In the world of social media influencers, creatives aren’t just trendsetters and tastemakers — their unique ability to captivate audiences and cultivate a loyal following has evolved into a lucrative business model, and many are fully stepping into the entrepreneurial space. One fashion influencer who’s been hustling nonstop is Jayda Cheaves, popularly known as Jayda Wayda. Highlighting her chic personal fashion, modeling career, and day-to-day life as a mom, the 25-year-old’s social media presence has taken her from an internet sensation to a rising business mogul. The genius way that Cheaves has finessed her personal brand into the thriving business empire that is Waydamin has inspired the thousands of young Black women that follow her.
The clothing brand includes unique, trendy pieces to classic styles of clothing. Waydamin is taking over the internet, and from the look of it, its success isn’t slowing down any time soon; in an interview with Unbothered, Cheaves shares that she had to move to a bigger warehouse space just to house the outgoing shipments, as well as hire more people to meet the insatiable demands of her customer base. What is it about Waydamin that makes it stand out in a saturated market? Cheaves believes its draw is the fact that every single piece in the collection is authentic to her personal style and something that she herself could be caught wearing out and about. “I’m very hands-on with my brand, from the select pieces, fabrics, and textured all the way to the marketing,” she explains. “I make sure to test them out because it’s important to me that whoever buys pieces will not only look good but feel their best.” Cheaves knows her audience — the girls will want whatever it is she has on.
On May 19, Cheaves released Waydamin’s Capsule Cozy Collection, which featured comfortable but sexy sleepwear options including leggings and a short sleeve shirt, ribbed bandeau and shorts, babydoll set, robe, branded socks and slippers. Interestingly enough, when she first teased the launch, Cheaves’ social media was flooded with comments questioning the focus on sleepwear and warning that spring wasn’t the right season for that type of clothing option. But the power of Jayda Wayda can’t be underestimated; within the first 24 hours of the launch, the collection successfully raked in millions of dollars, proving that if other loungewear brands can sell cozy sleepwear items year-round, so could Waydamin. To celebrate the official Instagram account hitting 500K followers, the Waydamin brand offered a flash sale of the cozy collection. If you blinked, you might’ve missed it before everything went out of stock!
Just shy of two years in the game, Waydamin’s momentum from startup to a million-dollar corporation is a beacon of hope to small Black business owners, and she’s paying it forward by mentoring up-and-coming entrepreneurs in her area. We don’t often hear about entrepreneurs in the early stages of their business ventures taking the time to pour into their peers, but Cheaves says her company’s success has pushed her to support young women also looking to grow and excel in business.
“Many of the girls that are now working for me, I met them at a panel that I was on for Essence Girls United,” shares the Waydamin founder and CEO. “I had them email their resume over, and then I interviewed them at my headquarters. They’re full-time students at Spelman and Clark Atlanta University, and I really just wanted to help and mentor them along their journeys.” The valuable insight, information, and experience that Cheaves is able to pass on to the young women she mentors will no doubt be a pivotal part of helping them get their feet in the door. Wiser beyond her years, Cheaves knows her work is bigger than just expanding Waydamin — it’s about making entrepreneurship more accessible and viable for everyone.
Cheaves’ dream is that the brand continues to grow to the point that it’ll one day be globally recognized, and she knows the key to that expansion lies in her close connection with her dedicated customer base. “I’m looking forward to the future of Waydamin,” Cheaves says happily. “I hope to do a big collaboration and host more pop-ups to interact with my audience. They really bring me joy and keep me going, so any opportunity I get to interact with them is truly a highlight for me.”
The journey of Waydamin is just beginning, and we should be keeping an eye out for what Cheaves has up her sleeve next. With a hungry entrepreneurial spirit, an unlimited creative vision, a constant finger on the pulse of culture, and a loyal community, she has the potential to turn her brand into a whole conglomerate. Soon Waydamin will be the blueprint for other Black influencers and creatives looking to establish a legacy of their own.
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