We were lucky to catch up with Fifi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Fifi, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

When I graduated from college with an English degree, I was told that I could possibly have a tough time finding a well-paying job in my field. I had some interest in law, but my job working as a Information Specialist at a patent firm was not fulfilling enough to me.

I left the firm to teach English in a homestay program in Beijing, China, because I had a deeper understanding that if you do what you love, the money will come.

During my transition from the law firm to teaching abroad, I worked as a bartender and I loved the role. Later, further pursuing my passion for traveling, I taught English at a middle school in Colombia, South America. When I returned to the states, I was able to obtain my bartending certification, and gain more bar experience as cocktail hostess.

Fast forward to today, I’m a 28 year old business woman. I specialize in editing, speech writing, and creative oration. I model professionally as a brand ambassador and social media influencer. On a monthly basis I travel domestically and internationally, and I hold my license as an international flight attendant. As a cocktail hostess and licensed bartender, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and being of service to people from ages 21 to 101. The flexibility in my schedule not only allowed me to become a published writer and an experienced public speaker, but it also gave me the ability to recognize that I had a true passion for all of my skillsets, and that I could bring them all together under one umbrella.

To be completely honest, I felt so torn at one point about what I wanted to do for a living. But over time I gave myself permission to pursue everything I was interested in, unapologetically.

My advice to anyone reading this is don’t be afraid to explore your options: give yourself permission to do it all!

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?

My name is Fifi and my business is Queen Fifi LLC. Queen Fifi LLC houses all of my business skills under one roof. I combined all of the services that people sought me out for, that I was also passionate about: my writing, modeling, bar/hostess, consulting and photography services. I consider myself to be the Queen of all Trades.

I am a West Baltimore native of Black American, Haitian, and Ghanaian descent. My alma maters are the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and the University of Maryland College Park.

I’m a writer, editor, published author, public speaker, model, licensed bartender, and world traveler. I’ve traveled around the world across five continents, teaching, modeling, bartending, consulting and serving others.

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

One of the most pivotal movements for me was my transition into becoming a business owner. Before forming Queen Fifi LLC, I became a licensed international flight attendant. I thoroughly enjoyed the role and I was able to see and travel the world professionally. It was an incredible experience, but due to the strict scheduling demands, I no longer had the flexibility of spending important moments with my loved ones. I decided to leave the airline for this reason, and to take more control over my personal schedule.

I wanted the freedom to do what I loved but also the time to spend with my friends and family. I felt that I needed a professional way to pursue all of the services I loved, and that was the catalyst to start my own business.

Many people asked me was I sure about my decision to leave the airline, knowing my passion for travel. But while I resigned from my flight attendant job where I was traveling the world professionally, I decided that the year 2022 I would travel frequently anyway.

My travel goal for the year 2022 has been to take at least one trip a month, every month. As of October 2022, I have already taken 12 trips this year alone, with 3 more planned before the year is out! I plan on continuing to make my own travel goals, and I am grateful for a schedule that permits me to build my business, pursue my interests, travel often, and spend time with my loved ones.

Now, a typical month for me is filled with travel, professional bar service, modeling, writing, editing and personal quality time with my family and friends. I’m grateful for the pivot. Once I travel to Antarctica and Australia, I will have visited all 7 continents.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I offer my professional services: writing, editing, bartending, modeling & consulting, in-person and also virtually for many of the services.

Word of mouth marketing has 1000% been the best source of new clients for me thus far. I want to grow organically and I’m so grateful to my clients who return and also share my business services within their networks. I’m excited about my growth.

I appreciate the great advice that I receive from other successful business owners, and the feedback that I receive from my clients. Also, interviews like these help me share my services with a wider base, and I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to tell my story.

My hope is that people read my story and know that those with humble beginnings can pursue their dreams, no matter how unorthodox or unique they may look to others.

I use social media to share my updates. My Instagram account for business is queenfifi__ and my website is www.queenfifi.com
I would love for readers to follow me on Instagram in support, and feel free to message me with any questions, thank you for your time!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.queenfifi.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/queenfifi__

Image Credits
JR The Kid Productions The Fifth Media Rachard Wolf Photography Lit Liv Photography Niya Troi Photography