Today we’d like to introduce you to Niswiyya / ZAY
Hi Niswiyya, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always been an extroverted person who has loved sharing the things I love and enjoy with the people around me. In 2020 during COVID, I started making more and more TikToks. I was consuming content far before COVID, but began posting my “silly little videos” throughout COVID. From 2020 to mid-2024, I would make random content, from Dyson Hair to fashion to random product videos. It wasn’t until the summer of 2024 that I saw true growth, finally hit 10K on TikTok, and the growth has been exponential ever since. The one thing that changed between 2020 and 2024 is that I started being myself. I made vlogs of places I would go in Houston, specifically restaurants, and showed every single detail, from the ambiance, the bill at the end, each dish, my outfits, etc. and my content is VERY organic. It never seems like an ad or staged, and I am always my true self in each video and voiceover. The way I speak in my TikToks is how I speak to my friends and family. As you can see from my Instagram profile, I am someone who is very into aesthetics and luxury, so to make such raw and organic videos is definitely not the vision I had for my content. But at the end of the day, it’s about what your audience wants from you. The opportunities that have followed are unimaginable; numerous paid collaborations with different salons, restaurants, and spas in Houston. And the best part? The content I make for these collaborations often do VERY well, and the engagement is just amazing. The most amazing feeling is when a business comes back to me and shares how much growth I brought them from my videos. As the daughter of a small business owner, I know first-hand how much that helps. Nowadays, I try to visit more mom and pops style restaurants in Houston and make videos for them (free of charge) to support their business, especially if they’re struggling. It is so important to know your value and get compensated for your hard work as an influencer, but there is just as much honor in supporting businesses that truly need the visibility. In summary, if I have learned one thing, it is that I have always had what it took to be a successful influencer. The thing that was holding me back was a fear of being my true self and feeling like I needed to put on a fake persona or voice to be more likable.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not. I grew up in a very a small Muslim community, so putting so much content of my life from what I do in a day to the places I go out there has never been easy. This is the reality of the world we live in, but even worse when you’re in a small community where everyone knows each other: people judge so harshly. What has helped me is confidence, but that is not something I was born with. I think I began to gain confidence at age 21, when I decided I no longer want to wear a hijab, which was also a big step for me. One lesson I have learned that applies to every decision I make now is that no one has to live your life except for you. All of my wins are solely mine, and in the same sense, all of my losses are also mine. It takes so much confidence to do what I do, and I am grateful to have gained it in my 20s.
I also mentioned that things didn’t really pick up until mid-2024. For several years, I would spend hours shooting complex content (such as all the products I use in the shower, for example, as I am showering and trying to keep my phone and bathroom dry!) and get 200 views at most. Seeing how bad that content did that I put so much work into would really bring me down, but I somehow continued to persist. It was also a struggle to balance having a full-time corporate job and post content, but I have now learned to treat it as a “5-9” type of role. I produce and edit all my content after work hours to ensure it doesn’t impact my full time job that I not only enjoy, but also sustains my luxury lifestyle.
I am learning new things every day about what content does well, what my audience wants, and what potential I have to impact people and the businesses I work with. I am sure there will be so many more challenges, but I am trying my best to enjoy the process.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I would define this part of my life as: a lifestyle content creator based in Houston, Texas. My specialization is things to do, restaurants to try, what my daily life looks like, etc. as a 26 year old living in Houston. There are two reasons I specify my age in my content: 1) relatability–I want other people, especially women, who are in their 20s to realize that this lifestyle is 100% achievable. When they watch my videos, I want them to feel like I am their friend more than an influencer. 2) content–I want people to know my age to understand where I am in life–no husband, kids, etc. makes a lot of my daily tasks a lot more manageable. What I am most proud of is always trying my best to respond to every person who engages in my content. For influencers, engagement is everything, so each person who takes the time to comment on my videos is doing me a huge service, and ignoring them is never my intention. Another thing I am proud of that I mentioned earlier is my dedication to supporting businesses in Houston, especially Muslim-owned ones. Not every video I post is a paid collaboration, and I have learned that there is a lot more privilege in influence than a paycheck; it’s the ability to make a difference for someone. I can still improve my approach and always look forward to feedback from my audience.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
To collaborate with me, my email is niswiyya98@gmail.com. You can also reach out to me on TikTok or Instagram via direct message: @niswiyya on Tiktok, and @niswiyyya on Instagram.
The best way to support me would be to follow me and engage with my content. But even if that’s not something you do, even just watching my videos is enough. Try out a small mom-and-pop restaurant I post about, and tip them well. That is a better justice you can do to my content than a follow, to be honest, because it proves one thing: I do have the influence to contribute to a better world!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@niswiyya
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niswiyyya/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@niswiyya?app=desktop
- Other: https://www.shopltk.com/explore/niswiyya?tab=posts
Image Credits:
Niswiyya
