We recently connected with Tiffani Rooney and have shared our conversation below.
Tiffani, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How has Covid changed your business model?
During Covid, it was easy to build up my following count because people had nothing else to do other than be on their phones scrolling on the internet. It was also easy to stay consistent because we were all stuck at home needing something to do, so more people were engaging with my content. Once we all returned back to the office or our regular lives, I noticed a significant drop off. Luckily I have still been able to grow my brand, however it’s much more difficult to create content that grabs peoples attention within the first few seconds or to create something that stands out during a doom scroll. That being said, I make sure I put more time and effort into eye catching content rather than posting anything for the sake of consistency.
In terms of curating events, many local venues and bars in Los Angeles have closed over the last five years. In addition to that, there has been a shift in the frequency in which people go out, myself included. Many people are choosing to stay home or enjoy small low-key gatherings with friends, which is what led me to create my monthly event, The Friendly Function! I initially planned on throwing a big dance party, but after a while I realized people were more interested in making new connections in a more intimate setting.
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.
So if you didn’t already know, my name is Tiffani Rooney! I first thought of the idea for my brand, Elite Urbanite, about 7 years ago when I was working as a receptionist for a production company. Initially, it was just a blog where I would create playlists and discuss the latest trends, but it has become so much more than that!
I still create monthly playlists, but I also have created my own radio show/podcast, curated my own events, and continue to expand my brand in many ways on different platforms. You can find all of that on my social media pages under the name @EliteUrbanite!
I believe what sets me apart from others is my unique background. I grew up in a very homogeneous neighborhood, so it was on me to seek out representation within pop culture, music, and other creative outlets. In addition to that, my dad was the VP of Sony Music and a producer to some of the biggest pop stars in the world, so my home life was very different than that of my peers.
I always stood out, not in a negative way, but because people automatically put me on a pedestal due to my familial connections. For a while, I tried extremely hard to abandon this and become my own person, but it’s hard to ignore what you’re passionate about! At the same time, it’s hard to create your own identity, but I think I’m on my way to doing it successfully!
My goal with Elite Urbanite, is to create a space where other eclectic girls who never saw themselves represented in media & entertainment can finally feel at home. I’m always so excited when I get a message from someone in a completely different country expressing how they are able to connect with my content and the message behind it!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I first started posting consistently during the height of pandemic, because what else was I going to do?! At first, I was just posting things that I liked in order to attract the right audience. Once I did that I kept trying to create more content that stood out in the flood of timeline posts.
After securing my audience, I began to see the most growth when I started to identify a clear brand identity. This makes it much easier for people to identify your posts when it comes across their feed.
The key factor though, is remaining true to yourself and your identity. If you try to be someone else you’ll eventually run out of ideas! I find it a bit odd honestly when someone reaches out to me saying they “want to do exactly what I’m doing”, because everything I post stems from the things I love and am passionate about. There’s really no way to teach that! Plus, if you’re not putting your own spin on something, then your content will lack authenticity.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Living in Los Angeles, you definitely come across a lot of inauthentic people. Yeah, yeah, I know when people say this, others will dogpile, however it’s true. Especially when you are working within the entertainment industry in any capacity.
I am originally from New York. Even though we get a bad rep for being “mean” we native New Yorkers are extremely loyal, so that is something that take very seriously. I have been out here for about 12 years, so when I meet genuine people it motivates me to keep going and inspires me to collaborate with those who I know are good people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eliteurbanite.com
- Instagram: @eliteurbanite
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-tiffani-rooney/
