Today we’d like to introduce you to Tumi Adeyoju.
Hi Tumi, 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?
In January of 2021, I went up to my dad one night and told him that I wanted to start my own blog. He just looked at me and asked me “What’s a blog?”.
I’ve always loved helping other people. My parents raised me that way. So, when I thought of starting a blog it was another way for me to use my words, and my writing to help other young women like me. I had originally started writing for a different person’s blog. But I didn’t like how I had to limit my creativity. Having to limit my own special voice in the writing. I also used to ghostwrite on Fiverr for clients who owned their own blogs. The start of running my own business & making my own income. But I wanted to get my own content out there.
So in early January 2021, I started T.A & Co. A lifestyle & self-love blog helping young women grow & better themselves through motivational speaking, body positivity, self-care/self-love advice, and beauty tips. I included the four topics that I am passionate about; Aesthetic/Fashion, Life, Self-Love, and Motivation. Using my own money & the help of my family as well, I purchased a domain, a website builder, a website host, etc. It was a big risk at the time. To put all this money into something that I had no clue where it would go in the future. But I took the leap and put myself out there.
On February 16th, 2022, I headed to the Fort Bend Municipal Building and officially registered T.A & Co. as a business. Taking my content creation journey to the next level. Making everything I do from this point a business aspect. So much has happened in the past year and a half that I’ve been doing T. A & Co. More than I could imagine. From getting brand partnerships with companies like Parade & Adore Me, to being featured in the New York Times, and starting to interview content creators that inspire me. I know my journey is only getting started. Which makes me even more excited for what the future holds.
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?
I will be honest, the journey I take as a content creator & business owner has not been smooth sailing. In the beginning, it was hard for me to stop being so hard on myself. As someone who grew up watching Youtubers & Instagram Influencers just blow up overnight. I thought the same would happen to me as well. But I wasn’t being so realistic and definitely didn’t do enough research to look up how much work it actually takes, I was filled with a lot of doubt. A lot of self-judgment lingered over my head every day. As well as comparing myself to others. Not knowing that those women have been building their platform for 5+ years at that point. There were many days when my dad would have to give me pep talks after pep talks. To make me come back down to earth after being in my head for so long.
Something that I struggled with a lot, in the beginning, was getting that exposure. Being able to get people to gravitate and read my posts. I post mini clips of my blog posts to Instagram and in the start barely anyone noticed it. Well, they probably noticed it. They just didn’t care enough to acknowledge it. Which sent me into a spiral. I would convince myself that I’m not good enough at this. Or that my blogs suck. And this was only 3 months in. It took a lot of research and networking to figure out the route that I’m taking right now. Being able to be more vulnerable on social media. Continuing to be more active on the platforms and post without fear of judgment.
Being able to find my community was a struggle as well. It was constant doubt that anyone would want to stay and be a part of my journey. That they would relate to my content. That I was relatable myself. Usually, when you look up tips for making content they say “be relatable”, But in society, relatability has a look that I just don’t fit in to. Well, it took me some time to finally figure out that I don’t need to have a certain “look” to be relatable. I don’t need to be living in an aesthetically pleasing apartment or town. That I don’t need to have this life where I can go to cool coffee shops and always take trips. My relatability comes from my authenticity. I still struggle with this type of doubt at times, but I look back at my content and remember why I started all this.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a lifestyle & fashion content creator. The main topics of my content revolve around self-love, body neutrality/positivity, motivation, and midsize fashion. On each platform that I make content on, I’m known for different things. Which helps keeps my creativity flowing. On Instagram, you’ll find more fashion/self-love content. Cross promoting my blog posts through there. With Tik Tok though, I am mainly known for my lifestyle content. With my mini vlogs, Self-Care as a Black Woman series, and Things I learned in my 20s series, along with many other topics. Along with my self-love and more so spiritual content.
I love being able to be so versatile in my content. It’s hard to pick one thing to be proud of. I just love how I’ve been able to learn how to cultivate my own community. And be able to be open and honest with them. Everything I create comes from my own experience as a midsize African American woman. I think that is what really sets me apart. I’m a very unique individual. And the life I am living has taught me many things and I’m only 21. With my own perspective on life and how comfortable I am with being so open. You don’t see many people act that way on social media nowadays. I show the bad days as much as I do the good ones. I’m human and I’m not perfect. I’m still learning. And I think having that type of approach to content creation, really sets me apart. It’s also something I’m very much proud of myself for.
To me, content creation is more so an outlet for me. It’s a way for me to learn how to express myself. And get me out of my own comfort zone. I’ve been on this journey for a year now and I definitely don’t regret it. I’ve learned a lot about myself and grown a lot as a person. Being known as the girl who does self-love & fashion content is something that just makes me feel good. It’s nice to slowly but surely be recognized for the work that I put in.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Houston is so diverse. It really is. Especially, the city of Richmond where I live. You can find so much culture here, it’s unreal. There’s no excuse to not expand your horizons. The talent in this city as well is impeccable. I love how Houston is such a melting pot of different people and lifestyles. There is something for everyone here. No matter who you are, Houston has something for you to do. Oh, and the food here. I used to live in a less diverse town in Michigan. And having a variety of food was not so easy. But here in Houston, you can find food from almost every culture. Do you want Korean BBQ? Houston has it. Do you want to try some Pakistani food? Houston has it. Nigerian food is what you’re craving? Houston has it. There is such diversity in this city, it is unreal.
As much as I love the diversity in Houston, the roads are my least favorite thing about Houston. Always constant construction on almost every major highway. The streets have potholes after potholes. It’s just such bad roads and constant traffic. You could be heading to a place that is supposed to be 20 minutes away. And with traffic, a 20-minute drive turns into a 45-50 minute ordeal. Houston has its positives, but the roads are not the best.
Contact Info:
- Email: tumiadeyoju@gmail.com
- Website: https://tumiadeyoju.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tumi_adeyoju/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/T.ABlog.Co
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/adeyoju_tumi
- TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tumi_adeyoju
Image Credits
Christian (@_thechrisimprint)
Callaghan O’Hare
