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

Nya, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Not to sound cliché but honestly I believe it takes a ton of self belief to become successful. I am no where near where I want to be in life, but things didn’t turn around for me until I believed in myself 100%. People always throw in hard work and while that is also very important, working hard doesn’t always guarantee the results you are looking for. For years I was working hard, learning new techniques, paying for courses, and it wasn’t until I took a risk and put myself out there, did I get an opportunity. You’ve got to be able to take risks and bet on yourself. There’s a bit of everything that goes into it honestly but when the days aren’t easy and things don’t go your way, your belief is what helps keep you going.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Ironically, I was teaching before I got into my true calling. While teaching, I was taking courses on how to break into different industries, marketing, becoming an entrepreneur, etc. I created my YouTube channel in 2018 and posted my first video. From there on, I just kept going, even when the videos didn’t get the responses I was looking for, I knew I loved what I was doing and I was building an audience. Fast forward a year or so, I was still teaching but also being invited to sneaker industry events, meeting people I look up to and being in rooms with people who were doing similar things. Fast forward some more, I had the opportunity to audition for a hosting role and I landed it. I co-hosted my very first live episode in April of 2022 for Nike/Jordan Brand. From there I was offered to host a different live show which involved interviewing women in the industry and it’s been a dream come true ever since.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’m always looking to continuously grow my platform and social media presence. I built my audience by being genuine and sticking to what I know. Now this doesn’t mean that I can’t branch out and try new things on my platform but having a core focus helps. Consistency in posting is key, something I haven’t yet mastered (because sometimes life throws a million and one things at you) but it definitely will help grow your platform. Just being yourself makes true connections with those who follow you.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is finally being able to do things that I’ve dreamed of. Also knowing that if I made it this far, there’s a way for me to make it even further and accomplish so much more. Just knowing that I am able to do something I love, learn and meet people I look up to, and just be confident in my ability to create the life I’ve dreamed of.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyalorraine_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nyaweeksnyc/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaDahjg05D780lh4c67FUrA

Image Credits
Instagram: @rosegoldcoze (cover photo)