We recently connected with Afi Maita and have shared our conversation below.

Afi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Styling in luxury retail for 10+ years & I created the Name Afi Like Taffy as no one could pronounce my name Afi so i rhymed it with Taffy! So when the pandemic hit the world I was furloughed for 3 months. I knew I didn’t want to go back to retail as i’d learnt so much, I was scared to go out on my own, comfortable & had risen as far as I could title wise being a Contemporary brand Specialist but knew i could do this myself. So I made a plan to pursue my Afi Like Taffy Styling services by announcing to my current clients the move, opening up my office across the street from Scottsdale Fashion Square mall & work for myself helping women look & feel their best selves. As an African born, British bred, American wed female business owner in Arizona, there is so much opportunity if your willing to work hard, listen & keep learning so I took the leap!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Ello Lovies, My full name is Afiniki Maita however I go by Afi or Afi Like Taffy! I was born in West Africa, Nigeria, raised in North London, Highgate & i fell in love & married an American man & we live in Scottsdale, Arizona & have for almost 15 years now. I’m a business owner of Afi Like Taffy, a Style & wardrobe Consulting company, a digital creator & model.

My love of styling originated from me watching my Father at a young age picking out fabrics, textures & styles to order customized suiting & watching his confidence skyrocket when he tried on that new suit. I knew i wanted to be a part of that so I pursued a career at a luxury retailer & stayed for 10 + years rising as high I could go as a Contemporary Brand Ambassador, meeting new clients & creating customized experiences. Recently I left to create my own styling business Afi Like Taffy helping women shop & put outfits together so they can have the tools & elevated confidence to execute business deals, lead seminars, special events or simply change up their everyday wardrobe!
I like to nudge my clients to try something new & out of the box & when it works its a powerful thing but sometimes their not ready and thats okay as well! Being a Stylist is about teaching your clients but also listening to them & learning.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I met a successful influencer during my luxury retailing days & after she introduced herself I went onto her page whilst she was trying on garments & realized she was a macro influencer with an exceptionally large following. As I was ringing up her garments, asked her if she thought i could become one & she said yes & to say yes to everything if I can as opportunities will open up! So that’s what I did, I created my Afi Like Taffy social media account & got to work tending to her advice & creating content, saying yes to everything! On top of that being transparent about my struggles as a black, female, type 1 diabetic living in an interracial marriage in America with my audience & engaging with my followers on my posts as well as on theirs! Creating an online profile has literally helped me create a new life for myself & free myself from my corporate job. It empowers me to speak my truth, educate people on my life as a Type 1 Diabetic & share my mental health issues.

The advice I would give to anyone just starting to build their social media presence would be to show up every day on stories & post almost everyday. Engage with your audience & be your authentic self! Have fun & switch things up from time to time & if you don”t get many followers that’s okay your people will find you eventually as your building & being authentic is the best way to be!

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

As a Stylist at a luxury retailer for 10+ years, I learnt so much, made the best connections & met & styled the most amazing peopIe however on the flip side I was bullied on & off by different groups of people and you would think as an adult one cannot be bullied but you can at any age! I was in a toxic environment at times with people on power trips fueled by resentment & jealousy which made me question quitting my job time and time again. I would experience debilitating & severe migraines, panic attacks & anxiety suffering in silence & hoping the person/people would eventually quit or if it became beyond overwhelming mention something to my Supervisor in which nothing would be done about it & almost gave up my dream! However, it fueled me to become more resilient & I found a way to utilize social media to promote my styling by creating looks on instagram & facebook stories, selling & surpassing my goals!
When the last bully started to target me for positively doing my job well, I stood up for myself not verbally but documented every incident that occurred on my notes app on my phone with date, time & incident. When I had gathered enough evidence,I emailed & went directly to the Store Manager & Human Resources department & reported her. I would no longer be silenced & my power taken from me further, I fought back & took back my power the only way I could & it worked. There was an investigation & they instructed her to leave me alone and she quit the job within the week!
Never under estimate your self & the resilience you have within you, it’s a powerful tool we all need to utilize.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://afiliketaffy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afiliketaffy/
• Facebook: Afi Maita
• Linkedin: Afi Maita

Image Credits
Rachel Fischer Visuals Marika Photography Chen Sands Photos