We recently connected with Imari Sayas and have shared our conversation below.

Imari , appreciate you joining us today. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?

When I decided to make a tiktok channel I had no clue that I would go viral at all. I just wanted to do a book review and find my crowd of people. To my surprise, I not only received 600,000+ views but I’ve also had people express to me that I made it “cool” to read again. I had no clue that people were self conscious about having a love for reading. From that day on, I never stopped doing book reviews. So far I have over 10 reviews with thousands of views and support.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

When I was a child, I had a lot of challenges that I was facing. For one, I was overweight and two I had a skin disease called eczema that was extremely noticeable. I was teased a lot but reading helped me escape that. After I did some soul searching and decided to live a healthier lifestyle, I now had the confidence to put myself out there. That’s when I started doing book reviews on tiktok and before you know it I gained 14,000 followers in less than a year. It’s like my own private book club. Not only that, but I got a scholarship to become apart of google and receive a certificate as a project manager. Before even finishing my courses I was offered a job with a partnered media company as a brand assistant. Now I’m behind the scenes and I love it.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Being the underdog, you are always counted out. People never see “you” coming so you have to believe in yourself more than others. I was never popular growing up. I never had a large following on social media before I started the book club and everything just flows naturally because I’m talking about something that I love. That gave me the tools to become more confident and self assured. So if you ever want to recreate yourself all you have to do is see the vision.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Always be yourself. People can tell when you’re faking it or trying to have a “moment”. Fame should never be the goal ever. People can love you today and hate you tomorrow so be kind to yourself and live for you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Imaritatyana
• Tiktok: imaritatyana2