Taja is the owner and founder of Finer Bling LLC™. Taja has always had a love for crafting and all things custom. Taja never thought making a bling phone case would turn into a business. As her business grows, she saw an opportunity to expand her services. Taja produced her first collection of custom pins and they were a hit. She has since gone on to produce her first custom apparel line “The GlitZ Collection™” and now subscription boxes for her Sorority sisters. Taja has a passion for her business and she puts her love into every item made.
Finer Bling LLC is about “being unique from others and looking finer while doing it.”
Tell us about who you are and what you do.
My name is Taja, but I go by Tee Jaay. I was born at The Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, and raised in Detroit, MI. I am an only child. I graduated high school in 2006 from Cooley High, I hold a B.S. in Psychology from Grand Valley State University and a Masters in Social Work from Western Michigan University. I have been an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, INC. for 8 years. I’m currently a mental health social worker and the owner of Finer Bling LLC. I run this business alone, but very blessed to have help from my family and I could not do this without them. Finer Bling LLC is a shop that specializes in all things custom, including but limited to apparel, bling items, pins, subscription boxes, etc….
Tell us how you created this brand and what was the sole idea behind it.
Being a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, INC. I wanted a bling Zeta phone case. After doing some research “I was like wow “these things are expensive” lol. I made the decision to try one out myself.
In my opinion, the first case came out horrible. But I posted it on social media, I received an enormous amount of positive feedback. Things like I want one, do you sell those, that’s fire, where can I get one. With the outpour of good vibes and love shown, I felt like I could do this. After doing more research I wanted to make a phone case of good quality, but also unique to the customer. Once I did that, the rest is history. In 2015 I started Finer Bling, LLC. with $50. It started out as me being cheap but now it is my heart and passion. It was never my plan to start a business, but God said I didn’t give you those gifts not to use. He has continually blessed me and opened my mind to other business ventures. I have gone from making phone cases to other bling items, custom apparel, pins, and subscription boxes for my beloved sorority.
Go in detail and tell us about how your brand works. You may keep this from the audience’s perspective.
My brand is the groundwork to develop customer loyalty and to keep my customers. I believe my brand is how my audience perceives me and it’s the face of my business. Personal connection is key.
What is your giveaway idea through this interview? Highlight something that may interest the readers on a one-to-one basis.
I would say commitment, stay the course, and be prepared to put in the work. More importantly, don’t get discouraged. For every no, there is a greater yes!
Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?
When I first started this business, I was losing more money than I had to come in. I was making things before receiving payment and that would sometimes fall through, I was undercharging, spending more on materials than I should have. I was just doing everything wrong. I had no idea at the time how to run a business. It took me years to get to the position I am in now. Learning my price point but most importantly learning how to simply run a business by myself. I still at times say to my self “Taja, what are you doing, get it together now.” There are days when I am exhausted and I just want to do nothing, but I have a business to run, and people depending on me to provide a product, It definitely is not all gumdrops and unicorns. It takes a lot of sacrifices to run this business, especially alone. But the upside is I learn something new every day
How do you manage your finances through the services you offer. Any fundings etc received?
I do not receive any funding and never have. The money I earn is poured right back into my business. It takes money to make money.
What motivates you?
Being successful, connecting with my customers, the joy in learning, making my parents proud, and the journey. But most importantly I want to continually make my grandmother proud, as she watches over me. She was so proud of and loved Finer Bling, LLC. I lost my grandmother in 2020 to Colon Cancer, she was and still is my world. For this reason, I decided to add a set of angel wings on the back of all my apparel, because I know she always has my back.
How do you generate new ideas?
The wheels are always turning about the next item. I can be out and see something and be like “yep that’s my next thing.” I try to think of ideas that will be appealing to my customer base, something unique and different.
Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?
I have no limit on where this business goes. God is my CEO and Finer Bling, LLC is going to go as far as he sees fit and I’m more than good with that. I’m just a passenger on this journey and wherever I stop I just hope it’s great and blessed.
What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?
Don’t be scared to start that business you’ve always dreamed of. There will be days where you will want to give up and that is the time that you push harder, that’s the time you give everything you got. Don’t let you get in the way of you doing what you were meant to do. Hustle forward not backward!
Get in touch with Finer Bling LLC on:
Website: www.itsfinerbling.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/finer_bling