PLEASE, BRIEFLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF, HOW YOU STARTED AND HOW YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
I am Mahiri Takai, a pastor, husband, father, business owner, and author. I started in the fashion industry and after years of promising work and utilizing my compassion, I moved my focus toward social media branding. This is where I was the most comfortable, helping people create and understand their digital branding footprint. Most people don’t know it, but marketing and branding is a tool. If used correctly, it can open many doors. If the door won’t open with the right tool you can just remove the whole frame lol.
HAS IT BEEN A SMOOTH ROAD?
Nothing in this life is meant to be smooth. Every lesson is learned best after the rain has cleared. I started my journey at 19 years old at Port Authority Bus Terminal for Greyhound in New York City. I had $50, a tuna sandwich, and a track phone with 15 mins left. I had a dream and a drive, and no matter what challenges I faced, I was sure God’s grace would carry me through. And it always did! And it always will!
TELL US ABOUT MFWD/FISHBOY/AODI… AND WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHERS?
I’m a serial entrepreneur in the truest form. I own a business called AODI known as The Art Of Digital Influence, where we teach regular people how to become social media geniuses. It is a 14, 000 square foot space that houses the first-of-its-kind co-work space, digital agency, and Activate Church Dallas, where I pastor.
My second business is Men’s Fashion Week Dallas. We host fashion week two times a year, where we feature men and women designers from around the world as well as help small businesses and models get exposure for their brands and company.
Lastly, I am the author of a children’s series called The Adventures of Fishboy. It’s a story of 4 friends journeying through childhood issues and mistakes, learning lessons without even knowing it. I started writing the series as a way to talk to my children about future issues. I put it in a book in hopes that they’ll remember and carrying the lessons with them.
WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW?
If I did it, so can you. If I’m doing it, so will you! Saying you own this or that is cool however, it’s not until this or that begins to open a door for him and her does it matter. I created each of my brands to help someone else to get through the doors that were closed in my face. Every lesson I learned I can now teach others how to avoid. Trust yourself and believe you can make anything happen no matter what!
To know more about Mahiri Takai visit his official website www.mahiritakai.com. And don’t forget to follow Mahiri on social media, he is active on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Image Credit: Amir Curry
