Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nia Assata. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nia, appreciate you joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

What do I think it takes to be successful?

Well… First, I am a firm believer in self discipline, consistency, structure, and self value. Success is not solely measured in regards to finances and material things. The level of consistency one must have in order to grow an audience, business, etc. is very high. Coming to realizations that people may not understand/believe in your goal, is a key part in being successful. It can feel “lonely” at times when you’ve been grinding, and you’re missing parties, birthdays, etc. But, at the same time, you are making significant strides in your personal growth due to being consistent and staying in your lane.

I believe in having a grounded personal foundation is also a key part in being successful. Being content with who you are without needing outside validation is what separates the unique from the sheep. Being able to say “No, I’m going to try it this way” or “This may not work, but let’s try”… shows the confidence one has within themself. That confidence in turn, translates into taking those “big leaps” that are needed when one is truly on the path of success.

Growing up I was homeschooled. With that said, the environment was very free and beautiful. I learned morals of life at a young age, and was instilled with a high self value and self esteem. As I grew up, those qualities stuck with me, and I became more and more comfortable with trusting my instincts in specific regards to what I want out of life. As a teenager I knew I wanted to run my own businesses, but had no idea what they’d be. Fast forward to COVID, and I began my hair business. Then 2022, I began DJing! With both businesses, I’ve remained consistent, with a high level of self confidence, and have fully grown them into a successful businesses.

Personally, I do not believe I’d be as happy with my careers, had it not been for my strong upbringing, and having been taught about loving myself and moving in my own direction at all times.

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.

About you and your business

Hi everyone, I’m Nia , a.k.a. DJ Black Woman, a.k.a. Lakemerrittgoddess!

I began my business endeavors, truthfully, when the pandemic began . I was already doing hair a little bit here and there for family and friends, but when the pandemic hit, there was an immediate shift financially. My sister ended up, convincing me to begin taking clients in which I did. Grew tremendously within the next year, and by time Covid was over I have regular clientele every week. I never thought my entrepreneurship journey would begin with being a hairstylist as I never saw myself as a hairstylist. However, When you realize that there is a problem you are able to solve or help with, You don’t second-guess but rather jump on it, and that’s exactly what I did. I catered my business specifically towards natural Hair and locs, naturally realizing that Positive impact it was having on my community. Knowledgeable about natural hair solely helped to make a commodity within the natural hair community. With many men and women of color not having knowledge of their natural hair, it is very difficult to find someone who will take the time to teach them. But I had no problem with that. And due to my readiness and hard-working ambition, I’ve been able to grow my natural hair business into a success business.

As my Hair business grew, I knew I wanted to get into DJing. My boyfriend is a phenomenal musician and suggested I buy a DJ controller to start my journey. I bought that controller and I never looked back. I practiced day in and day out playing with the controller for hours on end. After posting my progress on social media, I began to get booked at local events.

What I believe sets me apart from other DJs, especially other female DJs is my energy. I am a very firm believer that energy is the key engine in success. When you trust and believe in your energy, you have the power to draw people in, & take off!
The main thing I am most proud of is that I have been able to create my own lifestyle and careers. Working for myself has always been my goal and I’m blessed to be living in that dream.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

What I think help build my reputation within my market is in person contact. I personally believe that physical contact is so much greater than any social media contact you can have. I’m out at a grocery store or somewhere in public and I see someone with natural hair or locs, I immediately give them a business card & immediately tell them about who I am, and what I do. In today’s day and age some people believe business cards are out of date, however, I realize that business cards and word-of-mouth have taken me farther faster than social media has. I reiterate energy because, once again, it is the main source that propels someone choosing to book with you or not.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy I have for growing, my clientele would be for me to continue to put myself in places where my energy can shine. As a DJ every gig you get booked for is extremely different. With that said it’s somewhat requires a different type of energy every single time. My two years of DJing so far I have realized that, the more I work with people through genuine raw energy, the more genuine opportunities come my way. There have been a few gigs that I have turned down because I did not feel as if I aligned with their mission and vice versa. And that’s OK. Trusting my intuition when it comes to working in a service industry in heavily important. When people book me, they are booking my energy before anything else and I always wanna make sure that I align with my audience is asking/looking for.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @djblackwoman
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DJBlackWoman

Image Credits
Photo of me with the grey spaghetti strap top with my DJ controller is taken by: Joshua D’Tiole IG: @raccoondidit