We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aja Richardson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aja below.

Alright, Aja thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I learned how to create content for my brand and other brands by studying what’s currently trending and using personal brand details (theme, audience, etc.). I create content that stands out to accumulate more views but is also within brand style and niche to reach potential customers.

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

I am a 22-year-old that currently resides in Houston, Tx. As a child growing up in a low-income household, I enjoyed taking random things and turning it into something amazing, creating my own fun from nothing. I grew a love for painting, drawing, thrifting and even DIYs. Although this is something that I truly enjoy, it was hard to verbalize whenever someone gave me the ‘college/career talk’.

A couple years ago, I learned about another way of creating that I didn’t know of before and that was digital marketing. It was after I started making content to build my own brand that I learned I could actually get paid to create content for other brands as well. A few months ago, I became a UGC creator, user-generated content creator. I now score gifted and paid collabs with already established brands to review their product and make authentic content in hopes of attracting potential customers. This includes but is not limited to unboxing, product demo, product testimony, etc.

Imagine getting paid to do what you truly enjoy doing. Being a content creator/ UGC creator has given me back my time and joy. It is also only the beginning of creations by Aja Patrice.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

In my opinion there are many more ways to support someone other than coming out of your pocket, even though we all love that too. I believe support on social media has the power to go further than a check though. There is power in people and power in numbers.

Like the post.
Comment on the post.
Repost the post.

Pop out at the events.
Invite others to pop out with you.
Take pictures and show your social media.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2020 after my job shut down, I joined a business that I believed was going to change my life. Since all the rich people preached consistency, I decided not to go back to work and give it 2 years of my life. It got to the point where I believed I wasn’t going to make it unless I got a job again and I felt like a failure and someone who just wasted 2 years.

Being a firm believer of ‘everything happens for a reason’, I found my light again. Although I looked up and had a job this time, I also gained a lifetime mentor and knowledge that high school couldn’t give me. I refused to let the pullback kill my hopes and dreams. Instead of using my business money to fund my business, I use my 9-5 to fund my business until it no longer needs to.

There’s no such thing as a setback, it’s just a slingshot. Sometimes a pull back is required for the push forward.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamajapatrice
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@lifeofajapatrice