Meet Taaj Marjanee | Illustrator, Author, and Publisher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Taaj Marjanee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Taaj, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
The most important lesson my business has taught me is to never stop persevering. Once you put a halt on your business, EVERYTHING will be at a standstill. Nothing moves without you because you are that key component which gives your business its boost.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Yumme Brand is all about designing art and products that reflect the likeness of little black girls at their earliest ages. I would consider my characters very unique due to the variation of hairstyles incorporated with sweet treats. Coming up with them was like one of those moments when artists get those creative juices flowing art just spills out. I am most excited about how I was able to bring a few of my characters from a coloring book to a picture book for beginner readers. The amount of progress I’ve seen thus far has exerted me to another level. The end goal is too see my art as home and lifestyle products! Getting to where I am now of course wasn’t and still isn’t easy. I’ve gone through a wave of emotions. I consider my company my baby and with that being said, before I want it to walk, it definitely needs to crawl. There is so much to think about when you want the best for your project. So I definitely went through a lot of trial and errors to say the least. Hearing the word “No” is something I had to get use to but, I knew I couldn’t become discouraged. I want people to know to never get discouraged if something doesn’t work out the way you planned. It’s almost in unison with life, sometimes you have to improvise.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Atlanta and the surrounding areas are full of cool spots and there is always something to do! I still love discovering new places to hang out and of course eat..lol. We wouldn’t do this in one day, but during my friend’s stay…. Well first, I would start out the day by taking bestie to Thumbs Up in East Point for breakfast. I’m a big foodie and this restaurant never disappoints. Next, we would spend the day driving through the city streets through Auburn Avenue and Edgewood Avenue. We would park and visit local shops and make our way to the King Center. Next head over to Ponce City Market in Midtown. We could checkout a few stores at Atlantic Station. It may be un-lady like, but I am one of many women who love to drink beer. I just recently found out about Hop City Craft Beer & Wine in the West End. It is definitely the place to just kick back and vibe. A couple of games of pool at a local hangout spot Chairs on Main Street in East Point. I’m all about having a good time. The visit would end with a nice barbeque at home with my family. People who know me, know that my family will treat you just like our own.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Of course! I’d like to give a shoutout to all my supporters, family, and friends! Especially my mom. She’s been in my corner every step of the way. Even on the days when I doubted myself. I am most thankful for her because of the encouragement she continues to give. She has guided me in my accomplishments with Yumme Brand as a start up.

Website: www.yummebrand.com
Instagram: @yummebrand & @babygummieandfriends
Facebook: Yumme Brand, LLC
Youtube: Yumme Brand

Image Credits
Photoshoot – Cranium Art by Reginald Duncan