Meet Tamika V. Johnson

We recently connected with Tamika V. Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Tamika V., so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.

Haters will always exist. I learned that haters must carry some insecurity within themselves if their purpose is to attack someone’s character or their life is centered around speaking negatively about someone. By developing empathy with why someone would belittle me (or speak that I can’t do something over my life), I learned that people who embody those behaviors are usually projecting since they failed before, are inspired by something I did before them, or were not supported in their own journeys. To me, when someone is a hater or nay-sayer, it is a reflection of their character and not my own.

Something that I also had to unlearn is how to stop placing strict pressure on myself and allowing unsupportive people to add to those pressures. I have learned the power of focusing more on those who love and support you more than worrying about winning over the people who don’t like you or support your vision.

My advice for others is not to let criticism get to them. You have to tune out the excess, negative noise and persevere no matter what challenge comes your way…including verbally.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Although I had been writing for decades, I became a formally published author in 2020 during the pandemic. I find that my being an author, entertainer, and social media influencer has the benefits of allowing people a creative escape, brings about emotional growth, and provides lifestyle knowledge or spiritual wisdom. My motto is “Entertainment with a Purpose”, and I live by this personally and professionally as an author, entertainer, and social media influencer. I am proud to provide entertaining art and also real-life advice that allow others to reflect and relate to my characters or personal life. When people read my books, they are able to connect to the characters. Often, readers will find me on social media, which has allowed me to become a paid personal brand called “BigTimeMeek” via social media platforms. When one follows me on social media, they get to learn more about my personality, lifestyle, and love of beauty and fashion. What I believe sets me apart from others is that I don’t fit the typical perception of what someone may consider a triple college-educated author to look like. I am boldly myself, which is what I believe true beauty and brains should reflect. I hope that I inspire people to be creative, spiritually grounded, and also follow their dreams in a way that speaks to them. In my second book, “Stocks & Bonds”, I say “Don’t box me in; I won’t fit”: This is exactly how I live my life.

Currently, I am in the middle of writing my seventh book, will begin social media influencing as a TikTok influencer, and plan to rebrand my YouTube channel by Fall 2024!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

My three most impactful qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge have been education, creativity, and passion. With earning two degrees in business, I was able to learn more about advertising, branding, marketing, and business contracts. I once had a moment where I was conflicted over whether or not my degrees were in vain due to my wanting to enter the entertainment world. However, getting that formal education truly taught me so much about business and managing my own career, including financially. With creativity being another important quality, I find that having my mind clear, getting lost in my art, and brainstorming have helped me compose and express myself in a lot of entertaining or influential ways as it pertains to showing who I am to my audiences. Of course, passion is one of my favorite qualities about myself due to the fact that I truly love what I do as an author, entertainer, and social media influencer. I truly believe that these are all key things that are of value to me and that others can relate to in some form.

One can always develop or improve these traits by setting time aside to allow yourself to explore where you are, stay abreast of what is happening in the culture/world, and reading more books or acquiring more information. You can never stop improving or learning.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am always open to collaborate with others when it comes to social media influencing for the areas of authorship, beauty, entertainment, fashion, and lifestyle. I have done radio shows and podcast interviews as well. I truly enjoy collaborating with other entertainers, influencers, podcasters, and radio hosts! I can be found via social media platforms as my nickname BigTimeMeek or Tamika V. Johnson via a Google search; that can lead potential collaborators to the method of contact that they choose to reach me. Do not be afraid to direct message me, for I am approachable and a social butterfly!

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