We caught up with the brilliant and insightful JaNyah Meadows a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

JaNyah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I’ve been doing makeup since I could remember, my mom would buy me little makeup kits from cvs or rite aide and I’d just sit in front of my computer and record myself doing my makeup for hours. Eventually at age 10 my mom would let audition for barbizon, a modeling, acting and beauty agency that taught us young girls how to walk in heels, do our makeup but just enough to enhance our beauty not all that crazy stuff, and pin up our hair. I enjoyed my time there but I knew it wasn’t completely for me, I wanted to go big or go home. I started doing sfx and editorial makeup at home using tissue, glue, fake blood from the dollar store and drug store makeup. I wasn’t very good but I was having fun and learning along the way. When I was younger I used to do my nails with tape or I would cup up pop bottles and glue them to nails and paint them. By the time I was 14 I was learning how to do my nails with acrylic, I posted a video of me doing my nails on TikTok back in 2020 and kind went viral, from there on I knew I wanted to do nails for a living.
And as far as being a content creator, I knew it was something I would want to do from a young age, from recording vlogs on my computer to posting various videos on YouTube today with 1.20k subs! I’m not perfect yet, but with more work I will be an amazing nail tech, a world wide name in the sfx/ editorial makeup field and an inspiration to thousands around the globe! I love what I do and it’s only up from here.

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

I’m a 21 year old cosmetologist and content creator, I graduated high school a year early (in 2021) and attend Dorsey college where I studied cosmetology and graduated November 2022. January 2023 I attended Michigan state university where I study Theatre BFA. During the summer I teach theatre and dance to the youth in Detroit at various schools. I currently do nails, hair and sfx/ editorial makeup! And have a YouTube channel where I post vlogs and give insight on my crazy life!

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

I started posting on YouTube when I was 9-11, I started taking YouTube seriously when I was 13 years old. I would post clips of me singing, story times and the occasional vlog. I was posting to all of 3 subscribers, 1 being my mom and another being a backup account I made. But still with 3 subscribers I would post, eventually I reached 12 subscribers and I just stopped posting daily, I would post every couple of months and one day I reached 350 subs and I hadn’t posted for 11 months! I was going through something and felt picking up the camera and faking a smile wouldn’t be fair to myself and to the people that watch me. YouTube shorts was created and I would post my tiktoks on there, and snippets of my next YouTube video. I was gaining subscribers by the day get 100+ subs a week! I am now posting consistently on YouTube and TikTok building a community and a name for myself!

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

After I graduated cosmetology school I was working on getting my license but unfortunately I was also leaving for school and getting my cosmetology license soon became a thing of the future. I wasn’t financially stable enough to go to and from in order to take my mock and my tests and I eventually gave up on my dream of being a cosmetologist. I was very conflicted with myself about my decision and I hated myself for a while for it. Now I am on my way to getting my license and I’m happier now!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamnijajanae?igsh=dzhsbzVyc3Vmd2wx
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@iamnijajanae?si=XL5IH1bTSzRNjDc_