Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanaja Mayweather.
Tanaja, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, I grew up being not your average around the way girl (slogan I now use for my current brand). Popularity discovered me at a young age and being hip to what was “cool” and “trendy” became second nature. With my hustler mentality, I decided to monetize off of being popular and used those skills to my advantage. In 2014, I started my first business as part-owner of “HairBYKing” which turned out to be one of the best hair companies in the city at the time. Fast forward to 2018. I was at a place in my life where I wanted to transition into something new.
The Fashion world was always my first love, so with two years of constant research, traveling to places such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and China. Experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions such as fear and excitement, I decided to legitimize my brand Tanaja as an LLC on January 6, 2020. Some people may ask why my name and for me it’s because I am killing two birds with one stone. Naming my business after myself allows me to brand my company and I as a household name simultaneously. I get to share my lifestyle and make money while doing so. Facing obstacles and curveballs such as the pandemic left me no choice but to go hard so by April 5th, my website was launched. So many people supported me on my launch day. I reached my first-day goal and from there, I knew it was up. My birthday came and I gifted myself a showroom. I signed my lease on June 16th, 2020, a few weeks earlier because I did not want anyone else to purchase it. I fell in love with it and the location (Center City Philadelphia) was perfect. The entire renovating process took about four months. On October 11th, I opened my doors to a beautiful showroom and the rest is history.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The majority of my journey has been a great experience. I started off as a successful e-commerce brand with an attention-grabbing style and concept. I hit my revenue goal the very first day of launching online. I’ve gotten a lot of support from my network of friends and I know I have a showroom that showcases a physical experience to fashion.
The one struggle or obstacle I would say I faced was self-doubt as an entrepreneur in a new industry. Much of this doubt comes from my constant push to be better. I also want to keep in mind that committing to being better is one for the ways to actually getting better in my craft and business. However, there are times when it comes with the cost of feeling like I have to be a perfectionist for my audience in order to reach success. I think most entrepreneurs can relate.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I is a brand is called Tanaja. It is a fashion brand that was created for women who sees themselves as unique or not your average around the way, girl. Within my brand and style concept, I consider myself a fashion expert. I have six years of experience in business and with that, I decided to turn my closet and name into a brand.
My proudest moment would have to be the fact that I currently own a showroom in Philadelphia, PA and was able to build it within two months of launching my online store. I created my brand in order to help women feel confident about their style and body when they walk into a room.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
When it comes to childhood, I’m most proud of the fact that I was able to grow into my own person. I’m a firm believer of an “independent child is a successful child,” and I feel as though this was my story. My mother allowed me to be self-reliant, which was a big step in development from a very young age. I knew at the same time she would be there for me if I needed her in my journey of self-discovery.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1039 Spring Garden St
Philadelphia, PA 19123 - Website: www.ta-naja.com
- Phone: 267-968-6590
- Email: info@ta-naja.com
- Instagram: Tanaja___
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tanaja.foreveryoung
- Twitter: Tanaja___
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