Meet Shaquoya Jackson-Ishman: Designer and Model

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shaquoya Jackson-Ishman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shaquoya, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I am a rebel at heart so being a risk taker is nothing out of the ordinary for me. My sister Kisha always says that Im the type of person that would jump in the sea and learn how to swim later. It sounds crazy, but it is true. If there’s an opportunity thats presented to me and I feel like I have to take the chance, whether I’m prepared or not, I just may still do it. You just never know… maybe it’s the opportunity that will help you grow and prepare for other things. I believe in taking the chance and growing with the opportunity. I’ve taken some big risks in my career in which some has lead to greater opportunities and some has lead to learning lessons to better prepare me for the future.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
ShaLaJá Swimwear is all about enhancing your beauty and being comfortably fashionable while on the beach. I personally love options. Im a really versatile person so the goal is to have versatility in my brand as well. I want to provide swimwear for every type of woman from glamorous, to sexy, to plus size and even tom boy. Im working on mastering one category at a time. My next focus will be on plus size swimwear. I’ve come a long way in my business and still have a long way to go, but I am really proud of every accomplishment big or small. I’m most proud about being an official featured brand in Macy’s. With the economy changing and companies beginning to close, including Macys in various locations, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to experience selling on a larger scale. Im also most proud of maintaining. There are so many obstacles that come with being an entrepreneur; it’s not an easy task. Being able to maneuver through difficult times and overcome the rough patches that can occur while building a business is an accomplishment itself! I remember first starting my business and a fellow designer told me to never lose my momentum. Starting something that you are passionate about is awesome, but you have to be prepared to keep up the work and never lose momentum. The most important thing I’ve learned along the way is that you can’t make this happen without a team! You can not do it all alone and you need people in place to help strengthen you where you are weak. I want the world to know that ShaLaJá Swimwear was created purely out of drive and motivation to have my own business and be my own boss. Everything about running a business was learned from online and nothing was easy, but I want you to know that it is possible. Anything that you put your mind to and consistently work towards you can achieve!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my bestie came to visit me for a week I’d have to start off with a good meal! The first place we’re going is to get food. There are so many options, but Stoney River is definitely one of my favorites. They have delicious food and serve large portions so there’s always left overs for later. You’ll want to order everything off the appetizer menu alone! After a good meal it’s time to relax, preferably a nap, but since we would be trying to live our best life I’d say catch some live music and have some drinks. I think Spice House Restaurant and Lounge would be my choice. They have all of the above! Live music, good food and drinks. At some point we would do a little shopping around town or get a relaxing spa massage. Of course we have to get out and enjoy the night life. We’re the chill turn up type so we’d hit up Cafe Circa, Fellaship Lounge or a nice hookah bar and party, which is definitely more our vibe. If it’s a popping bottles kind of night then we’re definitely celebrating something special. A lot of our time would be spent in the house sipping wine, laughing, catching up, eating and dancing to music, which for us is the most fun. The best part would be enjoying each other’s crazy company. We are hilarious lol. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Everything I do is dedicated to my family and friends whom are my biggest supporters. My family is my team when I need one; especially my mom and sister so i definitely want to give them a huge shout out for everything that they do! There is one awesome organization that I’d like to give recognition to for helping mold me into a better boss and making it clearer what it takes to run a successful business and thats Phoenix Fashion Week. They are the only fashion week bootcamp that actually teach you what you need to know and actually put you on missions to help you succeed.

Website: https://www.shalajaswimwear.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shalajaswimwear/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/shalajaswimwear/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/shalajaswimwear/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shalajaswimwear/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shalajaswimwear/

Image Credits
Kareem Quow Photography Megan Monique Photography Tim Cole Photography Shotbyjeff Photography