Today we’d like to introduce you to Takiya.
Hi Takiya, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I hadn’t updated my Voyage Houston feature in nearly four years, but revisiting it recently made me pause and truly reflect on how far I’ve come.
In 2015, at just 17 years old, I left home to attend the illustrious Clark Atlanta University, where I studied fashion and business. While in Atlanta, I began discovering who I was beyond the classroom. In 2016, I started modeling at a size 14/16, and from there my life began to unfold. The ceiling I once had on confidence was removed, and I hit the ground running toward the person I envisioned becoming.
During college, I also began editing videos for my peers in the fashion department—originally just for fun and to add creativity to our presentations. Looking back, the impact of that curiosity still amazes me today.
By 2018, I had reached my highest weight at 320 pounds and began reevaluating my future as a model. While I could still envision myself on runways and in catalogs, I became uncomfortable with how my health was being prioritized. In early 2019, I made a life-changing decision and underwent VSG bariatric surgery. I was nervous, but I knew I wanted better—my health was declining, and something had to change.
In 2022, I left Atlanta with my partner and relocated to Houston, eager to see what the world had to offer a motivated creative like myself. Almost immediately, I landed a partnership with the SHEIN Texas Pop-Up Tour, where I began using my camera to cover local fashion events. A few months later, my camera was stolen—an unexpected setback that forced me to pivot as a growing model and creator.
By the end of 2022, I had completed my master’s degree in Social Media Management, turned 25, and discovered I was pregnant. My life was entering several new chapters all at once. My first professional role in Houston was as a personal assistant to a blogger, which quickly evolved into me becoming her social media manager, content creator, journalist, and overall brand manager.
I continued modeling and influencing, transitioning into lifestyle, health, and fashion—this time through the lens of motherhood. After delivering in 2023, I faced intense postpartum struggles and truly believed everything I had worked for was slipping away.
In 2024, I launched my social media management business under my influencer name, Jigalodeon. I burned out quickly. In a moment of panic and deep emotional exhaustion, I spent a month at The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD NeuroPsychiatric Center at Ben Taub. After losing all of my clients, I returned to working a part-time job, focusing on healing and being present for my daughter.
At the beginning of January 2025, after battling depression and experiencing weight gain again, I made a commitment to return to myself. I began another health journey—this time through running—which once again shifted my entire dynamic, but in the best way.
Today, my social media management and branding business operates under Told by Takiya, allowing Jigalodeon to exist as its own creative brand. I lead a run club called “Let’s F*cking Run,” where I help women—especially slow runners—push through discomfort, build consistency, and find accountability in movement.
I’m currently building my makeup brand, #TrappinOutTheBR, inspired by my journey as a makeup artist during my college years. I’m also writing a recipe book that focuses not only on what we eat, but how we eat—addressing mindset, food addiction, emotional eating, and celebration culture. The book will feature vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian meals designed to help readers rebuild their relationship with food while still enjoying flavorful, nourishing recipes.
I remain a runway model, now a size 8 and approaching a 6. I’m an influencer, content creator, and media personality, and I recently launched a radio show with my partner titled “Surviving a Sagittarius.” As a brand builder, it only feels right to build brands of my own—including one currently in development that is rooted in holistic healing, African American cultural history, art, gardening, wellness, and community restoration.
As a mother, model, radio host, brand owner, and builder, I spend most of my days balancing work, creativity, healing, and family—while still showing up, evolving, and honoring every version of myself that brought me here.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Has it been a smooth road? Not at all.
My journey has included several seasons of challenge that tested me emotionally, mentally, and financially—often all at once. Shortly after relocating to Houston and gaining creative momentum, my camera was stolen, which forced me to abruptly pivot as a creator and model. Around the same time, my relationship entered a difficult season, requiring intentional work, communication, and patience while I was still adjusting to a new city and career landscape.
After giving birth, I experienced postpartum depression, a reality that deeply affected my sense of self and confidence. Professionally, I burned out, lost clients, and faced serious financial instability, including eviction notices—moments that were both humbling and grounding.
Simultaneously, my family was navigating major health challenges. My father was re-diagnosed with cancer, and my grandfather experienced multiple strokes along with kidney failure, events that significantly shifted our family’s responsibilities and emotional bandwidth. Supporting my loved ones while trying to stay present for my daughter required strength I didn’t know I had.
There were periods where survival took precedence over ambition, and healing mattered more than visibility. These experiences forced me to slow down, reassess my priorities, and redefine what success truly meant for me.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but it has been transformative. Every challenge sharpened my resilience, deepened my purpose, and reinforced my commitment to building a life and career rooted in authenticity, wellness, and intention.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work lives at the intersection of creativity, storytelling, wellness, and community. I’m a brand strategist and social media manager, model, makeup artist, content creator, radio host, and media personality—but at my core, I help people and brands reconnect with purpose and momentum.
Through my branding and social media business, Told by Takiya, I specialize in working with individuals—often older than me—who feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected from their original business goals. Many have stepped away from entrepreneurship due to life changes or uncertainty, and I help them re-enter the space with clarity, confidence, and intentional storytelling. My work centers on pivoting with purpose and reinforcing that it’s never too late to chase a dream or redefine what success looks like.
As a makeup artist, I specialize in glam, soft glam, and festival makeup, approaching beauty as both self-expression and branding. As a model, I work across categories with no limits, though runway remains my favorite space—where confidence, discipline, and evolution are fully on display.
As an influencer and content creator, I share my real life—health and wellness, running, family, entrepreneurship, and balance. I’m especially known for my running journey and for leading “Let’s F*cking Run,” a run club created for women of all paces who want accountability, consistency, and the confidence to move through discomfort together.
I’m also a radio host and media personality, co-hosting Surviving a Sagittarius, where honest conversation, humor, and vulnerability create space for connection and growth. Storytelling has always been my strongest tool, whether through audio, video, writing, or live platforms.
In addition, I’m currently writing a recipe and mindset book focused on rebuilding a healthy relationship with food. The book goes beyond recipes to address emotional eating, food addiction, and how we use food for comfort or celebration. It will feature vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian meals, while encouraging readers to shift how they think about nourishment altogether.
Behind the scenes, I’m also developing a holistic lifestyle brand rooted in healing, African American cultural heritage, and community restoration. The brand will incorporate art, gardening, wellness, and cultural storytelling—creating a space that honors our roots while supporting collective healing.
What I’m most proud of is my ability to rebuild with intention. I don’t create from theory—I create from lived experience. What sets me apart is my willingness to be honest about the process, to pivot without shame, and to build brands and communities that prioritize alignment, wellness, and authenticity over perfection.
Everything I do is rooted in the belief that growth isn’t linear, healing is part of success, and reinvention is always available—no matter where you are in life.
What truly sets me apart is that every brand I build is inspired by my alter egos. Each one represents a different season, strength, or survival skill I’ve developed along the way. Rather than separating who I am from what I create, I allow my lived experiences, personalities, and transformations to shape the work itself.
Told by Takiya reflects the grounded strategist and storyteller—focused on clarity, rebuilding, and helping others return to themselves. Jigalodeon embodies my bold, expressive creative side, where confidence, visibility, and experimentation live freely. My running community, Let’s Fcking Run*, represents resilience, discipline, and the version of me that pushes through discomfort. Even my upcoming recipe book and holistic brand are rooted in healing versions of myself—centered on nourishment, culture, and restoration.
Trappin Out the BR, my makeup brand, represents the edgier, urban, and sexier alter ego of my creativity. It’s bold, unapologetic, and rooted in self-expression—designed for people who see makeup as confidence, attitude, and identity, not just beauty. The brand celebrates femininity, power, and individuality, allowing people to tap into their most fearless version of themselves. Which has a back story that I’ll reveal at a later date !
By honoring my alter egos instead of hiding them, I’ve created brands that feel human, layered, and relatable. People don’t just connect to the visuals or strategies—they connect to the story and the evolution behind them. That authenticity allows my work to resonate across industries while still feeling deeply personal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Toldbytakiya.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Jigalodeon
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/takiya-jarnagin-9b3286234?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
Image Credits
Photography by Chloe
Lussolens
Onetakev
Hasna Visuals
