later on in the year, I began working at Diesel as a full-time manager where I met and connected with many young creatives located here in ATL. This is when I decided to begin free lance modeling, with my first gig being a photoshoot for @likewhoawigs by @fennellalikewhoa. Since then, I’ve been focused on perfecting my craft at modeling, working with several ATL brands such as @ceaseanddesist, @jimellelevon, @jorsanibyjor, and many others! Modeling quickly became one of my favorite hobbies and biggest outlet in my life. However, I still was not satisfied. I began thinking of modeling as a way to get my name out there and my foot in the door. Being the daughter of an entrepreneur, I have always understood the importance of financial stability. It was then that I decided to work on a plan to become financially stable by researching and studying many new concepts and tools.
Currently, I am focusing my free time studying the Forex market, building my business Diallo Swim, and also working on a wig line expected to drop in Fall/Winter 2019. I am very excited about what these next few years will have to offer and am trying to acquire as much knowledge as possible. The ultimate goal is to use my influence to motivate and inspire other creatives like me. Just knowing where I came from and the toxic environment that I grew up in has motivated me every day and allowed me to get this far. I am overjoyed by sharing my experience knowing that I made something from nothing, hoping to reach any young adult who has a dream.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My mom has always told me “nothing worth having is going to come easy and nothing that comes easy is going to be worth keeping.” As I mentioned, my father is an entrepreneur so I have always understood the process of reaching a goal, it can get ugly before it gets beautiful. The biggest struggle that I face is simply finding the time. Working full time and being in full-time student, I often find myself wishing for another hour in the day or another day in the week. With that, sometimes I do have to put my dreams on hold and prioritize so that I can fulfill the things that I am required to do. I came to Atlanta for school and I am determined to finish. Of course, bills have to be paid so I have to work but I have found better ways to manage my time. I am still experiencing many sleepless nights but its all a process that I’m learning to trust. As 2Chainz says “Stay down till you come up”.
Please tell us about Diallo Swim.
My first brand is MYSELF, of course. I am Adama Diallo, I specialize in modeling and entrepreneurship. Many people know me for being a dedicated, determined and a hard worker. I am most proud of the milestones that I have reached with the circumstances I was given. As I said, I was able to make nothing into something. Being from my area of Delaware, it is very easy to get discouraged because not many people get out where I come from. From a young age, I visualized myself living in Atlanta, working, making my own money taking care of myself, and simply just thriving as a young adult. I worked towards that and made it happen. Not only am I doing everything that I dreamt of, but I’m also working on a degree, modeling, and traveling in the midst of it all. What sets me apart is my never ending drive to succeed. Some people have said that I have an “unhealthy ambition” but I see no such thing. No matter how many rejections I get, my eyes remain on the prize. I know that through my hard work and diligence I will get there. Thankfully, I’m not easily discouraged, sometimes I can get thrown off my course but I always find a way back.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Honestly, there are not many things that I would have done differently. If I could give my younger self some advice it would be to “seclude yourself and don’t be afraid to be selfish.” I have always been a very giving person and at times would surround myself with certain crowds that were not up to my standards. I had to learn to protect my energy because honestly, I’m the only one that can. I know that all great people have a great team behind them, but for a long time, I had to be my own team. Thankfully, I do always have the support of my friends and family but there are not many people that quite understand and match my vision. Now, I am in a space where I do not feel obligated to anyone which further allows me to learn more about myself and better serve my true purpose. This means placing myself in environments that align with my dreams and destiny. I’ve learned that to be a great contributor to society, you must first be one and whole with yourself. I had to remove myself from environments, relationships, and situations that did not coincide with my life path. After all, how can I serve someone else when I haven’t fully served myself?
Contact Info:
- Phone: (302) 887-0009
- Email: Modeladamadiallo@gmail.com
- Instagram: @AdamaDiallo.X
- Twitter: @Damaa__
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