Story & Lesson Highlights with Allana Imani of Metro Atlanta

Allana Imani shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Allana, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day include getting up washing my face and brushing my teeth, then I pray and read my bible, walk my dog, then take a shower and prepare for the day.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Allana Imani, a serial entrepreneur, investor, and creative visionary with a passion for building purpose-driven brands. I’ve been a hairstylist for over 10 years, specializing in natural hair care, weaves, and braids. Over the years, I’ve dedicated myself to helping women embrace the beauty and versatility of their natural hair. That passion led me to create Hope Hair Brand, a company focused on providing all-natural hair care products, wigs, and extensions that promote confidence and healthy hair growth.

I’m also the co-founder of Bae Talk Media and The Bae Talk Podcast. Bae Talk Media is a marketing and entertainment agency designed to help brands grow with authenticity and impact. We’re the go-to for branding, social media management, marketing, events, and entertainment and most recently, we’ve stepped into artist development and management.

A major part of Bae Talk Media is The Bae Talk Podcast, now in its third season. On the show, we dive into real-life conversations centered around faith, growth, and healing, helping women navigate life through God’s word. We also take pride in highlighting small businesses, independent artists, and community leaders who are making a difference.

What makes me and my brands unique is the blend of faith, authenticity, and strategy behind everything I do. My inspiration comes from my faith in God, my personal journey as a woman entrepreneur, and my desire to help others grow, not just in business, but in purpose.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My mom definitely taught me the most about work and entrepreneurship. All my life, I’ve never seen my mom punch a clock, not because she didn’t want to work or was lazy, but because she’s always been a hustler. She’s been a real estate agent since I was two years old and still is to this day. I grew up watching her buy houses, flip them, and sell them. That sparked something in me early on.

I also watched her cater events, decorate for weddings and parties, she’s always been multifaceted, creative, and driven. My whole life has really been about soaking up game from her. I paid attention not only to what she did well, but also to the lessons in the things she could’ve done differently. I’d tell myself, “Okay, when I do this, I’m going to approach it another way.”

So yeah, my mom taught me everything about hard work, resilience, and creating opportunities for yourself.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
It taught me how to change my mindset, how to wait on the Lord, and most importantly, how to suffer well. There’s a certain strength and grace that only comes from walking through hard seasons and still choosing faith over frustration.

The saying “Thank God I don’t look like what I’m going through” has really become a staple in my life because if I looked like what I’ve experienced, whewwww… I’d be beat up! But that’s the beauty of God’s covering. Even in the middle of pain, He still makes sure you carry His peace and not your problems.

Suffering showed me that endurance builds character, and faith isn’t just about believing for the good, it’s trusting through the hard.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I really admire Issa Rae’s character. I love how she sticks to her morals no matter what industry she’s apart of. She’s very supportive to the people she loves and even rising stars. Issa creates opportunities for those upcoming but most importantly, I admire how she stays true to herself through it all

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I think most people will misunderstand how I got to where I’m going. People often assume it’s about who’s in your corner, who invested, or who opened doors for you but the truth is, I’ve worked for every single dollar, every cent, and I work hard for what I have.

To really understand my legacy, you’d have to understand my story and that’s where people get it wrong. They think they know my story because they see the results, but in reality, they don’t. I haven’t even told it yet.

My legacy isn’t built on connections or shortcuts, it’s built on faith, grind, and resilience. One day, when the full story is told, people will realize it wasn’t luck, it was purpose.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: theallanaimani
• Youtube: The Bae Talk Podcast

Image Credits
Shot by @iamalexmartin