Tiffani Johnson

I attribute my success to my willingness to take risks and just go for it, even when the path is uncertain. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs - my father, grandfather, and even my mother who worked in real estate - that entrepreneurship is just running through me, so I can't escape it. I've learned that you have to go get it, nobody's going to give you the sauce or their tips and tricks that make their bread and butter. So I take what people are saying, knowing they're only giving me a piece, and then I have to go find the rest in order to really get all the wheels rolling so the car will move. My creativity is very important to me - I don't like to lock it in or not be able to use it. And honestly, my baby is my real motivation. Knowing that I needed something to push, because I have to be an example for my daughter. I'm like, we need to do something, we need to be something that when my daughter gets older, she can look and be like, you know, my mom is cool, she has a cool job, we travel, and she's still working. It's all for my baby - my baby is my real motivation.

She comes from a family of entrepreneurs, with her father and grandfather both building their own businesses and her mother working in real estate. The best career advice she received was to stay creative and confident in her decisions, even when the path is uncertain. That early encouragement shaped her mindset and continues to influence how she approaches her career today

It is a long road, but we keep going. If you keep going, I promise something will come up. But be prepared for the long road, because it's draining. It is, it's draining, and you want to give up, and it seems like nothing is happening, but if you stay the course, I promise something will happen. I was just sitting here right now, I'm like, oh my god, I feel like I'm trying, and I'm trying, and I'm trying, and it's not working. You get the deals, and you know, you do what you do, and it's over. And it's over, and you're like, okay, what's next, when is the next one coming? And it feels like, okay, well, maybe I'm not working hard enough, and it's like, no, maybe you need a rest, or maybe you need to sit still and listen to where you need to go next, or just rest.

The biggest challenge right now is building my following to reach the thresholds needed for certain platforms. In order to get on TikTok Shop, you have to have a thousand followers on TikTok, which I'm learning is really a challenge. So that's where I'm at right now - we have to push content in order to get 1,000 followers in order to be on a TikTok shop. It's about figuring out what works, because nobody's going to give you the sauce, nobody's going to really give you their tips and tricks. You're only getting a piece, and you have to go find the rest in order to really get all the wheels rolling so the car will move. But the opportunity is that once you stay the course and keep going, something will come up. Even when it feels like nothing is happening, if you stay persistent, I promise something will happen.

My daughter is absolutely the most important value to me - she is my real motivation. Everything I do is for my baby. I need to be an example for my daughter, so that when she gets older, she can look and be like, you know, my mom is cool, she has a cool job, we travel, and she's still working. Family is very important, which goes along with my daughter. Creativity is very important to me - I don't like to lock it in or not be able to use it. Authenticity matters to me as well. I also have a good work ethic - I don't mind hard work, I don't mind staying up late nights. Having a great work ethic is very important to me, because without that, we don't eat. And community is important too - I'm so much in the community field, always trying to insert myself in as many community events or programs or anything just to help out my community.