Today we’d like to introduce you to Aja.
Aja, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Aja Allen-Abraham, and honestly, my journey into brand marketing feels like it chose me as much as I chose it. I’ve been in this industry for over 10 years now, but my love for helping brands tell their story started even before I even had the degree to back it up.
I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Business Marketing & Management in 2016, but by then, I was already deep in the game. I started in 2013, with a small luxury hair extension brand. I was super involved, traveling and shooting ads as a brand ambassador, creating social media content, filming marketing material, etc. Those early days taught me so much!
From there, I just kept building… project by project, brand by brand. I focused on creating cinematic content, UGC, CGC, and licensed marketing material across the Beauty, Home, and Lifestyle spaces. I poured my heart into every campaign, and over time, that work opened doors to collaborations with brands I had once admired from afar like TPH by Taraji P. Henson, Mielle Organics, Dove, TreSemmé, Walmart, Target, and so many more.
Looking back, it’s been such a beautiful journey. I’m grateful for every step, every lesson, and every brand that trusted me to help bring their vision to life. And honestly, I feel like I’m just getting started.
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?
Whew, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road… but honestly, I wouldn’t trade the journey for anything.
When I first started out, it was a COMPLETELY different era. This was before social media became the go-to platform for brands to find talent. Back then, brands weren’t really checking for the everyday girlie… especially not Black women like me… to represent their vision. They were still very focused on big name celebrities, traditional models, and polished “perfect” imagery. There wasn’t this open lane for creators to show up authentically and still get the bag.
I definitely had to fight a bit to be seen. I had to work twice as hard to prove that my creativity, my ideas, and my voice were just as powerful, if not more, than what they were used to. There were times when the opportunities just weren’t there, when I was putting out some of my best work and still getting overlooked, or being offered way less than what I deserved.
Being a Black creator in those early days meant dealing with a lot of closed doors and silent rooms. But I never let that discourage me. I kept creating. I kept showing up. I kept believing that the right brands, the right partners, the right opportunities would find their way to me! And eventually, they did.
I think that resilience, that unshakable belief that there’s a place for us… is what’s kept me going. And now, seeing how the industry has evolved, how Black creators are leading culture and setting the standard, it makes me even more excited for what’s to come. It’s a reminder that every “no” back then was just setting me up for all of the “yeses” I’m living in now.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At my core, I’m a creative storyteller with an eye for brand and product design. I specialize in bringing brands’ visions to life within the Beauty, Home, and Lifestyle spaces. But beyond just creating, what I really do is help women see themselves, their beauty, their power, their magic, through every online interaction.
No matter how big the project, my mission stays the same: to create work that makes every woman feel like the best version of herself. I believe that real marketing is about connection! It’s about making someone feel seen, celebrated, and empowered.
One of the things I’m most proud of is the energy I bring into every project. I make it a point to make every woman I work with, collaborate with, or speak to feel her most confident, her most radiant… no matter where she’s starting from. Whether it’s behind the scenes on a shoot or through the content that lives on a brand’s page, that energy translates. It’s what turns a good campaign into a movement.
At the end of the day, I’m proud that my work doesn’t just promote products, it promotes self-love, confidence, and the kind of beauty that starts from within.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Honestly, the quality that’s been most important to my success is being unapologetically authentic.
For a long time, especially early on, there was this pressure to fit into a certain mold, to present myself a certain way, to create content that looked like what was already out there instead of trusting my own voice. And when you’re trying to break into spaces that weren’t necessarily built with you in mind, it’s easy to start questioning if you’re “too much” or “not enough.”
But what changed everything for me… what REALLY sustained me… was choosing to show up as my full self, every single time. My creativity, my perspective, my voice… all of it rooted in who I am, not who I thought I “had to be” to get a seat at the table.
There’s a freedom and power that comes with being real, and people feel that. Brands feel that. Audiences feel that. Authenticity has opened doors for me that trying to “play the game” never could. It’s also what keeps me grounded when things get hard. I know I’m building a career that’s based on me, not a version of me that I had to create for acceptance.
So if I had to sum it up simply: staying true to myself has been the most important ingredient in everything I’ve built so far.
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected] for brand work inquiries
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyguwop
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/ajaallenabraham
- Other: https://tiktok.com/honeyguwop
