Janiyah Peterson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Janiyah , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I’m walking a path. God puts us all on different journeys to tell our story the way he wrote it for us. He is putting me through the process of showing me that through trials and failures there’s always greatness in the end.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Janiyah Peterson, I’m a business owner of Niyah T Avenue a jewelry and accessory apparel online shop where I custom make bracelets, waist beads, bangles, or whatever the customer desires. My job is to bring the customers dream accessory come true. Niyah T Avenue was established May 2020 during the peak of COVID. During that time I was bored out my mind didn’t know what to do and I got the idea to start back doing what I loved most which was making jewelry. So I told my pops and my aunt that I wanted to start a business and of course they were on board. My pops was my very first investor. Of course in order to run a business you have to go through the whole process which is understanding that staying consistent is important understanding that 1 day and day 1 will take place. In other words one day you will reach the goal or surpass the goal of your business getting the Recognition it deserves. Day 1 is the start of it all not knowing how to market or set a price how to build a website finding investors etc. There’s a process not all businesses are silver spooned handed to you if you want it you got to work for it.
I’m currently an undergraduate psychology student at University of West Georgia expected to graduate fall 2028. I aspire to work in mental health and family therapy. My dream is to essentially work with teens. Some teens don’t have a safe haven to where they can vent and be vulnerable with someone because of the world we live they feel that their guard has to be up 24/7 and is often put in protection mode. I want to provide a space for kids and teens and even adults where they can just breath and talk and release their fears and start to feel a weight lifted. I consider jewelry to be a self expression it’s more than an accessory that you can put with clothing to brighten the fit up. It’s how you embrace it what’s tones you like the way you color match how it makes you feel. I’ve been making jewelry since I was eight years old and it’s more than a passion and hobby for me at this point in my life. Running a business while working a corporate/retail job all while maintaining being a college student can be stressful at times but the work gets done. Work hard then play hard later.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Honestly the world didn’t tell me who I was then or now. It’s more of who believes in me when I can’t see when I’m winning or loosing or when I’m down who is going to be there to guide me and help me back up. I don’t consider myself normal but if I was to answer who I was, I was Janiyah a girl who loved wearing bows and jewelry and got called tacky and picked on in school, a shy girl who always had her guard up, a girl with anger issues and girl with a traumatic past with her only escape being her imagination. I grew as I got older even after all the times I was mentally exhausted and broken some kind of way by the goodness of the Lord I’m still here. I was me a girl who has a natural mean mug but the most purest heart. I was a people pleaser, but now that I’m older I’m Janiyah a business owner, and honest person, a loving friend daughter,
granddaughter a forgiver, a giver,
and there’s more for me to figure out who I am as I grow.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Procrastination and making assumptions to the point where I already knew what to expect. I always prepared for the worse in every situation I didn’t know where my happiness would ever come for me to be able to smile and it be genuine. I gave up easily sometimes I didn’t have any motivation to do anything because for one my biggest fear was myself. I was constantly in my head about my home life and how was I ever going to get out of any situation I was in. That’s why my guard was always up. I didn’t have a space where I could be vulnerable so I always kept my mouth closed and stayed to myself. Although I was my biggest fear I was also my biggest safe place.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My friends would say that what’s really important to me is God and family and friends and the relationships that I have with them and the passion for the things that I love to do and how I stand on my morals and beliefs without question.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I know that I succeeded at anything I did it can be work or school or me fulfilling every bracelet order on time and knowing my customers family and friends are happy.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @niyah_.diior @niyah.t.avenue
Image Credits
Instagrams: photographers 📸@jariusof_alltrades @hoodie_soup @aligned.productions
