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

Hi Dr. Tajanae, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

For me, legacy is about leaving behind something that my future children can be proud of and giving them tools to make their lives – and the lives of their future children – easier. I hope that my legacy will be a constant reminder that greatness is within them. I want them to know that they were loved before they were even thought of, and that I did everything in my power to ensure their safety, protection, and well-being.

Dr. Tajanae, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I, Dr. Tajanae Barnes, am an educator and businesswoman. My career as a professor of African American literature and Black women’s studies keeps me very busy, but I still make time to serve my clients and build my business. My business has multiple components, but I am currently focused on bettering myself in the role of content developer and copyeditor. The clients whom I currently work with are brilliant creatives who are looking to excel in their writing. It is my job to help them identify their online voice, focus their writing, and develop some consistency with their brand(s). My clients have all shown great gratitude for my level of flexibility and understanding. My attention to details and the ways that my clients speak helps me assist them in developing a social presence that they may not have been able to pull out of themselves.

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

I built my audience by focusing on who I am and who I am becoming as a person. When I first started publicizing my brand on social media, I was doing all the things I thought I had to do. I was paying for ads. I was reaching out to celebrities. Whatever I heard other people do, that’s what I did. But, that didn’t work for me. Neither I nor my business am about having any and every client. I started to change my outlook on social media. I posted things that directly reflected my personality and my growth. I sought to work with like-minded individuals, and it started to work out better for me. My business advertising is very much word-of-mouth, and it has been for roughly the last three to five years. Through my genuine presence on social media, I have been connected with dope people doing amazing things, and I would not have it any other way.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

My greatest source for obtaining new clients has been the wonderful support system that I have around me. It is not rare for a friend, family member, or colleague to say that they have recommended someone to me. Sometimes, I get client recommendations from people I have never spoken to, but they recommended me to their friend because of my authenticity on my social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brilliancebytajanae.com
• Instagram: @brilliancebytajanae
• Facebook: Brilliance by Tajanae
• Twitter: @brilliancebytaj