Rising Stars: Meet Ayden Jai

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ayden Jai.

Hi Ayden, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story? 

Hello, my name is Ayden Jai and my story begins in Philadelphia, PA. I am originally from there, and growing up, I always knew there was more for me out there than my environment provided. Philly isn’t the most hospitable environment sadly,  and for better opportunities, my family and I moved around quite a lot. The back and forth between Philly and Atlanta to Nashville (briefly) and then back to Atlanta warranted a multicultural upbringing. I went to McGarity Elementary in Paulding County, then Conley Hills Elementary in East Point, moved for a few years back home, and then 1 year in Tennessee, where I eventually moved back to Atlanta to finish and graduate from Maynard Jackson High School in APS. Initially, I got my start by uploading NBA2K & How-To videos on YouTube as a kid. I had no idea what I was doing, but somehow, I was able to generate hundreds of thousands of views and a small following. I taught myself so many skills that I still use to this day, thanks to YouTube. To build a community and have people enjoying the things I was creating/putting out that young was amazing to me and was the beginning of my creative/entrepreneurial journey.

Fast forward to 2019, I became a notary public and created my first incorporated business stamping documents. While enrolled at Georgia State University, COVID-19 struck in 2020. It blindsided me and knocked my whole foundation off, and that is when I realized I had to go all in on entrepreneurship. The next few years were followed by ideas, unfinished endeavors, trial & error, and failure. Quod Alchemist, ABE, and TheDroneClone just to name a few. I quickly realized that if being an entrepreneur was for me, I needed to understand how business works, experience, and learn the game… so I got a door-to-door sales job administering government phones & tablets to the underserved community! Being a 19-year-old teen, creating my paycheck with commissions and sweat equity helped me build my work ethic and showed me the grit behind being a business owner. As I quickly rose to the top of the office’s leaderboards, I recognized and learned all the key points to business, which is essentially sales (followed by a variety of other components).

Although I was successful in the sales field, my passion was still in film and media, so I continued to sharpen my skills until I was invited to be a part of a Fortune 100 company (2022). Hopping into the corporate world was completely unorthodox for me because I was not accustomed to the traditional roadmap I witnessed a majority of my family undergo. However, I knew where I started and knew where I was going so it was all a part of the journey for me. Inspired by Manni Supreme’s ‘This Is Not Manni Supreme’ vlog, I realized making things happen was as simple as saying you are going to do something and executing. Following through. That is when I pitched the idea of throwing a fashion show to my COO Sydney, on a random Saturday in January and so ‘Chique Drogue’ was created.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

Not at all; if everything was peaches and cream, it would defeat the purpose of the journey, and life would be too easy. The hardships and tribulations are ultimately what made me…me…The only struggle I would say I had was finding my avenue and sticking to what worked for me. Perseverance.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I am a Creative Talent Agency owner, licensed aerial drone photographer, digital creator, and fashion/visionary curator. I am the founder of Chique Drogue, which is the platform I built to bring creatively inclined individuals together through one medium: fashion. But it isn’t only limited to people in the fashion space. Photographers, videographers, designers, animators, and painters can be included…you name it. I niched it into fashion because style is a part of our culture and if you think about it…everybody needs clothes to leave out the house! I also am the owner of TheDroneClone, which is my drone tech business where I capture cool images of my life experiences and imitate the use of a handheld digital camera and replace it with a shot that not many people can get an aerial view. This business is more service-based, so I’ve been fortunate to build a great network of individuals such as realtors, commercial developers, and business owners around me! In my spare time, I am either producing travel content or thinking of a new idea/business to bring to life, but all the time, am I creating. It’s what fuels me and keeps me quick-thinking. In all honesty, what sets me apart, I think, is my commitment and drive to stop at nothing and my willingness to step outside the box and be unique. The rewards for being yourself through and through are immeasurable and pay off in the long run.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?

That is crazy that you guys asked me this question because COVID-19 & 2020 taught me a lot. Honestly, I think COVID-19 taught all of us something…That year of just being confined to the house, I was trying everything. EVERYTHING! E-commerce, clothing brand, producing beats, streaming, stock options. Everything you can think of, I was trying because I was determined…You have to be able to have variety… I remember a conversation with my grandmother where I was explaining some of the endeavors I was trying my hand at, and she responded, “It sounds like you have too many irons in the fire.” I replied, “Gmom, I don’t have ENOUGH irons in the fire.” I say all that to say, don’t be afraid to try and try again and continue trying until you find your iron in the fire. Don’t give up.

Pricing:

• Chique Consultation- $100
• Chique Events- $500-$$$$
• Model Management/Styling- inquire
• TheDroneClone ‘Supra’ -$375
• TheDroneClone ‘Birds-Eye-View’ -$750

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chiquedrogue.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bruhayden/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayden-jai-b18887149/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyeGMfJnPiW5AFNQoPAlzHg

Image Credits
Jenice Waldron
Shaquan Coburn
Suprime Banks
Mychal Watts
Ryan Louis