Who is Malaika Salaam?
mom. blogger. Amethyst All-Star. sporter of converse. co-host at #BlackNerdPower conversationalist. lover of chucks. somewhere chatting up strangers. #adventures in… #TheMotivator. #projectchĬc. #Palaika Pope. #ConsciousRatchet original. promoter of GREATness. sharer of awesomeness. eccentric. unfinished. griot. oracle. 1/3 of the trinity. boss lady salaam. slick tweeter. feng shuier of facebook newsfeeds. honeybadger. rebel without a comma. her Royal Highness of #hashtags. the Empress of ellipses… (Princess of Parentheses). camera phonetographer. naturalista. flexitarian. foodie. womb warrior on a mission. educator. homeschool advocate. watcher of people. dancer. captain of the couch-twerk team. collector of things. writer of words. la bruja. knower of information. seeker of knowledge. thinker. lifelong learner. inspired by color, sound, and light. doer of things. flier not faller. in the midst of living her 4th life… the beauty.full one.
Enjoy this G.C. Denwiddie authorpreneur interview.
1. You are the hashtag queen. How did you come up with the name for your blog?
Awwwww thank you! And the feeling is mutual!
I love hashtags! I’m like a the Royal Highness of Hashtags! And the Empress of Ellipses… So I’m always hashtagging what I’m doing, who I’m with, and stuff I find and get excited about. I was playing around with different taglines and I was like what sums up what I’m all about? Ha! Eureka! By Jill I think I have it! #coolpeopleplacesthings.
2. How did you start blogging?
I started blogging at the suggestion of my awesome niece, Portia Thomas (she’s an author, guess it’s in the DNA). She planted the seed back in 2008/2009, but I still didn’t start until 2011… My first blog was simply Adventures in Malaika… created on the Zapd platform with my iPhone mostly. It was a way for me to chronicle all of the awesomely weird and random things that happen to me and my friends (usually when they’re with me). Then my children suggested I write a book of motivations based on texts/emails that I used to send (which earned me the nickname The Motivator) they actually came up with the title Purple Hair and Converse. I wasn’t quite ready to write a book and Zapd was ending so I downloaded my content, changed platforms and started blogging more regularly… Earlier this year I started getting really interested in blogging professionally and reached out to Dana James Mwangi (who IS a Branding Guru!!!)( oh and let’s add the Princess of Parentheses to my growing list of titles *smile*) and she basically gave me the confidence to get out of my comfort zone, stop playing it safe, and pursue blogging with zeal. And so I have. The list of people who continue to encourage me would be exhaustive, but I have gotten lots of support that keeps me writing and creating content and I am ever-appreciative for it.
3. Memphibians have an intense love for the city! It’s fascinating. Please share your love for Memphis.
I do mostly blog about Memphis, I kind of see myself as an Ambassador, althugh I’m actually from Oceanside, CA (just outside of San Diego). I’ve been in Memphis for 18 years (this past January) and it’s where I became and adult. Seriously graduated College here, married here, had children here, divorced here, etc… Discovered who I am here and who I was. Good times, bad times, awesomely, amazing, random times. Memphis is so much more than BBQ, Beale St., Elvis, and MLK and I have had the pleasure of seeing it all. I consider myself the original Cali-Seean! I blog about my life and yeah about 85-90% of it is really Memphis *smile*
4. Tell me more about your awesome style.
My awesome style! Cool, I’ll own that *smile* I would describe by style as Geek/BoHo/Chic…
It’s like Denise Huxtable/Lisa Bonet (The Cosby Show) x Freddie Brooks/Cree Summer (A Different World) x Blossom x Clarissa Darling (Clarissa Explains It All) x Punky Brewster x Shana (JEM) x Lynn Searcy (Girlfriends) x Joan Clayton (Girlfriends, but not quite that fancy)…
I’m a huge fan of characters/illustration/animation/graphics… So I’m usually in some type of graphic tee (I even design my own, like design, design and modify)… I love comfort so long skirts, palazzo pants or harem pants (if the fit is right, I’m a curvy girl), jeans with at least 2% Lycra (seriously) I own like 9 pair of Rock Star Jeans…They are ERRRTHANG! I also have a few funky pieces and classic pieces that I like to mix and match. I keep my ensembles minimal, light layering… I think a good blazer can up the fancy factor on a simple outfit. I really pile it on with accessories!!! Rings, bracelets, necklaces, and scarves especially. I will be the older aunt who gets asked “Do you really need to wear 3 necklaces and a scarf?” To which I will answer, “YAZZZ!”
And I spend 90% of my waking and walking life in Converse Sneakers!
5. What are your suggestions about networking?
Hmmmm, the #1 networking tool I have… IDK… I use a lot of technology and I am always integrating… If I had to choose 1, I guess it would be me… I am my brand, wherever I go you know I’m there… I’m the one with the purple hair… My hair stats conversations *smile*, rockin’ my Converse and sometimes #Nonverse (Converse-styled sneakers), conversing with strangers, snapping a million pics and updating awlah my social networks on the awesomeness!
Visit Malaika at the following links:
www.facebook.com/purplehairandconverse
instagram.com/purplehairandconverse
www.pinterest.com/purphairconvers
www.youtube.com/purplehairandconvers
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