Exploring Life & Business with Tanaja Mayweather

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanaja Mayweather.

Hi Tanaja, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
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 a 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…

Alright, 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 now 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 of the ways to actually getting better in my craft and business. However, there are times when it comes with a cost of feeling like I have to be a perfectionist for my audience in order to reach success. I think most entrepreneurs can relate.

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?
I own a brand that is named after myself called “Tanaja”. It is a fashion brand and showroom that was created for women who see themselves as unique and “not your average around the way girl”. Within my brand and style concept, I consider myself a fashion expert. I specialize in styling and expression through clothing. Besides the fact I have six years of experience in business; what makes me stand out is that I was able to build a successful business by turning my closet and name into a brand that connects with other women just like me. 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 just want everyone to know that I created my brand in order to help women feel confident about their style and body when they walk into a room. You don’t have to be a fashion guru to feel empowered in clothing. You’re able to stay connected to the latest trends and styles by simply wearing one of my pieces.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I learned was never depend on no one, and always be prepared to lose people along the journey.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.ta-naja.com
• Instagram: Tanaja___
• Facebook: Tanaja___
• Twitter: Tanaja___
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVXubYX79c2Uyb9hD-hrOiA/videos?view_as=subscriber